Jerry West Papers, 1938/2016, bulk 1950/2011

Access and use

Location of collection:
West Virginia and Regional History Center
West Virginia & Regional History Center
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6069
1549 University Avenue
Morgantown, WV 26506
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Lori Hostuttler
Phone: (304) 293-3536
Restrictions:

Special access restriction applies.

Researchers may access digitized and born digital materials by visiting the link attached to each item or by requesting to view the materials in person by appointment or remotely by contacting the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department.

Please note, box 37 is restricted, but the files contained on the media in box 37 are available to patrons upon request.

Please note, box 37 is restricted, but the files contained on the media in box 37 are available to patrons upon request.

These interviews are not yet available to the public; please contact a curator.

Not available for access at this time.

These interviews are not yet available to the public; please contact a curator.

These interviews are not yet available to the public; please contact a curator.

These interviews are not yet available to the public; please contact a curator.

This series is not yet available to the public; please contact a curator.

Terms of access:

Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.

Preferred citation:

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Jerry West Papers, A&M 3884, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Summary

Extent:
19.1 Linear Feet 19 feet 1/2 in. (6 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (18 document cases, 5 in. each); (4 large flat storage boxes, 4 in. each); (6 large flat storage boxes, 1 1/2 in. each); (1 large flat storage box; 2 in.); (1 large flat storage box; 3 in.); (3 large flat storage boxes, 5 in. each); (4 large flat storage boxes, 3 1/2 in. each); (1 artifact box, 4 1/2 in.); (4 records cartons, 15 in. each) and 213 Gigabytes 2617 files, formats primarily include .jpg, .tif, .wav, .wma, .iso, .mp4, .pdf
Creator:
West, Jerry, 1938- and Coleman, Jonathan
Abstract:
Papers of basketball icon Jerry West and research papers of author Jonathan Coleman for his collaboration on the autobiography of West. Jerry West, born in Chelyan, West Virginia in 1938, played basketball for West Virginia University (WVU) and rose to fame as a player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) before turning to basketball coaching and management. The collection includes materials that West loaned to Coleman for use in co-authoring the book West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life, as well as Coleman's book drafts, various materials he collected for background research, interviews he conducted for the book, and his research notes. Formats include correspondence, ephemera, typescript and printed book draft manuscripts, clippings, printed material, photographs, video and audio recordings on various media, artifacts, scrapbooks, and digital files, among other materials. Subjects include West's time at East Bank High School; his college recruitment and basketball career at WVU; his employment with the Lakers; the West by West book; West's career as a basketball coach for the Lakers and manager for the Memphis Grizzlies; his family life; events honoring West; various individuals, including Chick Hearn, Rodney "Hot Rod" Hundley, Ann Dinardi, Jerry's brother David West, and the West and Creasey families; and other subjects. See the Scope and Content Note for more details. For more information on Jerry West, see the Historical Note.
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Jerry West Papers, A&M 3884, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

Papers of basketball icon Jerry West and research papers of author Jonathan Coleman for his collaboration on the autobiography of West. Jerry West (born 1938), born in Chelyan, West Virginia, played basketball for West Virginia University (WVU) and rose to fame as a player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) before turning to basketball coaching and management. The collection includes materials that West loaned to Coleman for use in co-authoring the book West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life, as well as Coleman's book drafts, various materials he collected for background research, interviews he conducted for the book, and his research notes.

Formats include correspondence, ephemera, typescript and printed book draft manuscripts, clippings, printed material, photographs, video and audio recordings on various media, artifacts, scrapbooks, and digital files, among other materials.

Subjects include West's time at East Bank High School; his college recruitment and basketball career at WVU; his employment with the Lakers; the West by West book; West's career as a basketball coach for the Lakers and manager for the Memphis Grizzlies; his family life; events honoring West; various individuals, including Chick Hearn, Rodney "Hot Rod" Hundley, Ann Dinardi, Jerry's brother David West, and the West and Creasey families; and other subjects.

For more information on Jerry West, see the Historical Note.

This series includes typescript and handwritten letters (some original, some facsimiles), as well as related documents, such as press releases, awards, and other materials. Subjects include West's college recruitment, all-star games, his college career, his employment with the Lakers, and Jonathan Coleman's research into West for their book. Correspondents include Edgar (Eddie) Barrett, Publicity Director of WVU Athletic Department; various members of West's family; Ronald Reagan; Earvin "Magic" Johnson; Barbara and Fred Schaus; and more. Noteworthy items include letters regarding West's recruitment to WVU (1955-1956), letters regarding the attempt to replace many of West's trophies after a fire in the West family home (1962-1963), and a Notification of Birth Registration for Jerry West (1938). Additional correspondence can be found in series 12, Digital Files--Other.

Includes Notification of Birth Registration for Jerry West [1938], "Key Speech" from East Bank High School with Jerry's annotations [ca. 1956]; typescript about Class Night when Jerry was at East Bank High School [undated]; West's handwritten roster for the "Dream Team" [referenced in West by West chapter 12] as well as a handwritten list of those he considered undervalued and underappreciated [undated]; Rough draft of Jerry's speech for Dr. Robert Kerlan's funeral [undated]; a poem about Jerry West by Fred C. Savage [undated]; a handwritten biographical sketch about Jerry written by family member, possibly for a publication or journalistic organization; typescript and printed biographical material about Jerry [1994, undated]; and other items

This series includes event programs, handbills, sympathy cards, and more. Subjects include Jerry West Station, the Jerry West WVU Statue Unveiling, and others. Highlights include a birth announcement of Jonathan Joseph "Jonnie" West (1988) and Jerry West's signed Forum ID card (1960).

This series includes multiple drafts of West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life, by Jerry West and Jonathan Coleman, correspondence about the book, and facsimiles of photos considered for inclusion in the book. Drafts are either typescript or printed, and include the original book proposal, various drafts with annotations from both Jerry West and Jonathan Coleman, the copy edited manuscript with the authors' responses, and various stages of page proofs; here, "manuscript" refers to authors' drafts to be submitted for publication. Additional materials about the book and its promotion can be found in Series 12, Digital Files--Other.

This series includes original and facsimile clippings from newspapers and magazines, as well as printed articles from news websites, copies of book pages, and more. (Similar types of material can also be found in Series 5, Printed Material.) Included is an extensive selection of facsimile clippings from WVU's student newspaper, the Daily Athenaeum, related to Jerry West's career at WVU. Other subjects include West Virginia history, Chelyan/Cabin Creek from the Korean War era, WVU basketball, Chick and Marge Hearn, West's career as a basketball player and coach, West's gifts to WVU, his son Mark, Rodney "Hot Rod" Hundley, 1950s basketball in general, and other subjects. Also includes an article from the Wall Street Journal titled "It's the Demography, Stupid" with West's hand annotations. Digital scans of clippings can be found in Series 12, Digital Files--Other.

This series includes books, programs, magazines, and other material. Content is sorted roughly into chronological order. Subjects include East Bank High School, WVU sports during Jerry West's time at the university, the Los Angeles Lakers, events honoring West, and more. Highlights include basketball game and tournament programs from 1956-1971.

This series includes typescripts, correspondence, clippings, and other material. Subjects include Ann Dinardi, David West, and the West and Creasey families.

Ann Dinardi (1906-2003), a 1931 graduate of the WVU School of Pharmacy and Order of Vandalia awardee, provided housing to many WVU basketball players, including Rod "Hot Rod" Hundley and Jerry West. Material about her includes mostly clippings regarding her life and impact, with some correspondence and biographical information (1997-2004, undated, includes facsimiles).

David West (1929-1951), Jerry's brother, served as a sergeant in the Korean War. His material includes letters written to his family during his military service (1950-1951), as well as additional correspondence and clippings (1951-1954, undated, includes facsimiles).

West and Creasey family material includes mainly obituaries and genealogical information (1960-2007, undated).

This series includes facsimile and original photographs, with some photo postcards and negatives.

Box 12, folder 1 contains a booklet of facsimile photos of Jerry West and others, dating from the 1950s thru 2000s; some photos are identified in annotations by West's wife Karen. Box 12, folders 2-17 contain mostly facsimiles (with a few originals) of almost all of the photos included in the booklet. For the scans used to compile this booklet, see Series 12, Digital Files--Photographs.

The rest of the series includes mostly original photos, divided between black and white or color medium, then further divided into the following categories:

Jerry West Playing Basketball (publicity shots of Jerry in uniform as well as action shots),
Photos of or including Jerry West,
Photos of Others (including family),
Photos with Correspondence, and
Two special topics: Jerry West Boulevard Renaming Ceremony and the Korean War Memorial.

For additional photos, see Series 9, Artifacts; Series 11, Oversize; and Series 12, Digital Files--Photographs.

This series includes mini DV tapes, MP 120 video cassettes, DVDs, and CDs.

Subjects of the videos include West family events and vacations, West's basketball career in college and in the NBA, and special events he attended. Some of the videos may be original; others are copies from TV programs on which West appeared or was referenced. Some of the video content dates back to the 1950s.

The three mini DV tapes in box 14 and the discs in box 15 have been digitized. The eight MP 120 video cassette tapes in box 14 and the discs in boxes 16 and 17 are not yet digitized.

Five discs in box 17 contain the audiobook version of West by West, in which Jerry narrates the prologue and dedication, and his son Ryan narrates the rest.

Digitized content from this series, as well as additional digital audiovisual content, can be found in Series 12, Digital Files and Series 13, Digital Files--Interviews.

This series includes various artifacts: a framed poem about Jerry West by Alex Omalev (1990); a framed color photo of West with wife Martha Jane and three sons (ca. 1970s); an oval colorized tintype or family photo engraved on metal plate, depicting two young children (undated); a stamp of West's signature (undated); a brass belt buckle (undated); two strips of fabric with words "NOEL" and one with "U.S. ARMY" (undated); an inspirational magnet (undated); and two replicas of West's basketball jerseys from WVU and his time with the Lakers (ca. 2016).

This series includes nineteen scrapbooks. Scrapbooks include mostly clippings, as well as photographs, printed material, correspondence, typescripts, speech notes, broadside, and other material. Printed material includes published guides, magazines, basketball schedules, and other material. Some scrapbooks include handwritten and typed annotations. The main subject of the scrapbooks is West's basketball playing career, spanning his time with East Bank High School, the WVU Mountaineers, and the LA Lakers. Special events highlighted include the 1960 Olympics, the Lakers 21st annual All-Star game, and the Lakers championship games.

For a scrapbook about Jerry West Night in 1971, see Series 12, Digital Files--Scrapbook.

This series includes clippings, photographs, award certificates, printed material, and ephemera. Clippings mainly relate to West's basketball career. Photos include West family photos, portraits of Jerry, and aerial shots of houses. Noteworthy items include material related to East Bank High School and West's time there (clippings, student publications, and an ink sketch of the building; 1951-1956, 1998) and Jantzen advertisements featuring Jerry West (ca. 1965-1967).

South Bay Daily Breeze Family Weekly (January 16, 1972)

Basketball: America's Most Complete Basketball Paper (January 25, 1973)

This series contains 4 subseries:

Digital Files--Scrapbook; 2013 (includes facsimiles); digital files on server

Digital Files--Photographs; ca. 2008-2013 (includes facsimiles); digital files on server

Digital Files--Audiovisual Material; 2011-2013 (includes facsimiles); box 37 and digital files on server

Digital Files--Other; ca. 2013 (includes facsimiles); box 37 and digital files on server

Please note, box 37 is restricted, but the files contained on the media in box 37 are available to patrons upon request.

This subseries contains 117 TIF files. The files are scans of items from a scrapbook about Jerry West Night, March 19, 1971. Scanned items include photographs, stationery, correspondence, printed material, clippings, and a signed "Testimony of Appreciation" from West's Lakers teammates. Correspondence, which makes up most of the content, includes a telegram and congratulatory letters from fans, other NBA teams, and political figures such as Ronald Reagan. The original content dates from ca. 1970-1973. Additional scrapbooks can be found in Series 10, Scrapbooks.

This subseries includes mostly TIF and JPG image files, as well as PDF and other files.

Included are digital versions of the booklet of facsimile photos of Jerry West and others (2012; for printed booklet with annotations, see Series 7, Photographs, box 12, folder 1), as well as TIF files of the scanned photos used in the booklet and TIF files of scanned photos not included in the booklet (2012-2013; content dates from ca. 1950s-2000s).

Also included are JPG files of photos taken at a West by West book signing event, titled "92nd Street Y" (2013); additional photos of Jerry West, old family photos, Jonathan Coleman, and scans of West-related items (ca. 2008-2013; content of the photos dates from ca. 1910s-2000s); and other subjects. Additional photos can be found in series 7, Photographs.

This subseries includes still image, video, and other digital files, as well as a hard drive. Included are still image and video files of an interview with Jerry West and Jonathan Coleman regarding their collaboration on West by West; three MP4 files of the Mini DV tapes in Series 8, Audiovisual Material, box 14; and 39 MP4 files of the 37 DVDs in Series 8, Audiovisual Material, box 15; and the hard drive on which the interview files were found. Subjects of the MP4 files include West family events and vacations, West's basketball career in college and in the NBA, and special events West attended. Some of the MP4 content may be copies from TV programs on which West appeared or was referenced. Some of the MP4 content dates back to the 1950s.

For digital audio recordings of interviews conducted as part of the research for West by West, see Series 13, Digital Files--Interviews.

This subseries includes PDF files and Microsoft Word files as well as the black USB drive on which they were found (additional files from this USB drive can be found in the Digital Files--Photographs subseries). The digital files pertain to Jerry West and his career; they include biographical and genealogical material, correspondence, news clippings, speeches, and materials related to West by West.

This series includes a portable recorder and WMA audio files of interviews conducted by Jonathan Coleman as part of his research for West by West. Paper copy transcripts of many of the interviews can be found in Series 14, Transcripts of Interviews; a Reading Guide (in box 38, folder 1) correlates the alphanumeric codes assigned to the paper copies to the corresponding interviewee names, as well as the titles of corresponding audio files. According to Coleman, the audio recordings of the interviews should be the final authority in terms of accuracy, rather than the transcripts. Corrections in the printed transcripts were made as time allowed, but eight transcribers in all were involved in the project.

This series includes typed transcripts of the interviews Jonathan Coleman conducted as part of his research for West by West. Most interviews are with Jerry West; other interviewees include: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; Willie Akers; Al Attles; Mitchell Andersons; John Antonik; Emily Barker; Tony Barone, Jr.; Tony Barone, Sr.; Gene Bartow; Elgin Baylor; Mary Belton; Bill Bertka; John Black; Hannah Bowman, her husband Tommy Bowman and her grandson Hunter Bowman; Senator Bill Bradley; Jim Brown; Joe Bua; Susan Bua; Jeanie Buss; Dr. Jerry Buss; Geoff Calkins; Dyan Cannon; Cedric Ceballos; Charlie Chico; Jim Cleamons; Jerry Colangelo; Gary Colson; Michael Cooper; Mike Curtis; Adrian Dantley; Marty Danzig; Ruth Danzig; Dana Davis; Julie Dawson; Sylvester (Si) Dinardi; Keith Erickson; Dan Fegan; Rick Fox; Walt "Clyde" Frazier; Bobby Freedman; Rudy Gay; Laura Glankler; Gail Goodrich; Dave Griffin; Ronnie Grisanti; A.C. Green; Willie Gregory; Don Hagr (?); Del Harris; John Havlicek; Tommie Hawkins; Marge Hearn; Tom Heinsohn; Michael Heisley; Mayor Willie Herenton; Jim Hill; Taylor Hill; Barron Hilton; Lionel Hollins; Pitt Hyde; Phil Jackson; Steve Jackson; Earvin "Magic" Johnson; Dahntay Jones; Ken Jones; Michael Jordan; Jim Justice; Romeo Khazen; Mitch Kupchak; Ronnie Lester; Barbara Lewis; Mary Lou Liebich; Tim Leiweke; Bill Lucchesi; Bob McAdoo; Joan McLaughlin; Jim McLean; Dr. Jimmie Mancell; David "Teeny Weenie" Miller; Jane West Montgomery; Lee Moore; Wistar Murray; Jack Nicholson; Patricia Noel and Billy Noel (Jerry West's sister and nephew); Micki Nolan; Shaquille O'Neal; Frank O'Neill; Jim Perzik; Randy Pfund; Dana Pump; Buddy Quertinmont (Jules Herbert); Kurt Rambis; Glen Rice; Pat Riley; Oscar Robertson; Lon Rosen; Claire Rothman; Bill Russell; Fred Schaus; Barbara Schaus; Earl Schultz; Karen Schultz; Byron Scott; Brian Shaw; Adrian Smith; Joe Smith; Sonny Smith; Wendy Smith; Zelda Spoelstra; Bob Steiner; David Stern; Monte Stewart; Bill Strickland; Charles Sweeney; Arn Tellem; Nancy Tellem; Mychal Thompson; Rod Thorn; Ron Tillery; Gene "Bumper" Tormohlen; Jack Twyman; Kiki Vandeweghe; Gary Vitti; Chris Wallace; Donnie Walsh; Bob Warner; Hakim Warrick; Van Weinberg; Barbara West; Charles West; David West (Jerry West's eldest son); Jonnie West; Karen West; Karen Comfort West (Jerry's niece); Kim West; Mark West; Michael West; Ryan West; Jamaal Wilkes; Matt Winick; John Wooden; and James Worthy.

To find transcripts for interviews with a specific interviewee, please see the reading guide in box 38, folder 1, which lists the name of the interviewee, the alphanumeric code of the interview, and sometimes the interview subject.

This series includes handwritten and typescript notes, correspondence, and other material pertaining to the book West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life, by Jerry West and Jonathan Coleman. Subjects include Coleman's research for the book, interviews Coleman conducted, the process of assembling and finishing the book, and Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

This addendum includes ninety-six Jerry West basketball cards and one card with an image of Jerry West and a penny in it, collected by the WVRHC. The cards cover his high school school basketball days through his days as a general manager.

This series consists of eighteen publications containing material regarding Jerry West; these items have been organized chronologically.

Two items from this series have been separated to Series 11, box 32, folder 5.

Dell Sports Basketball Vol. 1, No. 12 (February 1960)

Basketball Yearbook (1960)

Basketball Vol. 1, No. 11 (1963)

Sports Illustrated (February 8, 1965)

Sport (March 1965)

Official National Basketball Association Guide (1965-66)

Complete Sports 6th Annual Basketball (1965-66)

Dell Sports No. 48 (January, 1966) [two copies]

Sports Review's Basketball (1967-68)

Sport (March 1969)

Official National Basketball Association Guide (1968-69)

Sports Today (March 1970)

Sport (March 1970)

Sports Scene (March 1971)

Southern California Golf and Lifestyle (2009)

Sports Illustrated: 75 Years of the NCAA Tournament (March 6, 2013)

Biographical / historical:

Jerry Alan West (born May 28, 1938) is a retired basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA before turning to coaching and management. He was born in Chelyan, WV to Cecil Sue West and Howard Stewart West. His brother David died in the Korean War.

West played basketball at East Bank High School, excelling enough to be invited to an all-star game in 1956. He then attended WVU, where he boarded in the house of Ann Dinardi and played for the basketball team under Coach Fred Schaus, earning a number of honors and awards.

After graduating in 1960, he began a very successful 14-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, and co-captained the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal team in Rome. His nicknames include "Mr. Clutch," for his ability to make big plays in clutch situations; "The Logo," in reference to his silhouette being used in the NBA logo; and "Zeke from Cabin Creek," for the creek near his birthplace of Chelyan, West Virginia. West married his college sweetheart, Martha Jane Kane, in 1960. They had three sons, David, Michael, and Mark, before divorcing in 1976 or 1977. He married Karen Christine Bua in 1978, and they had two sons, Ryan and Jonnie.

After his playing career, West was head coach of the Lakers from 1976-1979. He then worked as a player-scout for three years, and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980. He became general manager of the Lakers in 1982, and served as general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies from 2002-2007.

Acquisition information:
Acquired from Jerry West, 2013/01/03
Physical location:
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / URL: West Virginia & Regional History Center
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard