Skip to main content Skip to main navigation

Time Inc. Human Resources and Personnel Records

Call Number

MS 3009-RG 17

Date

1939-1989 (bulk, 1968-1985), inclusive

Creator

Time, inc.

Extent

29 Linear feet in 29 record cartons

Language of Materials

The documents in the collection are in English.

Abstract

The Time Inc. Human Resources and Personnel Records document employee relations, benefits, participation in unions, and Time Inc.'s efforts to create or implement personnel policies and guidelines.

Historical Note

In 1949, the Personnel Department existed independently within Time Inc. with Edward Rhett as its director. Within the department are staff position for Employee Records and Benefits, Interviewing, Orientation, and Medical.

By 1960, Personnel added staff to oversee the central files. Outside of the Personnel Department, Time Inc. created a position for Corporate Staff Relations. Louis Gratz occupied this position in the 1960 department head list in the Time Inc. Reference Files.

By 1970, the department head list has the Personnel Office under Corporate overseen by Vice President of Administration and International Charles Bear. The Medical Office has separated from Personnel, but is an administrative unit overseen by Bear. Within Personnel, Charles Gleason, Jr. is the Vice President and Personnel Director, and William Trent is the Assistant Director. Other staff position remain the same as in the 1960 directory.

By 1980, the department head list has the Personnel Office under Corporate Administration with Robert Steed as Director and Deane Raley as Associate Director. The Medical Director is part of Personnel again. Personnel has added Affirmative Action Officers, a Director of Staff Development, and Employment Counselors.

The 1986 Management Directory lists Human Resources (HR) under the Corporate Group overseen by the Chief Administrative Officer. HR has Directors of Affirmative Action, Benefits, Compensation, and a Medical Department.

A memorandum in Assistant Corporate Editor David Maness's files states that John Bingle is Steed's successor.

Citations:

Time Inc. Reference Files, MS 3009-RG 3, New-York Historical Society.

Time Inc. Corporate Editorial Records, MS 3009-RG 6, New-York Historical Society.

Arrangement Note

Organized into three series:

Series I. Human Resources and Personnel: General Office Files

Series II. Personnel: Vice President and Director: Robert M. Steed Files

Series III. Human Resources: Vice President: John R. Bingle Files

Scope and Contents Note

The Time Inc. Human Resources and Personnel Records include files from Robert Steed, Vice President, Personnel Director; and John Bingle, Vice President, Human Resources. Many of the files from 1939 through the 1950s look like they were retained or collected for reference reasons.

Topics include Time Inc. budgets and budgets for the Human Resources and Personnel departments; Time Inc. strategic plans; union negotiations and contracts; transitioning employees during business mergers and takeovers such as with the Washington Star; agenda and materials from the Compensation Policy Committee and Administrative Committee; compensation plans; employee stock ownership plans; healthcare management proposals; implementation of databases or other systems; insurance summaries; pension plans; memoranda discussing implementation or changes of benefits and bonuses; summer internships; Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) changes; marketing materials from outside sources; Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) forms; and employee handbooks.

While HR and Personnel are not the offices of record for some materials (budgets, strategic plans), these materials are retained here in the event they are the only record.

Because of the limited date range for these records, it is possible earlier records related to personnel matters were interfiled into the Time Inc. Subject Files (MS 3009-RG 1), Time Inc. Bio Files (MS 3009-RG 2) or Time Inc. Reference Files (MS 3009-RG 3). The majority of Human Resources and Personnel records created after the mid-1980s may have been handled using the retention policies established at that time and never archived.

Access Restrictions

Open to qualified researchers with the exception of Series II.E, and other restricted materials. Restricted materials include privileged attorney correspondence; student records; medical records; personnel performance or evaluations; contracts and agreements; and records with personally identifiable information. Restricted materials are located in boxes 645, R6, R7, and R8. Materials created within the past 35 years also may be subject to restriction on a case-by-case basis.

Materials are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use.

Use Restrictions

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.

Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions.

Preferred Citation Note

This record group should be cited as Time Inc. Administration, Human Resources and Personnel Records, MS 3009-RG 17, New-York Historical Society.

Location of Materials

Materials in this collection are stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Time Inc. in 2015.

Appraisal Note

Due to the permanent restrictions on the materials, one box of records from the Medical Department has been removed and returned to Time Inc.

Related Archival Materials Note

This finding aid relates to just one record group of the Time Inc. Records. For information about the other record groups and for overall information about the archives, please see the Guide to the Time Inc. Records (MS 3009). The Henry Luce Papers (MS 3014) were acquired with the Time Inc. Records. The collection of books acquired with the records are cataloged as the Time Inc. Reference Library.

Additional personnel policies and records may be in the Time Inc. Reference Files (MS 3009-RG 3). Earlier records on employee benefits are in the Corporate Secretary files on employee benefits plans in the Time Inc. Corporate Administration Records (MS 3009-RG 5).

Collection processed by

Holly Deakyne

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:50:59 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Description is in English

Processing Information Note

The Time Inc. Human Resources and Personnel Records were processed by Holly Deakyne in November 2016. The original folders were retained although some documents were transferred to archival containers in instances of overcrowding. Deakyne created the inventory and other descriptive notes to produced this finding aid.

In 2021, after additional records were located and more information on the structure of the company found, Deakyne moved the series of Director of Administration Rosemarie Di Sapio Files from this record group to the Time Inc. Corporate Administration Records (MS 3009-RG 5) as Vice President of Administration Rosemarie Di Sapio Files.

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024