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Comm Board Ushers in New Wave of Bruin Operations The 1963-64 school year held one great change for members of the Daily Bruin – Shirley Mae Folmer would be the last editor elected by popular vote (Southern Campus). Instead, a much needed Communications Board was established to oversee campus-wide publications. From this point forward, the coveted editor-in-chief position would be selected by the Board. |
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May 19, 1968 Run-ins with administration inevitable |
To Dean Bryon Atkinson, the transformation alleviated much yearly grief because “continual squabbles about election and selection and appointment of editors for student publications had reached the point of absurdity” (Ackerman 141). Three years prior, editor-in-chief Mort Saltzman '61 predicted the need for such an establishment as a way to advise and control publications as well as to appoint key positions. In a column written on February 6, 1961 in response to his mid-year resignation from the post of editor, Saltzman described the downward spiral that he felt the paper was heading in. He also suggested “that the circus-type method by which the editor of the Bruin is selected be eliminated . . . by appointing the editor a better method than is presently employed will be secured.” Some may have feared that the ushering in of an advising board would restrict the independence of the Bruin. However, that was in no way the case. Bill Ackerman made it clear that “The Comm Board, as publishers, don’t own the Bruin” (142). Instead, it brought the Bruin out of the constant jurisdiction of the student government and into the hands of a specialized group.
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Bruin provides much needed niche at large, diverse university UCLA in the 60’s was a school of 29,000 people looking for a niche. With far fewer people living in on-campus dormitories than today’s student body, students had to get involved in school activities or be left disjointed from university life. For the many students who found themselves in the Daily Bruin office, including both those who stumbled in unsure of what they were getting involved with and those who sought out the paper, the rewards were innumerable. For the dedicated staffers, the Bruin provided a family, a passion, and a window to the political landscape of the decade. Jeff Perlman '71 first joined the staff because “I saw journalism as a way to pursue social change through truth-seeking as opposed to following political fads of the moment.” While all of them believed strongly in causes such as this one, the group atmosphere provided many other perks. Larry May '69 joined originally because “writing was fun and it was a way to have camaraderie . . . people were thrown together from all backgrounds coming together during what was a very exciting time on campus.” He also appreciated “the opportunity to have a home on campus.” This community atmosphere was also obvious to John Sandbrook '73, who agreed that "There was a real spirit di cour about the Bruin." Journalism provided the perfect opportunity to have fun and be involved as well as be intellectually stimulated in the rich social and political climate of the time. Brian Weiss '68 found “a warm reception, a job, a mission, a family, and a career” from the Bruin. He elaborates: “It was where I belonged, it was my identity, it gave me a place and a face in an otherwise large, institutional environment.” According to Allan Mann '68, “It enabled me to connect with a group of people who would become my social group during my college years and my lifelong years.” The lifelong status of his group of friends is evident – twenty or so alumni from 1963 to 1970 are still in frequent touch and have reunions every year to catch up and reminisce about old times. Larry Grobel '68 also used the Bruin as a way to voice his creativity. “Campus wise it was freedom of expression, it was an outlet,” he said. The large time commitment led to a very close-knit staff who not only worked hard together but played hard together too. More than one alumnus expressed that they learned how to drink because of being on the Bruin! The fun times they had were well deserved after the countless hours of time and energy put into producing each day’s paper. |
Bruin paved way for future The Daily Bruin was more than an extracurricular. For the students involved, it was a stepping stone, a sounding-off board for what was to come in their futures. More than 35 years later, many Daily Bruin alumni still cite the Bruin as having a powerful influence over their current lives. Take Larry May '69 who, although he practices law, says “I’m certain that some of my outlook towards life was created directly or indirectly from the things that went on with the Daily Bruin and the feeling of being involved.” Many other alumni echoed this sentiment. Regardless of their career choice, be it law, journalism, marketing, public relations, or cartooning, the Daily Bruin provided experience, training, and communication skills that could be applied to any job. Allan Mann '68 feels strongly that his “experience on the DB shaped my whole professional life . . . I still get value from the DB experience for what it taught me about meeting deadlines, working with people and understanding all aspects of an issue before writing about it.” After experimenting with various jobs for about a decade, Brian Weiss '68 started a writing and marketing consulting firm that has kept him employed for 25 years. As he puts it: “The DB gave me many of the skills I use every day, from design to production to writing and editing.” Renowned political cartoonist Tony Auth '65 got his start in the field by submitting cartoons three times a week in the years following his graduation. Without his experience at the Bruin, Auth would not have had the portfolio and training to get a job at the Philadelphia Inquirer, where he has been employed since he first landed the job 34 years ago. “It was invaluable,” he said. “The fact that I had done these drawings for the Bruin meant that if they were interested, I had hundreds of cartoons to show them.” More than most other extracurriculars, the Daily Bruin was a lifelong passion. Jeff Perlman '71 explains his experience, which matched that of many of his peers: “I don’t think I would have stayed with journalism as a career were it not for my DB experiences. Not only did the DB enhance my professional skills, but it also opened up new worlds and advanced my life skills . . . I stuck with the news – one of the few at the DB from that era who did. I’m convinced, of course, that I did the right thing.”
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Feb. 26, 1969 More than most other extracurriculars, the Daily Bruin became a passion that took over the lives of those who worked at it. Going to school soon became going to the Bruin; lectures were skipped, tests were crammed for, and the Bruin superseded all else. While many of them squeaked by, 1960 Editor-in-Chief Mort Saltzman '61 resigned his position midway through the year in part because of poor grades. A dedicated staff member for three and a half years, juggling school and the Bruin finally became overwhelming. “With much hindsight, I regret that I directed my passion almost entirely to the newspaper and did not leave much for the particular classes I didn’t enjoy,” he said recently. Not many others came to Saltzman's realization, instead struggling but somehow managing to balance schoolwork and the Bruin. Larry May '69 elaborated that “if you were going to be an editor in that time there was a pretty clear understanding that you had a lot of devotion . . . the Daily Bruin always came first. I think for many people the Daily Bruin kind of forsaked their studies.” Classes were usually scheduled during the mornings to leave time for work in the afternoon. However, this ideal scheduling was not always possible, and often led to ignored classes and last minute essays. Jeff Perlman '71 admitted that the senior editors would sometimes get the “cubs” to sit it on lectures for them. Even so, for Jeff most often classes were balanced “by the seat of my pants.” Daily Bruin writers and editors majored in a variety of fields, but many of them explain their area of concentration like Dianne Glei '66: “while my degree is in American History, I really majored in the Daily Bruin.” Even though hours of classes were neglected, the Bruin staff had the incredible ability to succeed regardless. This was helped, as Brian Weiss '68 explained, because “one saving grace, of course, was our writing ability. Most of us could whip out a term paper in a fraction the time it took 'normal' students.” Sound elitist? They had a right to be. It is quite an achievement that, as students, they had time every day to put out a paper as large (often up to 28 pages) and as professional as they did, especially in an era without word processing or computer design programs (a concept hard for today’s generation, like myself, to grasp). The daily production routine started, according to Allan Mann '68, with getting page “dummies” from the advertising department, which showed how much free space was available for that day. Next, a preliminary layout was designed based on what stories were expected to come. “The rest of the day was spent trying to get the stories done, copy edit them, write the headlines, and then get the final layout done. It was generally a madhouse, but somehow it got done every day,” Mann said. |
Newspapers sole form of mass communication on campus Today’s Internet and television guided life, with its immediate news coverage and instantaneous communication factor, has made the world a bit less appreciative of traditional newspapers. Instead of being the supreme source of information, they have now been pushed to the day-old back burner. Fortunately, the United States in the 1960’s and 70’s still valued the power of the press, and the Daily Bruin upheld that power in the UCLA and Westwood communities. According to Jeff Perlman '71, “the DB was must reading, even if you just wanted to stay informed about cultural goings-on, let alone the political upheavals.” Despite its monopoly in the news department, Brian Weiss '68 also felt that “the DB was the paper the students loved to hate. For many, we were their ONLY source of information, yet somehow it was sort of public sport to not like the DB.” This reaction is to be expected, since many students did not appreciate the high caliber of writing and professionalism that the Daily Bruin possessed. Allan Mann '68 felt that students “took it for granted . . . because they didn’t see how poorly other campus papers did.” Even with a bit of dislike, the Daily Bruin of the 60’s and early 70’s was extremely popular. Schedule changes, campus events, student recognition, and breaking news stories from both on campus and around the country were covered solely in the Bruin. This popularity is illustrated in the print run from the 60’s versus the print run from 2005. According to John Sandbrook '73, in his era the student population was around 29,000 and every day there were 23,000 copies of the Bruin printed. In 2005, although the student body is 20 percent larger at about 36,000, the print run is only 15,000. Sandbrook credits the Internet and television for this change, saying that “(in the 60’s) there was no other communication system . . . all you had to enrich you was the newspaper.” Editor Graces TIME Cover
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A look at the past . . . Larry Grobel '68 described the role of the paper simply: “It’s a voice, this was the 60’s,” he said. But what did "The 60's" stand for? For some, they stood for the generation gap – “Everyone was so interested in politics, it was just astonishing, and lots of families weren’t speaking to one another,” said Tony Auth '65. For some it stood for resisting authority – “(my favorite memory is) the day I stood up to the Comm Board and insisted that the most important thing to do in the wake of a campus sweep by the LAPD . . . was to keep publishing,” said Jeff Perlman '71. For some, it stood for the Civil Rights Movement – “I went (to the Mississippi March of 1966) because I believed in the cause and then I wrote about it,” said Grobel. Whatever it stood for, it was a powerful decade rich in current events that made thinking of news stories a breeze. If anything, it was difficult to decide which of the dozens of influential stories there was room for. Here are a few of their stories.
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Like the stories you've read so far? Read the complete interviews, filled with anecdotes, intrigue, and insight.
Interview Transcripts
Bibliography
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Like most of the Daily Bruin staff, Mort worked his way up the ladder during his first three years and was elected editor-in-chief for his senior year. Although he resigned mid-way through the year, Mort was dedicated to making the Bruin a hard-news driven paper. He is currently employed at the Sacramento Bee as the deputy managing editor. |
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Originally heading towards medical illustration, Tony switched gears and became interested in political cartooning. After getting his start in cartoons with the Daily Bruin, Tony was offered a job at the Philadelphia Inquirer and has been there ever since. In the somewhat small field of political cartooning, Tony is one of the best. He won a Pulitzer Prize for his work in 1976 and has also received several other distinguished honors. |
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For four years, Dianne worked on staff with the Bruin. After UCLA, she started her newspaper career as women's editor of the San Pedro News-Pilot and from there worked over 16 years on the Long Beach Press-Telegram. She went on to work at the McMinnville, Oregon News-Register for five years followed by the Contra Costa Times in Walnut Creek, California. Dianne now resides in Hawaii. |
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Starting in the fall of 1964, Brian played many roles on staff, including cub reporter, city editor, managing editor, and finally editor-in-chief. According to TIME magazine, he was so influential on staff that many people called the paper the Daily Brian. After graduating, Brian pursued his interest in anthropology, getting an M.A. at the University of New Mexico. After holding a few other jobs, he started a writing and marketing firm, WORD'SWORTH, that is still how he makes his living today. |
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First serving as reporter, Allan worked his way up the ladder to city editor and then managing editor. With a sparked interest in journalism, Allan went on to Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Allan currently runs Allan Mann Communications, a solo practice specializing in marketing communications and public relations support for the health care industry, non-profit organizations and small businesses. |
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For most of his life, Larry has been a writer, and the type of writer who "tries not to have a boss." As a student, Larry wrote weekly columns for the Bruin while also serving as editor of the humor magazine, Satyr. Since then he has been a freelance writer for many distinguished publications as well as an accomplished biographer, with books about Marlon Brando, the Huston family, and Montel Williams, to name a few. He also teaches a seminar, "The Art of the Interview," at UCLA. |
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Eager to join the Bruin staff, Larry wrote to then-editor Brian Weiss while he was still in high school asking how he could be involved. He then joined the staff, serving as a reporter, editor's assistant, and city editor. He continued his stay at UCLA to attend law school. Larry has worked in law ever since graduation, and is currently a lawyer in Santa Monica. |
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Jeff started as a general reporter for the Bruin in 1967 and soon became city editor and contributing editor, graduating in 1971. After graduation, Jeff forego his alternate career choice of practicing law to stick with journalism. He is currently the deputy day news editor at latimes.com, the website of the Los Angeles Times. He has also taught classes for UCLA, USC, and the University of Redlands Graduate School of Business. |
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Originally paid by the recreation office to cover intramural sports, John became sports editor by 1970 and worked at the city desk his senior year. Thirty-two years after hanging up the typewriter in Kerckhoff Hall, John is still at UCLA, working in Murphy Hall room 2300. After graduation John worked for Chancellor Charles E. Young for many years and is now special assistant to the executive dean. |
| 1960-61 | Mort Saltzman & Charles Rossi |
| 1961-62 | Shirley Folmer |
| 1962-63 | Alan Rothstein |
| 1963-64 | Les Ostrov |
| 1964-65 | Philip Yaffe |
| 1965-66 | Joel Boxer & Mike Zell |
| 1966-67 | Neil Reichline |
| 1967-68 | Brian Weiss |
| 1968-69 | Michael Levett |
| 1969-70 | John Parker |
| 1970-71 | Ann Haskins |
| 1971-72 | David Lees |
| 1972-73 | Shelley Presser |
| 1973-74 | Stephen Ainsworth |
created by Sara Randazzo, spring 2005
randazzo@ucla.edu
1963
Long before current stringent smoking laws, cigarette ads, like this 1963 one, frequented the pages of the Bruin. During the 60's and 70's, the Bruin was funded by both advertising and student fees. 
Moreso than today, in the 60's and 70's the Bruin focused their coverage on UCLA events. (Above) A 1968 advertisement for a campus event. 
