The original typescripts were typed in all caps and double-spaced, for easier reading aloud. They were all current as of the week of the broadcast, so they were compiled quickly, sometimes with little regard for spelling (particularly of proper names), and, in the case of non-English names, occasionally included a pronunciation guide. In addition, punctuation was primarily to indicate to him when and what to emphasize, and not necessarily the way it would have been written had it been for sight-reading only. Often, for example, he used dashes where he may have used commas or semi-colons had he been writing more formally.
Consequently, some changes have been made to the new (re-typed) transcripts. As these were edited to be read visually on this website, punctuation has often been changed. Run-on sentences (which could have been easily understandable on a radio broadcast through the use of timing, tone, and emphasis) have been re-punctuated to make for easier reading. Quotes have been adjusted, because when he quoted, he used “said that” rather than “said.” There’s been liberal use of the Oxford comma, the semi-colon after an item on a numbered list, etc., as those were the standards in the 1950s. And the double spaces between sentences (another standard in the 1950s) have been removed for digital reading. All proper names have been Web-searched for correct spelling. Some spellings have changed over the years, but I have kept his original ones (e.g., “Moslems.”) Some title references have also changed (e.g., the placement of the title “Cardinal” in a name). Hyperlinks (especially to Wikipedia) have been provided to give the reader instant access to deeper information about a subject (No footnotes were used in the original – oral – transcripts).
AP Stylebook conventions have been used generally. Occasionally, however, there has been deviation when a change seemed to make the manuscript easier to read. If you encounter errors in grammar or spelling, please let us know so we can make corrections.
The original transcripts were donated to the Archives of Appalachia on July 7, 2017.
