A Documented Life
The late Marion Goldin, a journalist and producer for “60 Minutes,” made an estate gift to the Briscoe Center.
When legendary newsman Mike Wallace was complimented on being the best prepared interviewer colleague Fred Friendly had ever met, he credited the woman responsible: journalist and producer Marion Goldin (1940 – 2017). Marion combined research skills and a dogged pursuit of the truth to set the gold standard in a remarkable career. As a four-time Emmy Award-winning producer of more than 50 segments of the investigative news program “60 Minutes,” Marion kept audiences across the nation engaged and informed on such thought-provoking topics as Watergate, Mafia bosses and civil rights.
A graduate of both Barnard College (B.A. Government ’62) and Harvard University (M.A. Education ’63), Marion chose The University of Texas at Austin as the recipient of her professional archives, which she donated to the Briscoe Center for American History in 2014. Additionally, Marion’s thoughtful estate plans provide for the annual distribution of six-figure gifts to the Briscoe Center over a 10-year period, supporting the Briscoe Center’s reputation as a repository of noteworthy archival material.
Ongoing Impact
“Marion felt very strongly about the news media collections at the Briscoe Center, one of the most comprehensive in the nation documenting the nature, history and significance of American journalism,” says Don Carleton, executive director. “Her papers are especially valuable now, in the era of accusations of fake news. They’re an incredible resource to researchers, faculty, students and anyone interested in how an important news program is put together.”
The Briscoe Center also houses a videotaped interview in which Marion exposes the sexism she faced in an industry that was slow to accept women. Her many gifts to the Briscoe Center continue Marion’s mission to inform and educate.
Stories Live On at the Briscoe Center
What will your legacy be? Our complimentary guide, “12 Ways to Make a Meaningful Difference,” offers a dozen ideas for supporting the Briscoe Center’s collections, projects and research. Contact the Gift and Estate Planning Team at 512-475-9632 or giftplan@austin.utexas.edu with any questions or to get started.