Description given with photo: "Hughes Takes Witness Stand, Washington: Howard Hughes (above), plane manufacturer, is sworn in as a witness before the Senate War Investigating Subcommittee today, August 6. The subcommittee is currently investigating the Hughes wartime plane contracts. Credit (ACME) 8/7/47."
Description given with photo: "Says Brewster of Fered to Call Off Hughes Probe. Washington, D.C. Howard Hughes, center, charged under oath today that Sen. Owen Brewster, ( R ) of ME., offered to call off the senate probe of his warplane contracts if Hughes would agree to a merger of his trans-world airlines with Pan-American Airways. Thomas A. Slack, left, counsel for the Hughes Tool Co., and Noal Deitrich, right, executive vice president of the Hughes Tool Co., are shown conferring with Hughes shortly after he took the witness stand. -INP Photo by N.K. Benson- 8/6/47."
The Howard Hughes Public Relations Reference Files (1931-1997) were compiled by Richard "Dick" Hannah, vice-president of the Los Angeles public relations firm Carl Byoir & Associates, which was hired to direct public relations for Hughes’ companies. The collection is primarily composed of newspaper clippings organized into reference files. A significant number of the files contain articles about Howard Hughes’ personal life, the operations of his companies, and legal and political disputes involving Hughes and his companies. The files also document a range of other subjects related to his business ventures, including aviation, aerospace, defense industries, motion picture studios, film stars, communism in Hollywood, and the House on Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Later in life Hughes became obsessed with how he was being portrayed in the media. In addition to collecting magazine articles, newspaper clippings, transcripts, screenplays, and books that referenced him. He also collected newspaper clippings about the activities of print media outlets, columnists, radio-television stations, current and former employees, and competitors. The collection also contains newspaper clippings about Watergate, organized crime, gambling, and Las Vegas and contains press releases, correspondence and records generated by Carl Byoir & Associates as well as Rosemont Enterprise, Inc.
Description given with photo: "Ferguson Questions Hughes, Washington: While Howard Hughes listens through a headset, Sen. Homer Ferguson (R, Ich.) questions him during a session of the Senate War Investigating Subcommittee. Flanking Ferguson are (left) Chief Committee Counsel William P. Rogers and Assistant Chief Committee Investigator Francis Flanagan. At Hughes right is T.A. Slack, attorney for the Hughes Tool Co. Credit (ACME) 8/9/47."