The Jules J. Paglin collection of OK Group records is open for research

Tulane University Special Collections (TUSC) recently opened research access to the Jules J. Paglin collection of OK Group records, a newly processed collection of the Hogan Archive of New Orleans Music and New Orleans Jazz.

The small, two-box collection contains ephemera and organization records related to the businesses and research of broadcasting pioneer Julius J. “Jules” Paglin (1897-1986). In the 1950s and 1960s, Paglin was president of the OK Group, based in New Orleans and consisting of six southern AM radio stations geared to Black listeners, including WBOK in New Orleans; WXOK in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; WXOG in Mobile, Alabama; WLOK in Memphis, Tennessee; KAOK in Lake Charles, Louisiana; and KYOK in Houston, Texas. Paglin was frequently consulted in targeting Black consumers in the South during the Civil Rights movement.  

Among the materials are bio sheets of OK Group on-air personalities of the 1950s and 1960s, including WBOK AM New Orleans personalities such as Honey Boy, Hot Ziggity, Mama Lou, and Okey Dokey; a map and statistics of the stations’ coverage areas, sales brochures; a 1966 issue of the Baton Rouge News Leader, featuring a WXOK AM program schedule and other content; and research materials regarding Black consumer buying habits.

The Paglin collection (HJA-067) can be accessed via appointment at Tulane University Special Collections, located in Jones Hall on the uptown campus of Tulane University. For more information, contact Hogan Archive curator Melissa A. Weber at mweber3@tulane.edu or 504-247-1807. To learn more about Tulane University Special Collections, visit the TUSC website at library.tulane.edu/tusc, email specialcollections@tulane.edu, and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Published March 28, 2024

Photo caption: Radio sales sheet for Golden Boy of WXOK AM Baton Rouge, circa 1950s-1960s, Jules J. Paglin collection of OK Group records (HJA-067), Tulane University Special Collections.