Paul Wynne was born October 24, 1943, in Shenandoah Iowa. He attended school in Hillsboro, Oregon, before commencing his undergraduate career at Willamette University in the fall of 1961. While at Willamette, Wynne actively participated in campus life as a member of the yearbook staff and Willamette University Players, was lead actor in several theater productions, and wrote two class songs used in Freshman Glee. Wynne was also a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. After graduating with a B.A. in Speech in 1965, Wynne served in the U.S. Army. It was while working for the armed forces television station in Fort Gordon, Georgia, that he received training in journalism. In 1969, he moved to San Francisco and worked as an entertainment contributor. Wynne was awarded an Emmy in 1981 from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for outstanding achievement in commentary and analysis. Wynne was hired as the entertainment reporter for KGO-TV in San Francisco and contributed features to Good Morning America from 1981 to 1984.
In 1987, Paul Wynne was diagnosed with AIDS. He remained in good health until May, 1989, at which point he conceived the idea of filming a video diary that documented his struggle with the disease. Segments of the Paul Wynne Journal began airing on January 11, 1990. Typical episodes featured Wynne's own anecdotes and observations about the difficulties of living with AIDS.The Journal, as it was colloquially referred to by Wynne, ran until June 20, 1990, with the final few episodes being filmed from Wynne's hospital bed in the San Francisco Veteran's Affairs Medical Center. Paul Wynne died on July 6, 1990. He was 46 years old. (See New York Times and Los Angeles Times obituaries.)
The Paul Wynne Journal collection contains master and composite video tapes of Wynne’s Journal. Also included in this collection are letters that Wynne received in the wake of airing the program, as well as other professional work Wynne completed as a newscaster.
Willamette University is the copyright holder for the Paul Wynne Journal.
Before video segments of the Journal are reused, in whole or in part, in any publication, permission must be obtained from Willamette University. Persons wishing to quote from materials in any collections held by University Archives should consult the University Archivist. Reproduction of this material must contain a complete citation to the original.