Sidney Fox (1889-1980) was born in St. Louis, Missouri, January 11, 1889. He did not enjoy school as a boy, but had an early interest in show business, and occasionally performed a small vaudeville act with a friend in local saloons. Although he was a good dancer, he abandoned a performing career because dancing was really the only talent he had. He still wanted to be involved with show business in some way, so he got a job as an usher in a vaudeville theater. His career as an usher was short, mostly because his parents wanted him to continue his education. Because of this, he was forced to quit his night job and find suitable employment during the day. He attended night school for about three years, and during that time he worked for the St. Louis Post Dispatch as a copy boy. He also worked as a sample clerk for a large fruit and nut company, and as a bookkeeper for a shoe pattern company.

Fox moved to Denver, Colorado for medical reasons at age seventeen. He met Al Hirschfield, who later became his employer. Fox represented Hirschfield's printing business by taking orders for business cards in Denver's Assignation District. In the early 1900s, the District housed about five hundred prostitutes, and was a popular section of town for miners and other men in the city. Fox's task was to sell business cards to the prostitutes.

Eight years later, Fox was working for Pathé and Selig Essenay Film Distributors, securing theater contracts throughout the country. He later moved into the state rights motion picture distribution business.

By 1919, Fox was living in Denver, but visited Salt Lake City quite frequently. On one occasion, he was invited to go on a business trip to Pocatello, Idaho, where he met his business contact, Eva Provol, at the Bannock Hotel for dinner. Fox married Eva Provol two weeks later in July of 1919. She was a widow with five children. After their marriage, Fox transferred his film distribution office from Denver to Salt Lake City.

Fox and his wife took a delayed honeymoon to Los Angeles in 1922. Later that year, they returned to Los Angeles, bought a house, and Fox became involved in real estate. When the market slowed there, Eva returned to Salt Lake City, while Sidney went to Florida becoming involved with the real estate boom there.

Fox returned to Salt Lake City in 1925. The following year, Fox furnished the capital to found Miracle Diamonds, Incorporated. The company was to produce and market a laxative called "Miracle Diamonds," made from the dried salt crystals of the Great Salt Lake. It was similar to a product already on the market called "Crazy Crystals."

In addition to "Miracle Diamonds," Fox came up with the idea of producing a series of radio programs about famous diamonds in order to market the laxative. He hired writers to research the history of famous diamonds, write the scripts, and Fox would sell the programs to radio stations. The stations could then sell the programs to jewelers or others who had an interest in promoting diamonds.

Fox created and produced 26 radio shows about famous diamonds at a cost of about $35,000. Shortly after that, Fox received notice from the Postal Department (as did the Crazy Crystals company), concerning the advertising and packaging of the products. At this point, Fox withdrew from the corporation, taking with him the 26 radio shows. He was able to successfully market the shows to 700 radio stations across the country, recover his original investment, and realize a $7,000 profit.

In 1927 Fox was approached by Fred Provol, his stepson, (who at that time was president and major stockholder of the Intermountain Broadcasting Corporation) for help with a struggling radio station. Provol had not been able to make any progress in the profitable development of the station, so Fox agreed to reorganize the Corporation later that year. Upon examination of the station's books, the net asset value of KDYL was determined at $4,000. With the help of Gene O'Fallon (of KOA in Denver), Fox established an Operating License account in the amount of $11,000.

In 1927, with the help of a few friends, Fox was able to organize and execute the Free Trips to Paris campaign. The campaign was a contest for an all expense paid trip for three World War I veterans to attend the First American Legion Convention in Paris, France. Fox established a voting headquarters in downtown Salt Lake. The trips were to be awarded to the three veterans receiving the largest number of votes. The ballots were available to the general public and were obtained by purchasing products sold by participating merchants. Local merchants supported the contest by purchasing advertising time every night on a two hour radio program. Participating merchants were mentioned on the broadcasts as places where customers could "purchase" ballots for the contest. During this time, merchants who participated in the contest noticed an increase in patronage. This early form of radio advertising proved to be a great success.

In 1930, KDYL showed a profit of $14,000 and Fox was drawing a salary of a similar amount. The Intermountain Broadcasting Corporation's Operating License account was increased from $11,000 in 1927 to over $98,000 in 1930. By December of that year, Fox and his wife owned almost all of the outstanding stock. In addition, Fox was responsible for the financial records of the station, which made it possible for him to draw the salary of his choosing. Many times withdrawals were made from expense accounts of the corporation and credit was extended to cover any deficits.

The books came under examination by the Internal Revenue Service in 1931, and Fox claimed that withdrawals were made to cover the entertainment of customers, over and above the amounts shown to cover traveling expenses and Christmas gifts. The Internal Revenue Service determined that this was acceptable, but that the salary drawn by Fox was much higher than amounts paid by similar corporations. Fox was ordered to return all amounts drawn in excess of $10,000 during 1929 and 1930 to the International Broadcasting Corporation. His troubles with the Internal Revenue Service continued over many years.

In June of 1938, KDYL opened the KDYL Playhouse, a 350 seat theater for live radio broadcasts in the remodeled Masonic Temple at the corner of First South and Second East in Salt Lake City. The playhouse closed in 1944.

In 1939, NBC sold Fox a television demonstration unit that consisted of one camera, a control unit, six receivers, and a small closed circuit transmitter. In September of that year, the unit was installed in a local department store, and public demonstrations were given for three weeks. The unit was also set up at the Utah State Fair for the next two years. Plans were made to modify the equipment for over the air use. However, Japanese attacks in Pearl Harbor brought a halt to such plans. The War Production Board would not permit the manufacture or sale of television broadcasting equipment by regular manufacturers during the war.

Meanwhile, the engineering department at KDYL spent the next few years modifying the closed circuit equipment for use with a television broadcast transmitter. The transmitter was built by the station's engineers with parts acquired from all over the United States. KDYL was ready to begin television broadcasting as soon as the war ended. In September of 1945, KDYL submitted an application to the Federal Communication Commission for permission to operate a commercial television station on an experimental basis. In November of 1946, KDYL began broadcasting test patterns from studios located in the Regent Street Playhouse. KDYL was the first independent television station to broadcast test patterns in the United States.

Fox was frequently recognized as a philanthropist. He contributed regularly to charities, organized parties for children at Shriners Hospital, and in several instances, paid for employee medical expenses.

Although Fox was well known for his philanthropy, he had a compulsion for gambling that began in 1942. Over a twenty five year period, his losses amounted to $1.5 million. To add to his misfortune, Eva Provol Fox died in 1947. He married Zelda McQuarrie in 1949.

After two years of experimental broadcasting, KDYL television began regular daily transmission on April 19, 1948. KDYL was the first privately owned television station in the United States (the other twelve were owned by manufacturers, newspapers, experimental laboratories, and the motion picture industry), and was the first television station between Chicago and Los Angeles. In July 1948, Fox reorganized the Intermountain Broadcasting Corporation as the Intermountain Broadcasting and Television Corporation. By 1952, KDYL TV was serving its audience with more than 100 hours of programming, 9:30 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. The station had one of the longest schedules in the nation.

According to station records, Fox still did about 30 percent of the selling for the KDYL stations, and promoted television as he had radio. KDYL TV was the first station to televise a golf match over network television (NBC), and the first station to broadcast downhill ski racing from Alta, Utah.

By early 1953, rumors started to circulate about the sale of the KDYL stations to Time Incorporated. Arrangements were made in March of that year for Time Incorporated to purchase the KDYL stations, pending FCC approval. Fox owned 53.7 percent of the outstanding stock and was still the president and general manager of the KDYL stations. Other family members owned 38.7 percent of the corporation's outstanding stock. In all, the family owned 93 percent of the common stock.

The FCC authorized the sale and transfer of the properties of the Intermountain Broadcasting and Television Corporation to TLF Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Time Incorporated, on June 25, 1953, for $2.1 million.

Fox remained in a consulting position for TLF Broadcasting for two years following the sale of the stations. As part of the agreement with TLF Broadcasting, he could not participate in the radio or television business in the state of Utah for five years after he left the corporation. He continued as a consultant after leaving TLF Broadcasting in 1955. Later that year, Fox became involved in an endeavor to take management control of the Royal Nevada Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In 1958, Fox sold Miriam's, a women's clothing shop in downtown Salt Lake City. He had established the business along with his stepdaughter, Miriam Provol, and stepson, Fred Provol, during 1946. Fox became sole owner of the shop in 1956.

During the summer of 1958, Fox announced the formation of a corporation in assocation with Alan Marquis, Hollywood producer/director/writer. Fox Marquis Productions was organized to produce films for television. This corporation was to be a short lived venture for all involved.

The 1960s were a time of change for Fox. His gambling losses were steadily increasing, and he made several attempts to gain control over his gambling by reading books and articles about reformed gamblers. By 1963 his losses decreased to $44,000. The following year Zelda McQuarrie Fox died of a congenital heart condition. During the early part of the decade, Fox sold his interest in the Royal Nevada Hotel, and Fox Marquis Productions dissolved. He later became involved in trampoline centers, this continued into the latter part of the decade.

Fox was virtually broke by the early 1970s, and his only source of income was from Social Security. In 1972 a group of men (in response to a request from Fox for financial aid) began monthly contributions to help Fox. The money was handled by Fox's lawyer and long time friend, Calvin Rawlings. Rawlings managed Fox's finances during the 1970s, and held some money aside for his funeral.

Fox was the recipient of many awards, including the University of Utah Broadcasters Association annual recognition, the Utah Advertising Federation Silver Medal, and he was inducted into the Utah Broadcasters Association Utah Broadcast Hall of Fame. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Consistory and El Kalah Temple of the Shriners. He was also a member of the Elks Lodge, the Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Salt Lake Advertising Club. During World War II he was appointed to the State Defense Council.

Fox died March 3, 1980, in a Salt Lake City nursing home of natural causes at age ninety one.

The materials were found in a back room of an old uniform company located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The collection provides a good overview of the personal and professional life of entrepreneur Sidney Fox.

Personal materials are housed in boxes one and two and include Fox's address books, awards, family documents, letters of recommendation, and personal notes. Box two contains family files that are mostly legal documents detailing the settlement of estates, stock transactions, and financial information concerning Fox's immediate relatives. Of particular interest is the file concerning Miriam's Incorporated, a women's ready to wear clothing shop owned by Miriam Fox Carson.

Section two includes personal and general correspondence. Letters and greeting cards from Fox's wives and close relatives are housed in box three. Correspondence from other relatives and friends can be found in box four. Because Fox's business dealings were very often of a personal nature, this may be reflected in the correspondence as a whole. General correspondence is filed alphabetically in box four.

Financial materials are found in the third section of the collection. These papers reflect Fox's entrepreneurial skills and financial interests. Of particular interest are materials concerning Dufo Uranium Mining Company and Oceanview Oil Corporation. Income tax materials are housed in box six and range in date from 1928 through 1972. These materials illustrate the problems Fox had with the Internal Revenue Service and the financial success of Fox's many business ventures. Fox's personal financial materials are found in boxes seven and eight and include bank statements, receipts and bills from the Belvedere Apartment Hotel, cancelled checks, promissory notes, various hotel and medical bills, and other loose financial materials. The cancelled checks provide interesting documentation of Fox's compulsion for gambling.

Section four contains news clippings concerning Fox, family members, friends, KDYL, and gambling. These materials are located in box nine. News clippings concerning the family have been arranged alphabetically; those concerning KDYL have been arranged chronologically.

Materials concerning KDYL have been filed in section five. Box ten contains legal documents filed between KDYL and the Federal Communication Commission from the years 1939 through 1945. Box eleven contains materials detailing the sale of KDYL to TLF Broadcasting Corporation, 1952 1955. KDYL general files can be found in box twelve and include advertising materials, correspondence, and financial materials.

Section six contains materials reflecting Fox's other financial ventures including Fox Marquis Productions, Management Consulting, Miracle Diamonds Corporation, and Trampoline Centers, Incorporated. These files have been arranged alphabetically by subject.

Section seven is made up of miscellaneous materials pertaining to Fox and his life, personally and professionally. Box fifteen contains research materials compiled by Dr. Timothy Larson and Sandy Lewis detailing the organization of KDYL, key people in its history, and include notes and transcripts from interviews conducted by Larson and Lewis.

Restrictions on Access:

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Restrictions on Use:

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Sidney S. Fox papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator.

Preferred Citation:

Initial Citation: Sidney S. Fox papers, Ms 559, Box [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. University of Utah, J. Willard Marriott. Salt Lake City, Utah.

Following Citations:Ms 559.

Arrangement:

Organized in seven sections: I. Personal Materials; II. Correspondence; III. Financial Materials; IV. Clippings; V. KDYL; VI. Other Financial Ventures; VII. Miscellaneous.

Acquisition Information:

This collection was donated to the library in 1983 by Dr. Timothy Larson.

Processing Note:

Processed by Karin Hardy in 1990.

Creator:

Fox, Sidney S., 1889-1980

Language:

Collection materials are in English.

Quantity:

8 linear feet

Language of the Finding Aid:

Finding aid encoded in English in Latin script.

Author of the Finding Aid:

Finding aid created by Karin Hardy

EAD Creation Date:

2006

Subarea: