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SOCIETY OF AMERICAN ARCHIVISTS
Congressional Papers Roundtable
Newsletter
August 1998
Table of Contents
Note from the Chair
16 July 1998
Dear Colleagues,
It has been a stormy spring and summer, both literally and figuratively. Literally, St. Paul has lost several thousand trees (including a four-story oak in front of my house that, fortunately, fell into the street) to high winds and lightning. Figuratively, the storm over archival functions in the U. S. House gave way to a storm over copyright legislation.
Unfortunately, despite signs of interest from the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee in pursuing a full accounting of the reorganization of the Clerk's office, nothing the Roundtable could do was able to effect a serious and sustained discussion of the need for a professional archivist in the House. The CPR Steering Committee has, however, continued to converse about our next steps, and we hope to have a chance to meet and
speak with Lea Uhre, the House Clerk's manager of the research and
reference division (in charge of archiving).
As you are all probably aware (from notices in ARCHIVAL OUTLOOK and on the listserv), SAA has been actively engaged in the legislative copyright wars on two fronts: copyright term extension and the effect of copyright on the web. People serving on the Roundtable Steering Committee were recruited to contact legislators in their states on both issues. Roundtable members usually have better and more extensive contacts on Capitol Hill than the average archivist. I have suggested to SAA Council that the connections to staff and legislators inherent in the work of Roundtable members make them a potentially important resource for SAA in the years ahead.
Elsewhere in this edition of the newsletter you will find a tentative agenda for the business portion of the CPR meeting in Orlando. We will meet 3:45 - 5:45 on Fri. 4 Sept. Our program will feature a presentation by Naomi Nelson (Emory University) and Beth Bensman (University of Georgia) about their recent work with electronic records in Senate offices and the issue of making them accessible to researchers. I hope to see many of you there. Remember to dress casually, and if you still have any Mickey Mouse
Club regalia from your youth, now is the time to bring it to an SAA meeting.
Mark A. Greene
Minnesota Historical Society
Senate Historical Office
The following news is from Karen Paul:
The Senate Historical Office is issuing a revision of HANDBOOK FOR UNITED
STATES SENATORS AND THEIR ARCHIVAL REPOSITORIES. It is at the printer now,
and copies will be sent to repositories of senators retiring this year.
Anyone else who wants a copy should contact Karen Paul at (202) 224-3351 or via email at
.
Please notify Karen about any senator's guides and/or home pages available on the Internet. She would like to include links to these sites on the revised Senate Home Page scheduled for introduction with the new Congress in 1999. These home pages are very persuasive for members and staff to see what other members have done.
The Senate recently approved publication of the Democratic and Republican Conference minutes. These currently are being edited and publication is expected by the end of the year.
Center for Legislative Archives
Mike McReynolds reports the following:
This past spring, the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives published OUR MOTHERS BEFORE US: WOMEN AND DEMOCRACY, 1789-1920, a documentary resource book of petitions to Congress from women and women's groups. Directed towards secondary schools, the book includes facsimiles, historical overviews, document essays, and instructional materials. Staff,
interns, and volunteers found more than 20,000 women's petitions among the holdings of the Center during the four-year project. Private funds underwrote the publication and distribution to high schools in Washington, DC; Philadelphia; Texas; and Tennessee. Additional information about the resource package is available from the Center, and individual copies can be ordered for $59.95 (plus $5.00 shipping/handling) from the National Archives Book Store by calling 1 (800) 234-8861.
The Center for Legislative Archives, NARA Electronic and Special Media Records Services Division, and the Federal Register have been meeting with the information technology staff in the Senate and House and their computer consultants KPMG and Mulberry Technologies, Inc., on the proposed systems to electronically transfer bills, resolutions, and minutes between the Senate, House, and other legislative agencies. The Center desires the new electronic systems to be transferable to NARA and that transferability be built into the systems as they are being planned and constructed.
The meetings have been instructive both for the information technology (IT) and NARA staffs. Many of the issues that NARA and other archives are facing with electronic records systems are being tackled by the congressional IT staffs. Last year NARA revised its electronic transfer regulations to include records in SGML format, and because the new congressional systems will be in SGML, the revision will make the transfers much easier. The overall coordinating group for these projects is the Legislative SGML Technical Committee, on which NARA is now an observer.
Legislative Papers Workshop a Success
The 1998 Spring Workshop of the Society of Georgia Archivists (SGA) in Atlanta was a success. On May 21-22, we were able to bring two nationally known instructors, Cynthia Pease Miller, Office of the Clerk, U. S. House of Representatives, and Herbert Hartsook, University of South Carolina, and allow the SGA membership the opportunity to learn from the "best." This workshop is a product of CPR and was developed by the instructors. It was
held on May 21-22 in Atlanta.
There were 17 registered attendees from all around the country including Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina and Delaware. Nine attendees were members of SGA and eight were nonmembers.
Evaluations indicate the workshop was well received. Overall, the workshop rated "Outstanding" from 85% and "Good" from 15% of those attending. Miller and Hartsook also received very high praise for their lectures.
The SGA board expresses sincere appreciation to Pam Hackbart-Dean (workshop chair), Jill Severn, Martin Elzy, Chris Paton, Christine de Catanzaro, and Julia Marks Young for helping with this workshop. Also, the Society thanks CPR for initiating this workshop, the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board for partially funding it, and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library for hosting it.
Pamela Hackbart-Dean
The Morris K. Udall Archives Visiting Scholars Program
The University of Arizona Library Special Collections houses the papers of Morris K. Udall, Stewart L. Udall, David K. Udall, Levi Udall, and Jesse Udall. The Library's holdings also include related papers of noted politicians Lewis Douglas, Henry Ashurst and George Hunt. To encourage faculty, independent researchers, and students to use these materials, the Morris K. Udall Archives Visiting Scholars Program will award up to three
$1000 research travel grants and four $250 research assistance grants in the current year. Preference will be given to projects relating to issues addressed by Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall during their long careers of public service: environment, natural resources, Native American policy, conservation, nuclear energy, public policy theory and environmental conflict resolution. The grants are open to scholars, students, and independent researchers. The $1000 research travel grants will be awarded
as reimbursement for travel to and lodging expenses in Tucson, AZ. These grants do not support travel to locations other than Tucson. The $250 research assistance grants will be awarded to assist local researchers. Applications will be accepted and reviewed throughout the year. People interested in applying should contact Roger Myers, University of Arizona Library, Special Collections C206, PO Box 210055, Tucson AZ 85721-0055, (520) 621-4345 (tel.), (520) 621-9733 (fax) or look at the web site at
http://dizzy.library.arizona.edu/branches/spc/udall/grants.html.
News from the Dole Archive
On 25 Apr. 1997, University of Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway joined Sen. Bob Dole in a ceremony on the Lawrence campus to announce that KU would receive the senator's papers. Hemenway unveiled plans for an institute named in the senator's honor and housed in its own building, which would hold the senator's papers. After more than a year, The Robert J. Dole Institute for Public Service and Public Policy will soon be a reality. The papers have been transferred to the university, Institute programming is in full swing, an architect has been selected, and preliminary sketches of the new facility will be available this fall.
Groundbreaking for the building will occur during the spring or summer of 1999, and the opening is scheduled for fall 2000.
At 4000 l. f. (and growing) the Robert J. Dole Collection is one of the largest congressional archival collections. Its bulk was amassed during Dole's 35 years in the U.S. House and Senate, and especially during his 12 years as Senate Republican Leader. Included also in the collection are materials from Dole's years at KU, his service in the U.S. Army, and his
public service activities since leaving the Senate to run for president. Plans for processing these materials are well advanced.
The Dole Archive showcased these diverse holdings at numerous public forums throughout the past winter and spring. Sen. Dole's example as a public servant, his longtime advocacy for things Kansas, and his influence on local, national, and international affairs all come to light in these materials.
The senator's friends and supporters gathered at the annual Kansas Day celebration, held in Topeka in late Jan., to greet the senator, Elizabeth Dole, and Robin Dole. Supporters from Sen. Dole's old 1st Congressional District attended and were featured in a photograph display.
A presentation to students in Mar. featured a 1960s Dole for Congress campaign songbook, a soundtrack from the 1968 senatorial campaign ("Marilyn May Sings for Dole" ), and paid media video footage from the 1974 Senate race. The presentation examined how political campaigns have evolved since Dole's first run for the U.S. House in 1960.
At the Dole Institute's "China and Most-Favored-Nation Trading Status" symposium in early Apr., the Archive featured documents and photographs on Sen. Dole's legislative record on U.S.-Sino relations, including his support for America's historic ally, Taiwan, his condemnation of the massacre at Tiananmen Square, and his role as advisor to presidents on U.S. trade policy with the People's Republic of China.
At the 15 May dedication of the Robert J. Dole Federal Courthouse in Kansas City, KS, the Archive display featured photographs of the senator's nominees to the federal bench and his many "friends of the court."
Citizens of Miami County, KS, cut the ribbon for the new Miami County Administration Building on 6 June, and the senator's long association with the county was featured in a display of photographs and documents. Among Dole's interests that were illustrated were his ongoing support for Lakemary Center, a residential day school for the developmentally disabled, and his work with county leaders to bring natural gas to Paola and
Osawatomie schools and hospitals during the gas shortage of 1974.
The University of Kansas Retiree's Club hosted the Dole Archivist on 11 June at KU's Adams Alumni Center. A speech and display featured Congressman Dole's role as a congressional advisor to Pres. Lyndon Johnson during the 1965-1967 famine that plagued India.
Other events illustrating Dole's influence in current affairs are planned for the summer and early fall of 1998. These include a legislative history in documents and photographs on the role he played (as chair of the Senate Finance Committee) in the landmark Social Security legislation of 1983 and a presentation at the Kansas State Fair on the senators' support for the American farmer.
As the Dole Archivist, I recently returned from a week-long tour of Kansas. Chancellor Robert Hemenway's Whirlwind Wheat State Tour took thirty KU faculty east to west, north to south across the state, from Strawberry Hill in Kansas City to Fort Larned. I met longtime Dole supporters and campaign staff and gathered names and anecdotes for future oral histories. The Tour provided a wonderful introduction to the state and people of Kansas.
Bryan Culp
Tentative Agenda CPR Business Meeting 4 Sept. 1998
3:45 P.M.
Orlando, FL
I. Bylaw Revisions. In part due to the situation in the House Clerk's office, the CPR Steering Committee is considering a proposal to change the CPR bylaws. A sketch of these changes will be provided and opinions sought from Roundtable members. If a proposal goes forward, it will be submitted to the entire Roundtable membership for approval next year.
II. Survey of Conservation/Preservation Issues and Needs. A proposal has been made to the Steering Committee to conduct a survey of conservation and preservation needs in congressional collections. Before supporting such an effort, we would like input from CPR members about whether they think such a survey would be valuable and, if so, what specific issues or problems they would like to see addressed.
III. Survey and/or Forum on Electronic Records. A suggestion has been made to the Steering Committee that the Roundtable plan a forum on electronic records in congressional collections or (instead of or preceding such a forum) conduct a survey on the extent of electronic records already in or about to arrive at repositories. Again, we would like some feedback from the Roundtable members.
IV. Future of the Congressional Papers Workshop--Plans and Possibilities.
Now that the workshop has been cut loose by SAA and reverted to the
Roundtable's control, how can we best manage it? The successful
sponsorship of the workshop by the Society of Georgia Archivists suggests
other partnerships with other state and regional archival organizations.
Perhaps there may be other possibilities?
V. Are Collections Donated with Access Restrictions Taxable by the IRS?
At least two senators have been told such collections are taxable (because
the donor continues to have a use interest in the property) and this has
obviously affected donation negotiations. Is this a widespread and/or
growing problem and, if so, is there something the Roundtable can/should do
to address it?
VI. Report on the Newsletter.
VII. 1999 SAA Program Proposals.
VIII. Program Proposals for the 1999 Roundtable Meeting.
XI. Election of Vice-Chair, Steering Committee.
X. Old and New Business.
Candidates for CPR Office
Vice-chair/chair elect:
Pam Hackbart-Dean, Ed Galloway
Steering Committee (Three to be elected):
Glenda B. Stevens, Jeffrey S.
Suchanek, Christopher M. Beam, Nancy Turner, Saundra Taylor, Brian Williams
Other nominations will be accepted at the meeting on 4 Sept. Candidates
have submitted the following biographies.
Pam Hackbart-Dean: BA in history, Hendrix College; MA in history and
certificate in archival management, University of Connecticut. Formerly
project archivist, National Recreation and Park Association, Alexandria,
VA. Processing Archivist, Richard B. Russell Library, University of
Georgia, 1990-1997; archivist and assistant department head, Russell
Library, 1997-present. Member of CPR, 1990-present; served on steering
and nominating committees, chair of program committee. Member of SAA
Manuscript Repositories Section; served on steering committee. Member of
SAA Preservation Section; co-chair of education committee. Member of
Committee on Institutional Evaluations and Development. Member of Academy
of Certified Archivists. Member of Society of Georgia Archivists;
president, vice president, newsletter editor, archivist, and chair of
workshop committee (which co-sponsored with CPR "The Acquisition,
Processing, and Reference of Legislative Collections" in Atlanta, May
1998). Has made presentations on a variety of congressionally related
topics at national and regional meetings, and has published several
articles on similar topics in PROVENANCE and ARCHIVAL ISSUES.
Ed Galloway: BA, Southwestern University, 1989; MLIS, University of Texas
at Austin. Formerly research assistant for historic preservation
consulting firm, Austin, TX, and assistant at Sen. John G. Tower Library
and Archives, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX. Heinz Archivist,
Carnegie Mellon University, 1993-present; managing the Sen. John J. Heinz
III Archives, participant in design, development, and implementation of
Heinz Electronic Library Interactive Online System (HELIOS), a digital
archival management and retrieval system for the Heinz papers. Has
demonstrated HELIOS at the national, regional, and local level, including
presentations at SAA and SSA, has published articles on HELIOS in
PUBLIC-ACCESS COMPUTER SYSTEM REVIEW, and was interviewed for an article in
LIBRARY ADMINISTRATION & MANAGEMENT. Member of CPR, 1993-present.
Participant in panel discussion, Congressional Papers Conference, Portland,
ME, 1994. Member of MARAC and SSA. Co-chair, 1999 SAA Host Committee.
Glenda B. Stevens: MA in history, Southwest Missouri State University;
additional coursework, in history at Tulane University, in library and
information science at University of North Texas. Graduate of Preservation
Management Workshop. Formerly at Amistad Research Center and Loyola
University, New Orleans, and Mississippi Dept. of Archives and History.
Archivist for the Jim Wright Collection, Mary Couts Burnett Library, Texas
Christian University, 1990-present. Member of SAA, 1990-present. Member
SAA Preservation Section; served on education committee. Contributor to
PRESERVATION BIBLIOGRAPHY. Member of Metroplex Archivists group
(Dallas-Ft. Worth). Member of SSA; chair of nominating committee and
member of Board. Has presented papers at SAA and SSA annual meetings.
Jeffrey S. Suchanek: BA and MA in history, Youngstown State University.
Director, Modern Political Archives, University of Kentucky, 1996-present.
Member of Oral History Association, served on local arrangement committee.
Has spoken to groups and at workshops throughout Kentucky on practice and
use of oral history. Contributor to KENTUCKY ENCYCLOPEDIA (University of
Kentucky Press, 1992). Has published articles in KENTUCKY REVIEW. Book
projects in progress: TIME ON TARGET: THE WORLD WAR TWO MEMOIRS OF GENERAL
WILLIAM R. BUSTER, and STAR-SPANGLED WOMEN: KENTUCKY'S WOMEN VETERANS OF WORLD WAR TWO SPEAK.
Christopher M. Beam: BA from Williams College; Ph.D. in history from the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Served three years in the U.S.
Marine Corps. Formerly at National Archives, 1977-1988; worked at White
House Tapes Section of the Nixon Presidential Materials Project,
Legislative and Diplomatic Branch, and the Records Appraisal and
Disposition Division. Director, Edmund S. Muskie Archives, Bates College,
1988-present. Lecturer, Dept. of History, Bates College; courses on the
Vietnam War, the Nixon presidency, documentary preservation, and public
policymaking at the local level. Lecturer, University of Southern Maine.
Member of the Academy of Certified Archivists. Member of New England
Archivists; president, 1996-97. Secretary-treasurer and president of the
Society of Maine Archivists (now Maine Archives and Museums). Member of
the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress.
Nancy Turner: BS, MLS, and MA in history from Ball State University.
University Archivist, Ball State University, 1987-1998; Head of Archives
and Special Collections, Ball State, 1991- 1998 (retired). Has published
HAVING FUN WITH IT: "THE MAN-HATERS" PROJECT (Ball State University, 1995).
Honored as Sagimore of the Wabash (Indiana's highest award) and as a
distinguished alumnus of Ball State's History Dept. Member of SAA,
1985-present; vice chair of College and University Archives Section,
1994-1996. Member of MAC, 1985-present; membership chair, 1992-1996.
Member of Society of Indiana Archivists, 1985-present; president 1992-1994.
Vice-chair, board of trustees, Indiana Public Employees Retirement Fund,
and board member of Muncie Public Library and Center for Middletown Studies
at Ball State.
Saundra Taylor: AB and MA in History from UCLA; MLS from UCLA. Historical
Manuscripts Librarian and Assistant University archivist at UCLA,
1968-1974. Curator of Manuscripts, Lilly Library, Indiana University,
1975-present; worked with the congressional papers of J. Edward Roush
(D-IN) and Charles Halleck (R-IN) and the senatorial papers of Birch Bayh
(D-IN); will work with the papers of retiring congressman Lee Hamilton
(D-IN).
Brian A. Williams: BA in History, Hope College; MILS, University of
Michigan. Formerly assistant archivist, Oberlin College Archives,
1990-1993; assistant archivist, Bentley Historical Library, University of
Michigan, 1994-1996. Associate archivist, Bentley Historical Library,
1997-present. Member of SAA. Member of MAC, co-chair of local
arrangements committee. Member of Michigan Archival Association, board
member and served as chair of program committee. Has published articles in
ARCHIVAL ISSUES and other periodicals and presented papers at SAA and CPR
annual meetings.
Institutional News
The Special Collections Department at the University of Arkansas Libraries
has processed a third increment of the papers of Rep. Oren Harris (D-AR).
These new materials complement earlier accessions already open to
researchers. Harris served in Congress from 1941 to 1966, when he was
appointed federal judge of the Western District of Arkansas. He was chair
of the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce and presided over
hearings on scandals in the government and the communications industry,
which included investigation of payola and The $64,000 Question television
show. The finding aid will shortly be available on the World Wide Web at
http://www.uark.edu/libinfo/speccoll.
For further information, contact
Ethel C. Simpson, Head, Manuscripts and Archives Department, Special
Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville, AR 72701.
Ethel C. Simpson
Ashland University Archives recently acquired a set of personal diaries
belonging to Rep. William A. Ashbrook (D-OH). Ashbrook (1867-1940) was a
resident of Johnstown, OH, and served in the House from 1907 to 1921 and
from 1935 to 1940. The diaries chronicle his life from 1887 to 1940.
Excerpts appeared in the JOHNSTOWN INDEPENDENT, a local newspaper that
Ashbrook published. A microfilm copy of the diaries is available. For
more information, contact David Roepke, Ashland University Archives, 401
College Ave., Ashland, OH 44805, (419) 289-5433 (tel.),
(e-mail).
David Roepke
"Two Years Before the Mast: How We Processed a 1000 Box Collection and
Published an Electronic Finding Aid - in Two Years" provides an outline of
how the Bowdoin College Library processed the papers of Sen. George
Mitchell (D-ME). It is available on the web at
http://www.bowdoin.edu/dept/library/arch/present/nea/index.html.
Archives & Archivists Listserv
For the academic year 1998-1999, the Special Collections Department at the
University of Delaware Library has hired a graduate assistant to help
process the papers of Rep. Thomas R. Carper (D-DE). The 20-hour per week
assistantship provides tuition and a stipend, and it is jointly funded by
the University Graduate Studies, the Library, and the Political Science
Department. Masters candidate Rob Costello will work under the direction
of project archivist Rebecca Altermatt.
Rebecca Altermatt
The Baylor University's Collections of Political Materials has finished
processing the papers of Rep. John Dowdy (D-TX), member of Congress from
1952 to 1972. Dowdy's main area of interest was urban renewal, most
notably in the District of Columbia, and he published the article "The
Mounting Scandal of Urban Renewal" in READERS DIGEST, Mar. 1964. He was
later convicted for perjury and served six months in a federal prison in
1974. In addition to the congressional papers, his collection includes
early records from his days as a court reporter in east Texas, extensive
files from his seven years as district attorney for the Third Judicial
District of Texas, and numerous files on urban renewal in all 50 states.
There are also complete files on his trial, including a multivolume
transcript and all defense exhibits. His records comprise 480 l. f. in
750 boxes. A web site on the Dowdy papers is currently accessible
. It includes the 274-page
finding aid, which lists folder titles as well as titles of all printed
material found in each folder. A separate listing arranges these
publications alphabetically. There is also a keyword index of the finding
aid.
Additional information on activities at the Baylor Collections of
Political Materials can be found in the annual report.
Ben Rogers
Update 10/17/00: The Dowdy papers finding aid is not currectly available online, however, a biography is available.
After 25 years of sitting in the stacks, the Sen. Robert P. Griffin Papers
and Rep. Elford A. Cederberg Papers were recently processed, described, and
cataloged. They are now available to researchers at Central Michigan
University's Clarke Historical Library, Mt. Pleasant, MI.
Griffin (R-MI), a Central Michigan alumnus, served in the House
(1956-1966) and the Senate (1966-1979). He was Senate Minority Whip from
1969 to 1976 and justice of the Supreme Court of Michigan from 1986 to
1995. He is best known as coauthor of the Labor-Management Reporting and
Disclosure Act of 1959 (Landrum-Griffin Act). He also fought against the
nomination of Abe Fortas as justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The Griffin
Papers date from 1940 to 1995 (bulk: 1957-1978), comprise approximately 410
c. f., and document Griffin's years in Congress. Of special interest to
researchers are the series documenting Michigan public opinions and
legislation concerning communists, Social Security, Vietnam, inner-city
busing, Watergate, Michigan's Ojibwa Indians, pollution, the Great Lakes,
and national parks in the state. Before processing, the collection was
1600 c. f. A detailed finding aid and catalog record are available to
assist researchers.
Cederberg (R-MI) served as mayor of Bay City (1949-1953) and congressman
for most counties in Michigan's central and northern Lower Peninsula
(1953-1978). His papers date from 1952 to 1978 (bulk: 1965-1968) and
document his more than 30 years of service to the state and the concerns of
rural, mostly farming Michiganders. Of special interest to researchers are
the series of correspondence and legislation related to PBB, agricultural
issues in Michigan, the state's Native Americans, and taxes. Cederberg
served on the Michigan Appropriations Committee for many years. Processing
reduced the collection size from 302 c. f. to approximately 54 c. f. A
detailed finding aid and catalog record are available to assist researchers.
The Clarke Historical Library is open for research Mon. - Fri., 8:00 -
5:00, during June - Aug., except for major holidays. Additionally, the
library is open 9:00 - 1:00 several Sats. a month during Sept. - May.
Please call (517) 774-3352 to verify hours or for further information. You
may also e-mail Archivist Marian J. Matyn at
.
Marian J. Matyn
Now available from the Richard B. Russell Library at the University of
Georgia is A GUIDE TO THE RICHARD B. RUSSELL, JR. COLLECTION. Former
Georgia Gov. and U. S. Sen. Richard B. Russell (D-GA) left an indelible
mark on the nation's history and played an important role in the New Deal,
World War II, the Korean War, the space and atomic energy programs, the
Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the John F. Kennedy assassination, the
Civil Rights Movement, and the Vietnam Conflict. The 87-page illustrated
guide was made possible through generous support of the Richard B. Russell
Foundation, Inc.
Sheryl Vogt
The Claude Pepper Center on the Florida State University campus announces
the opening of the Claude Pepper Library. The library houses the Pepper
Collection, which contains more than 2,000,000 papers, recordings, and
memorabilia pieces documenting the life and political career of late Rep.
Claude Pepper (D-FL). The library is open Mon. - Fri., 8:30 - 5:00. For
further information, contact Burt Altman, Pepper Librarian and Archivist,
Claude Pepper Library, 636 West Call St., Florida State University,
Tallahassee, FL 32306-1123, (850) 644-9305 (tel.), (850) 644-9303 (fax).
Burt Altman
U. S. Rep. Lee Hamilton (D-IN) will donate his papers, memoranda,
correspondence, and speeches to Indiana University upon his retirement.
These documents will join those of the more than 50 Indiana political
figures whose papers are housed at the Lilly Library, which provides an
extensive resource for scholars of American politics and government.
Hamilton is currently the ranking Democratic member of the House Committee
on International Relations. He is also former chair of several committees,
including the Joint Economic Committee, the House Committee on Foreign
Affairs, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
College & Research Library News
In the spring of 1999 the Massachusetts Historical Society will sponsor a
small conference to discuss the problems and opportunities that arise in
collecting 20th century political papers in Massachusetts. The conference
will bring together representatives from Massachusetts repositories as well
as scholars and donors. Several questions may be discussed. Should there
be a statewide collecting policy? How can the loss of collections be
prevented? How can repositories communicate with public officeholders
before they leave office? Should there be an ongoing group to address
these problems?
In addition, the conference will display Christopher A. Carberry's GUIDE
TO THE PAPERS OF 20TH CENTURY UNITED STATES SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES
AND GOVERNORS AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS OF MASSACHUSETTS, a comprehensive
guide to the locations of political collections. The guide provides
biographical and bibliographical information and lists miscellaneous
letters and other materials related to these figures.
If anybody knows of undocumented collections or has questions about the
conference, please contact Chris Carberry, Massachusetts Historical
Society, (617) 536-1608 (tel.),
(e-mail).
Chris Carberry
The David R. Bowen Papers were officially opened on 5 June at the Mitchell
Memorial Library, Mississippi State University. Bowen (D-MS) served as
congressman from Mississippi's Second District, 1973-1982, and sat on the
Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, and Merchant Marine and Fisheries committees.
He was very active in agricultural affairs. The collection at present
totals more than 260 c. f. A guide is available in-house, and web access
will come soon.
Mike Ballard
On 1 June, the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library at Princeton University
began processing the papers of Sen. Bill Bradley (D-NJ). The majority of
the collection documents Bradley's 18 years in the Senate, but it also
includes items from his career with the New York Knicks. During the next
two years the archival staff will survey, appraise, arrange, and describe
the 2100 cubic foot collection. They will prepare a complete finding aid
(with folder-level description) and bibliographic record.
Kristen Turner
In 1974, after 13 terms in the House, Rep. Bryan Dorn (D-SC) ran for
governor of South Carolina. He lost in a suspense-filled campaign but
returned to the political arena to chair the South Carolina Democratic
Party from 1980 to 1984. Dorn donated his congressional papers to the
University of South Carolina's South Caroliniana Library in 1974 and has
added to them steadily. His is among the largest collections opened for
research at the library.
On 29 June 1998, 14 years after Dorn left public life, his associates and
friends announced the establishment of a Bryan Dorn Endowment to benefit
the library's division for Modern Political Collections. The endowment
will fund an annual graduate assistantship in Modern Political Collections,
underwrite the preservation of Dorn's papers, and inaugurate a research
awards program to stimulate research in this and related collections.
Gifts and pledges currently total $104,000 and are anticipated to reach a
goal of $150,000 by year's end.
Herbert J. Hartsook
The guide to Sen. John G. Tower 's papers is now available on Southwestern University Library's home page:
http://www.southwestern.edu/library/tower/tower.htm. Tower (R-TX), a
Southwestern University alumnus, served in the Senate from 1961 through
1984. Before his retirement, he named Southwestern University as the
official repository for his papers. The 800 linear feet of materials
primarily reflect his Senate activities and include records and documents,
legislative files, correspondence, speeches, campaign items, photographs,
memorabilia, books, and audiovisual tapes and film. Pre-senatorial
materials concern his family, education, and teaching career. Later items
document his writings and his post-Senate appointments, including his
nomination as secretary of defense and his appointment as ambassador to the
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks in Geneva. Smaller, related accessions
held by the library include the papers of political consultant and writer
John Knaggs and legislative aide J. French Hill.
Kathryn E. Stallard
The Special Collections Library of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville,
recently acquired the papers of Sen. William Emerson Brock (R-TN). The
collection encompasses approximately 150 boxes of material covering Brock's
career as senator, Republican national chairman, U. S. trade
representative, and secretary of labor. The papers are currently being
processed and will tentatively be available in one year's time.
Teresa T. Basler
CPR Session at SAA
Don't forget to attend the CPR-sponsored session at SAA. "Virtually Yours:
Using the WWW as an Outreach and Reference Tool" will be presented at 8:30
on 5 Sept. Robert Bohanan (Carter Presidential Library) and Jerry Simmons
(U. S. Holocaust Museum) will talk on presenting information via the
Internet, providing electronic reference, and the impact of both upon an
institution's workflow. The session will be chaired by Todd Kosmerick
(University of Oklahoma).
Comings and Goings
Fran O'Donnell is the new archivist for the William S. Cohen Collection
at the University of Maine at Orono. Kristen Turner is the new archivist
for the Sen. Bill Bradley Papers processing project at Princeton
University. With this issue Terri Basler, University of Tennessee at
Knoxville, joins CPR.
If you know of anyone who would like to join the Congressional Papers
Roundtable, please have them contact the editor.
Note from the Editor
If you have news for the next issue of the CONGRESSIONAL PAPERS ROUNDTABLE
NEWSLETTER, please submit it to the editor by 29 Jan. 1999. The next issue
will be distributed in February 1999.
Editor: Todd Kosmerick, Carl Albert Center, University of Oklahoma, 630
Parrington Oval, Rm 101, Norman, OK 73019, (405) 325-5045 (tel.), (405)
325-6419 (fax),
(e-mail).
CPR pages maintained by Robin Reeder,
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