Alvin M. Bentley papers, 1935-1969 (majority within 1950-1968)
104 linear feet — 5 oversize volumes — 1.36 GB (online)
104 linear feet — 5 oversize volumes — 1.36 GB (online)
The Alvin M. Bentley collection includes correspondence, speeches, subject files, and other materials relating to his political career and public service activities. Included are his files while serving as a member of Congress and as a delegate to Michigan's Constitutional Convention in 1961-1962, his campaign files from his race for the U.S. Senate in 1960 and his bid to be elected Congressman-at-large in 1962. Other series in the collection relate to his interest in issues of education, particularly higher education, as reflected in his service on the Citizen's Committee on Higher Education, his campaign for the State Board of Education and his tenure as a member of the University of Michigan Board of Regents. Of value in documenting the various phases of Bentley's career are series of diaries and journals, scrapbooks and clipping files, and photographs.
104 linear feet — 5 oversize volumes — 1.36 GB (online)
27.5 linear feet (in 29 boxes) — 29 film reels — 60 phonograph records — 37 GB (online)
The Blair Moody collection documents the career of a Washington-based newspaper correspondent and columnist and United States Senator. The collection covers the period 1928 to 1954, though the bulk of materials date since the mid-1940s. Much of the collection pertains to that period of time when Moody was in the Senate or was running for election to the Senate, although his newspaper career is also well documented. The collection has been divided into the following series: Biographical; Correspondence; Personal/Family; Newspaper Career; Gridiron Club; Senatorial Papers; Speeches; Scrapbooks; Sound Recordings; and Visual Materials.
27.5 linear feet (in 29 boxes) — 29 film reels — 60 phonograph records — 37 GB (online)
10 linear feet — 2 oversize folders — 11 oversize volumes — 1 film reel — 1.73 GB
The Potter collection, except for a copy of his 1965 account of the Army-McCarthy controversy, Days of Shame, begins with his first term in Congress following his election in 1947 and concludes with his defeat for reelection to the Senate in 1958. The collection includes a small series of Biographical/personal information followed by several files detailing his senate election campaigns in 1952 and 1958. Other series in the collection include Congressional Papers; Scrapbooks and Clippings; and Visual Materials.
10 linear feet — 2 oversize folders — 11 oversize volumes — 1 film reel — 1.73 GB
93 linear feet — 5 phonograph records — 10.1 GB (online)
The Clare E. Hoffman Papers consist of Congressional files detailing his work on the House Committee on Education and Labor, the House Committee on Government Operations, and various subcommittees, including investigating labor racketeering; files concern in part his sponsorship of labor-related legislation, bills unifying the armed services, and bills authorizing reorganization of the executive branch; and photographs.
The Hoffman collection of congressional papers covers the years 1934-1962. Unfortunately the first few terms of his service are not as adequately documented as might be hoped, as in 1942 Hoffman directed his staff to discard retired files. As a result, except for a few political files and subject files, the Hoffman collection bulks largest for the years 1943-1962.
Despite the fragmentary character of the documentation on Hoffman's early years in Congress, the collection provides a detailed view of the activities of a conservative congressman from western Michigan for a twenty-year period. In recent American history, the years 1943-1962 were important both for wartime politics and for the myriad problems that came after victory: the cooling of relations with the Soviet Union, the integration of returning veterans into the economy, shortages in housing and consumer goods, a renewed militancy among the nation's labor unions, the continuation of the struggle for civil rights for blacks, the fear of internal subversive activities; in short, problems of great importance and complexity, issues for which there were no easy answers.
Hoffman was eyewitness and participant to the politics of these issues. As a representative of increasing seniority, he was a powerful conservative voice within the Congress. Because of his position on the Education and Labor committee, he helped shape the bulk of legislation passed in the postwar period, notably the Taft-Hartley Act. And because of his position on the Expenditures Committee, Hoffman was instrumental in passage of the National Security Act of 1947 that unified the administration of the armed services and enlarge their responsibilities.
Apart from these major pieces of legislation, the Hoffman collection documents the service of a congressman who was attuned to the concerns and politics of his largely rural and small-town district, with constituents economically conservative and ever distrustful of federal encroachments upon their lives. Of special interest are various files of correspondence with the businessmen and small manufacturers of his district. As a good politician, Hoffman was especially mindful of maintaining good relations with these people, and helping them when he could with their labor-related problems.
Like many congressional collections, the Hoffman papers consist in large part of communications with constituents and out-of-district citizens. But because of his power within the Congress, Hoffman's files (letters received and sent) are often substantive in content and a valuable complement to the work of the House, as published in the Congressional Record and other printed sources.
93 linear feet — 5 phonograph records — 10.1 GB (online)
25.25 linear feet (in 29 boxes) — 98.1 GB — 1 oversize volume — 1 oversize folder — 1 archived website
The collection documents Dave Camp's personal life and political career including his 12 terms in the United States House of Representatives (1991-2014). The papers include a scrapbook detailing Camp's early political career; personal correspondence; campaign materials such as surveys, debate notes, campaign ads, and interview clips; written, annotated, and recorded speeches; and photographs with constituents and at various district events.
The bulk of the collection covers Camp's congressional papers comprised of office files such as schedules, reports, issue briefing books, correspondence, legislative planning documents, year-end accomplishments, and photographs; legislative and committee files including bills sponsored or co-sponsored by Congressman Camp, floor statements, and other legislative materials documenting late 20th and early 21st century American economic and health policy; and press files including press releases, press clips, op-ed articles, and recorded media appearances on national and local Michigan radio and television.
The collection includes 425 pieces of audiovisual material, described in the Container Listing at the item level.
25.25 linear feet (in 29 boxes) — 98.1 GB — 1 oversize volume — 1 oversize folder — 1 archived website
2 linear feet — 0.98 GB
The John B. Bennett collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Election and political materials; Congressional papers; Biographical; Photographs; and Sound recordings.
511 linear feet (in 511 boxes) — 136.4 GB (online) — 2 oversize items (framed)
The collection documents John D. Dingell, Jr.'s political career including his 59 years in the United States House of Representatives (1955-2015). The papers include campaign materials documenting Dingell's 29 elections, Democratic National Committee and Michigan Democratic Party materials, and redistricting in Michigan.
The bulk of the papers document Dingell's tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives including legislative files on topics such as civil rights, healthcare, insurance, Social Security, Medicare, environmental issues, endangered species, the auto industry, agriculture, taxes, and trade; administrative office files including correspondence, schedules, voting records, and legislative planning; and photographs, press clippings, scrapbooks, and speeches.
The collection includes born-digital records, as well as 254 pieces of audiovisual material, described in the Container Listing at the item level. Dingell's member website, campaign website, as well as his personal Twitter account are cataloged separately.
511 linear feet (in 511 boxes) — 136.4 GB (online) — 2 oversize items (framed)
59 linear feet — 8 oversize volumes — 33 film reels — 74.52 GB (online)
The Griffiths collection consists primarily of correspondence exchanged with constituents and lobbying groups on matters of pending or proposed legislation and on topics of current interest. The collection's great value is its documentation of the workings of this one congressional office and its perspective on the issues confronting the nation in the period of 1955 to 1974. With the Democrats in control of the Congress, these years witnessed legislative efforts to use the power of the Federal Government to rectify the ills of society on matters of civil rights, assistance to the poor, health care for the aged, environmental protection, and so forth. It was also a time of strife in society resulting from the war in Vietnam, tension among the races, and the Watergate crisis. The Griffiths collection documents these issues with letters from constituents and her response to the concerns of the people.
Beyond general issues, the Griffiths papers have importance for their documentation of the specific contribution of this one woman member of Congress, who served for twenty years, and who was rewarded by her colleagues with increasingly responsible committee positions. Especially significant was her appointment to the powerful Ways and Means Committee under the chairmanship of Wilbur Mills. Griffiths' files from her work on W and Means Committee detail the major pieces of tax reform legislation of the 1960s, notably Griffiths' efforts to legislate some equity into the benefits accorded to American women.
The Martha W. Griffiths papers, with few exceptions, have been maintained in the arrangement scheme used by the Griffiths office.
59 linear feet — 8 oversize volumes — 33 film reels — 74.52 GB (online)
Current results range from 1922 to 2017