III.A. Personal Files -- Campaign Records, 1982-1992

Extent: 2.5 linear ft. Boxes: 79 - 81 Contents: Speeches, news clippings, notes, correspondence, memoranda, surveys, brochures, pamphlets, "lit drop" pieces, periodicals, reports, and other printed materials. Arrangement: Chronologically, by congressional and gubernatorial campaign, and alphabetically by topic within each campaign. Description: Series III.A. Campaign Records provides an overview of important accomplishments that Carper chose to feature in election campaigns. This series is particularly rich in personal comments and writings by Carper, describing what he felt were his greatest achievements as state treasurer of Delaware and later as Delaware's member-at-large in Congress. These documents, found throughout this series, provide a good career review of Carper's accomplishments and the projects he worked on while in Congress. Carper drafted by hand his speeches and personally edited others that were prepared for him. This writing process provides a glimpse into Carper's work approach. He rarely edited his own writing, seeming to know exactly what he wanted to say and capturing that in his first drafts. His staff has noted that he preferred a conversational tone when speaking rather than reading from a script. As is evident throughout the collection, Carper took the time to complete final reviews of all statements issued by his staff. The majority of the 1992 gubernatorial campaign material came from Communications Director Jeff Bullock's files. The files of Ed Freel, chief administrative assistant to Carper throughout his congressional career, provided some of the "drop-lit" pieces, literature and mailings used by Carper during his congressional campaigns. Tom Carper ran positive, issue-oriented campaigns, avoiding opportunities to personally attack his opponents. He set the pattern for this campaign style in 1982 when he refused to take advantage of Tom Evans's vulnerability after a scandalous relationship with congressional lobbyist Paula Parkinson. One amusing item in this series is a form letter to Martha Stacy Carper from Michael Castle, then governor of Delaware, asking her, as a "disenchanted Democrat," to switch to the Republican party. Mrs. Carper's reply is also included (F33).

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Manuscript Collection Number: 399
Accessioned: Gift of Thomas R. Carper, 1992, 1998-1999
Extent: 84 linear ft. and oversize material
Content: Legislation, correspondence, reports, documents and publications, memoranda, speeches, photographs, audio-visual material, newsletters, news clippings, and ephemera.
Access: The collection is open for research.
Processed: November 1997 - December 1999 by Rebecca J. Altermatt with assistance from Rob Costello; edited by L. Rebecca Johnson Melvin.

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