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<H1>The Papers of Senator John J. Williams</H1>
<H2> 1946 - 1988<BR>
(bulk dates 1947 - 1970)</H2>
<P>
<STRONG>Manuscript Collection Number 127</STRONG>
<P>
<STRONG>Accessioned:</STRONG> August 1988, gift of Mrs. Elsie Steele Williams
<P>
<STRONG>Extent:</STRONG> 149 boxes (149 linear ft.), 4 oversize boxes, 45 volumes
of scrapbooks, 11 reels of microfilm, 6 films, 4 videotapes, 15
audio-recordings, 15 audiocassettes
<P>
<STRONG>Content:</STRONG> Papers, photogaphs, maps, scrapbooks, books, oversize
document, audio-viual material
<P>
<STRONG>Access:</STRONG> The collection is open for research. Classified
material has been removed and submitted to the National Archives
for declassification.
<P>
<STRONG>Processed:</STRONG> September 1988 - October 1990 by L.R. Johnson,
project archivist; C. Coven, S. Siemanowski, assistants.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> The following description is an abbeviation of an
extensive finding aid available in the repository. The published
<EM>Guide to the Papers of Senator John J. Williams of Delaware</EM> is
available, free of charge, by contacting Special Collections,
University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware 19717-5267.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<CENTER><H2>Note on the Papers of Senator John J. Williams
with Series Descriptions</H2></CENTER>
The papers of Senator John J. Williams span the dates 1946-
1988, with the bulk of the collection representing the years of
his career in the U.S. Senate, 1947-1970. The collection
consists of nearly 150 linear feet of papers and also includes
scrapbooks, books, photographs, and film and sound recordings.
For the most part, the arrangement of the collection reflects the
original filing series of Senator Williams's office. The
collection is divided into 25 series which are organized under
four record subgroups. The first three subgroups--Legislative
Staff/Office Files, Constituent Correspondence and Cases, and
Administrative and Personal Office Files--consist of series that
document the work performed in office by Senator Williams and his
staff. The subgroups reflect the functions of the Senator's work
and include series typical of a congressional collection.
<P>
Duties reflected in the Legislative Staff/Office Files
include committee, legislative, and investigative work. The
Constituent Correspondence and Cases subgroup includes materials
created in response to the concerns and interests of
constituents, and those filed on receipt of issue-related
opinions from the general public. The Administrative and
Personal Office Files reflect the management of the office and
the Senator's personal schedule.
<P>
The fourth subgroup, Personal, includes series of files and
other formats that document the personal activities and opinions
of Senator Williams. The material in these files supplements
information about his Senate career in the first three subgroups.
There is also material from the 1970s and about Mrs. Williams and
Senator Williams's family life.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<CENTER><H2>Outline of Series<BR>
in the Papers of Senator John J. Williams</H2></CENTER>
<CENTER><H3>1946-1988 (bulk 1947-1970)</H3></CENTER>
<P>
<A HREF="#I"><H3>Subgroup I.</A> Legislative Staff/Office Files</H3>
<UL>
<DL>
<DT>A. <A HREF="#IA">JJW:ERL subject files</A><BR>
<DT>B. <A HREF="#IB">Committee files</A><BR>
<DT>C. <A HREF="#IC">Special investigations files</A><BR>
<DT>D. <A HREF="#ID">Legislative reference material</A><BR>
<DT>E. <A HREF="#IE">Bills of legislation</A><BR>
<DT>F. <A HREF="#IF">Congressional Record</A> <BR>
<DT>G. <A HREF="#IG">Voting Records</A><BR>
</DL>
</UL>
<P>
<A HREF="#II"><H3>Subgroup II.</A> Constituent Correspondence and Cases </H3>
<UL>
<DL>
<DT>A. <A HREF="#IIA">Executive correspondence</A><BR>
<DT>B. <A HREF="#IIB">Legislative correspondence</A><BR>
<DT>C. <A HREF="#IIC">Congratulations (received and sent)</A><BR>
<DT>D. <A HREF="#IID">Academy recommendations</A><BR>
</DL>
</UL>
<P>
<A HREF="#III"><H3>Subgroup III.</A> Administrative and Personal Office Files</H3>
<UL>
<DL>
<DT>A. <A HREF="#IIIA">Miscellaneous office files</A><BR>
<DT>B. <A HREF="#IIIB">Datebooks</A><BR>
<DT>C. <A HREF="#IIIC">Appointment correspondence</A><BR>
<DT>D. <A HREF="#IIID">Invitations</A><BR>
</DL>
</UL>
<P>
<A HREF="#IV"><H3>Subgroup IV.</A> Personal</H3>
<UL>
<DL>
<DT>A. <A HREF="#IVA">Campaigns</A><BR>
<DT>B. <A HREF="#IVB">Speeches</A><BR>
<DT>C. <A HREF="#IVC">Periodicals</A><BR>
<DT>D. <A HREF="#IVD">Cartoons</A><BR>
<DT>E. <A HREF="#IVE">Biographical</A> <BR>
<DT>F. <A HREF="#IVF">Scrapbooks</A><BR>
<DT>G. <A HREF="#IVG">Citations and awards</A><BR>
<DT>H. <A HREF="#IVH">Photographs</A><BR>
<DT>I. <A HREF="#IVI">Audio-visual</A><BR>
<DT>J. <A HREF="#IVJ">Books</A><BR>
</DL>
</UL>
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<A NAME=I><H3>I. Legislative Staff/Office Files</H3>
<A NAME=IA><H4>A. JJW:ERL subject files</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1946-1971 <BR> 11 lin. ft.<BR> Boxes 1-11
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Correspondence, memoranda, reports, speeches.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> These files are arranged alphabetically by topic,
department, or agency, with alphabetical subfiling by more
specific topics. The arrangement of this series parallels the
filing order of the executive and legislative correspondence
series. Contents of the files are in reverse chronological
order. Generally, incoming correspondence precedes office carbon
copy of outgoing correspondence.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> Eleanor R. Lenhart (ERL), executive secretary to
Senator Williams (JJW) throughout his 24 years in office, was
responsible for creation and maintenance of this series. The
files include the background material for subjects and projects
of special interest to the Senator. Ms. Lenhart worked closely
with the Senator and was privy to the confidential information in
the files. JJW:ERL Subject Files reveal the fact-finding and
investigative nature of much of the Senator's work.
<P>
File contents of this series reveal the methods by which
Senator Williams conducted his investigations. He scrutinized
government reports for leads to uncover scandals, received tips
from both private citizens and government employees, and
developed information through correspondence with investigative
journalists. The original files were bulging with charts of
figures and reports, many of which were not retained because
Senator Williams regularly had pertinent extracts of the reports
printed in the Congressional Record.
<P>
As with other material in the Williams Papers, the contents
of JJW:ERL overlap the subjects of other files and series.
Related material may be found in files under a department or
agency with cross-jurisdiction in the same series, or in other
series such as Committees, Legislative Reference Material, Bills
of Legislation, Executive Correspondence, or Legislative
Correspondence. Some of the files in the JJW:ERL subject series
also complement the Special Investigation Files.
<P>
Substantial subseries in the JJW:ERL subject files are
Agriculture, Delaware, GAO and GSA reports, and Housing. Among
other subseries of interest are Civil Service, Commerce, Defense,
Executive Office, Interior, Justice, State, and Treasury.
Senator Williams's particular interest in most of these topics
was their relation to the welfare of his Delaware constituents
and their financial ramifications for the U.S. government.
<P>
The Agriculture subseries covers the Commodities Credit
Corporation, price support and soil bank programs, abuse of the
Department's Disaster Relief Program by wealthy landholders such
as Texan Ellsworth King, the Billie Sol Estes grain storage
scandal, and information about the poultry industry. Commerce
files include information about ship sales, with specific
attention to the developments of Greek shipping magnates Niarchos
and Onassis, and government contracts for ship constructions.
The Defense subseries has material about contracts and government
surplus, information generally pursued in response to complaints
from citizens about government waste.
<P>
The Delaware subseries covers a range of miscellaneous
topics. Most interesting are the files documenting the scandal
in the State Highway Department which include the "Bove Reports,"
and the file on Senator Williams's disaster assistance to the
state following the March storm of 1962. The 1954 file on
"Integration of Schools" is not extensive, but is also of
interest.
<P>
The Executive Office subseries includes information on
executive programs such as stockpiling by the Office of Defense
Mobilization and on individuals from each administration.
Senator Williams fundamentally distrusted Lyndon Johnson and kept
several files on the President's activities. One such file,
"Austin Geriatric Center 1969," was compiled to investigate LBJ's
suspected abuse of disposal of surplus federal real property.
<P>
General Accounting Office and General Services
Administration reports were the sources for many of Senator
Williams's revelations of government waste. He was quoted in a
1957 American Mercury article as saying "millions and millions of
dollars are spent preparing [government reports], but almost
nobody reads them. Most of the scandals I've uncovered have been
from leads developed from such reports, or from material in the
government's own files." The extensive files of the GAO and GSA
reports were reduced by retaining only the title covers and
summary submission letters of each report. Many of the files
include copies of Senator Williams' Senate speeches to which he
added extracts from the reports.
<P>
The lengthy HUD files include material gathered for a
nationwide investigation of the Federal Housing Administration
loan programs in the 1960s. Some of the correspondence in these
files is with journalist John Barron, author of a 1966 Reader's
Digest article titled "The Stench at FHA." The exchange of
correspondence illustrates one of several important relationships
Williams had with reporters. In some cases, the reporters were
valuable sources of information for him as they developed leads
for stories which paralleled Senator Williams's investigative
work. The FHA files also contain a large amount of
correspondence from citizens across the country who, once they
heard Senator Williams was investigating the housing loan
scandal, knew where to send their complaints and comments.
<P>
The Justice Department files include files on court
nominations, a Delaware group's participation in the 1963 civil
rights march on Washington, and a Senate incident in response to
the civil violence at Kent State University. Labor files address
the Delaware home industry of holly wreath-making as well as
reflect Senator Williams's concern for the ethics of convicted
felons leading labor unions.
<P>
The State Department files cover Senator Williams's
objections to the nominations of Matthew McCloskey and Julius
Holmes to ambassadorships, and probe the financial aspects of
many Department programs. This subseries includes files on black
markets, the 1963 Austrian Grain Scandal, foreign debts, the 1954
Greek war relief, and "kickbacks and payoffs." More financial
information, especially on taxation, is found in the Treasury
Department files. Several Treasury files of interest cover the
taxation of stock under antitrust for GM/Du Pont.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>I. Legislative Staff/Office Files</H3>
<A NAME=IB><H4>B. Committee Files</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1947 - 1970 <BR> 5.5 lin. ft.<BR> Boxes 12-17</DT>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Correspondence, memoranda, bills, reports, printed
documents, and hearing transcripts.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> The series includes alphabetically arranged topical
files in committee subfiles which are also alphabetically
arranged. Contents of the files are in reverse chronological
order.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> Committee files, considered official government
records, are transferred to the National Archives for permanent
retention. Therefore, it is not uncommon for congressional
collections to have few or no files of this type. Small and
incomplete sequences of committee files remained in Senator
Williams's papers and these subseries (by committee) were
consolidated to form the Committee Files series. The material
remaining in these files reflect some of Senator Williams's fact-
finding, legislative, and budgetary committee work. Other
material in the papers which supplement topics in the committee
files can be found in the Bills of Legislation Files, the JJW:ERL
Subject Files, and the Legislative Correspondence Files. A
significant amount of background files for legislative review by
the Finance Committee is also found in the Legislative Reference
Files.
<P>
The most extensive of the subseries are the Agriculture,
Finance, Foreign Relations, and National Defense Committee files.
Although far from completely documenting Senator Williams's work
on these committees, the subseries do give some indication of his
legislative interests and investigative activities.
<P>
As contents of the files reveal, Senator Williams's service
on the Agriculture Committee gave him the opportunity to
represent the interests of rural Delaware and to pursue the
financial accountability of several major agriculture programs.
Significant material in the Agriculture Committee files includes
information about the Commodities Credit Corporation and Senator
Williams's criticism of Secretary of Agriculture, Charles
Brannan; the Mineral Rights program; and Williams's support for
the Delmarva poultry industry.
<P>
Senator Williams served as the Republican liaison between
the Finance and Foreign Relations Committees and paid particular
attention to overlapping financial issues. The files in the
Foreign Relations subseries concern foreign currency and
international loan funds, and those in the Finance subseries
document committee consideration of tax legislation. The Finance
Committee files also include reports and figures studied by
Senator Williams for his last major project, review of President
Nixon's proposed Family Assistance Plan.
<P>
Senator Williams's first committee assignment was to the
Committee to Investigate the National Defense in 1947. The
National Defense Committee reviewed war contracts, and these
files include transcripts of hearings with Howard Hughes who had
been involved in airplane manufacturing with contractor Henry
Kaiser.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>I. Legislative Staff/Office Files</H3>
<A NAME=IC><H4>C. Special Investigations Files</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1947-1970 <BR> 21 lin. ft. <BR> Boxes 17-38<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<UL>
<H5>1. Bureau of Internal Revenue</H5>
<DL>
<DT>1947-1970 (bulk 1951-1952) <BR> 12.5 lin. ft.<BR> Boxes 17-29<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<H5>2. Bobby Baker</H5>
<DL>
<DT>1962-1970 (bulk 1963-1965) <BR> 6 lin. ft. <BR> Boxes 30-35<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<H5>3. Medicare</H5>
<DL>
<DT>1965-1970 (bulk 1969-1970)<BR> 2.5 lin. ft.<BR> Boxes 36-38<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Correspondence, memoranda, printed documents,
newspaper clippings.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> The contents of the subseries are arranged in
alphabetical sequences with folder contents in reverse
chronological order.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> The investigations which gained Senator Williams
his reputation as "The Conscience of the Senate" are documented
in the series of Special Investigations Files. The three
subseries include correspondence and tips from informants,
reports and printed documents, hearing transcripts, data,
newspaper clippings, and other background material collected in
the process of the investigations.
<P>
The first subseries, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR),
documents Senator Williams's early 1949-1952 investigation into
corruption in the offices of regional tax collectors. The
investigation was nationwide and the files include extensive
leads from citizens and government employees charging conflict of
interest, bribery, negligence, and other abuses from tax
officials. Among the regular correspondents was Ted Link, an
investigative journalist who provided Senator Williams with
information on developments in the regional tax office in St.
Louis.
<P>
The BIR files include one folder of index cards to names in
the files, a state sequence consisting of substantial
correspondence and leads from citizens reporting to Senator
Williams from around the country, an alphabetical sequence of
name and subject files, and a sequence of miscellaneous
constituent correspondence. The bulk of the files date from
1951-1952, the period when the tax scandals were investigated by
the Subcommittee on Administration of the Internal Revenue Laws
of the House Ways and Means Committee, but also contain later
material dating to 1969.
<P>
The second subseries concerns the Bobby Baker investigation.
In the early 1960s, Williams initiated inquiries into the
unethical behavior of senate staff member Robert G. (Bobby)
Baker. The files of this subseries include the information which
prompted the investigation, press clippings which followed
disclosure of the case, and memoranda and correspondence with the
Rules Committee which document the Senator's role as instigator
of the investigation.
<P>
The files also include a folder of index cards to names in
the files, and transcripts of hearings before the Rules
Committee. Related material in the Williams Papers is found in
the files of the Rules Committee in the Legislative
Correspondence series. The large volume of constituent
correspondence in those files reflects the favorable public
response to Senator Williams's role in fighting corruption in
government.
<P>
The Medicare investigation into charges of widespread fraud
in the Medicare systems was a large-scale project begun in the
late 1960s as part of Senator Williams's work for the Fiance
Committee. These files consist of two filing sequences--one
filed alphabetically by state with reports of local fraud, and a
second sequence filed alphabetically by topics and names. The
bulk of these files date from 1969-1970.
</UL>
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>I. Legislative Staff/Office Files</H3>
<A NAME=ID><H4>D. Legislative Reference Material</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1953-1970 (bulk 1961-1970)<BR>3.5 lin. ft.<BR>
Boxes 38 - 41<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Correspondence, memoranda, reports, legislation,
newspaper clippings and magazine articles.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> Arranged alphabetically by name or topic.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG>This series consists of background reports used for
legislative review, miscellaneous material related to legislative
issues, files on judicial nominations, and reference files on
several of Senator Williams's colleagues. Of special note are
the contents of files on Congressman Adam Clayton Powell.
Williams led criticism of Powell's abuse of congressional junkets
and counterpart funds in 1963. Judiciary files include notes and
background references on Supreme Court justices and nominees
Carswell, Douglas, Fortas, and Haynsworth.
<P>
Until 1961, when the office filing system evidently changed,
similar background material for legislative review was filed in
the Bills of Legislation series. A significant number of
background files in Legislative Reference Material concern tax
legislation and should be used in conjunction with Committee
Files and Bills of Legislation series.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>I. Legislative Staff/Office Files</H3>
<A NAME=IE><H4>E. Bills of legislation</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1948-1970<BR>9 lin. ft.<BR>Boxes 42 - 50<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Printed bills, drafts of legislation, committee
reports, Congressional Record tear-sheets, memoranda, and
correspondence.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> The Bills of Legislation files were maintained by
the staff with individual bills filed by date of legislative
action in chronological order. The listing of bills in the
finding aid is subdivided by congressional session for
convenience. Requests for co-sponsorship, 1961-1970, seven files
at the end of the series, are filed in reverse chronological
order as was most regular office correspondence.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> This series includes legislation sponsored or
cosponsored by Senator Williams. The bills are in individual
folders in chronological order by date of legislative action.
The files of the early years, 1948-1949, are less complete than
the files after 1951 when each bill and amendment sponsored or
co-sponsored by Senator Williams was carefully maintained. The
files for 1951-1960 include the most supporting background
material. In addition to the printed bills and drafts of bills,
these files contain committee reports, Congressional Record tear-
sheets covering legislative action and debates, other background
information, and requests for co-sponsorship and correspondence.
Due to a change in the office filing system, the files from 1961-
1970 contain less correspondence and background information, but
do include concise office memos summarizing the legislative
histories of bills and amendments.
<P>
The final files in Bills of Legislation series are requests
for co-sponsorship, 1961-1970. In these files, Senator
Williams's rejections outnumber his acceptances of requests for
co-sponsorship. Apparently, Senator Williams did not respond in
writing so there is no documentation of his decisions regarding
these requests. The requests are useful, however, for
representing legislative issues before Congress during the 1960s.
Many of the requests are accompanied by drafts of bills and
position statements.
<P>
Material related to file contents of Bills of Legislation
may be found in other series in the collection. Supporting
information for legislation considered in the 1960s is filed by
subject in Legislative Reference Material. The office filing
practices appear to have changed in 1961 so that supporting
correspondence and background information that had been filed
with individual bills from 1951-1960 was then filed in
Legislative Reference Material.
<P>
JJW:ERL Subject Files may contain background information on
any of the Senator's special legislative interests, and some bill
drafts and accompanying reports may be found in the series of
Committee Files. Public opinion and reactions to legislative
issues are documented in Constituent Correspondence and Cases--
Legislative Correspondence.
<P>
Ralph Peters and Bob Davenport are two names that appear on
memoranda, reports, and correspondence throughout Bills of
Legislation. Both served as legislative assistants on Senator
Williams's staff.
<P>
Thematically, Senator Williams's legislative efforts reflect
his career record of taking a conservative stand on government
regulations affecting the interests of small businessmen and
individuals, advocating honesty in government officials, opposing
government waste, supporting accountability concerning government
finances, and representing the interests of Delawareans.
<P>
Senator Williams's conservative stand on government
regulations and programs affecting small businesses was at the
root of his 1946 decision to become involved in politics.
Legislation introduced by him to repeal price supports of basic
agricultural commodities, to exempt certain shipments of farm
produce from the tax on transportation of property, to improve
and simplify credit facilities for farmers, and to oppose tax
exemptions for cooperative corporations are examples of his
interest to protect small businessmen. His legislative proposals
to abolish the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, to cut
economic aid to postwar Europe, and to reconsider U.S.
participation in the International Development Agency are typical
of his conservative view of government programs.
<P>
Beginning with his bill to remove J.W. Johnson from the
Office of the Collector in the Internal Revenue Office in New
York in 1951, Williams repeatedly proposed legislation advocating
honesty in government officials. Over the years, he introduced
several measures "to strengthen the law with respect to bribery
and graft." He encouraged regulation, if not prohibition, of
former government officers and employees from acting as counsel
before government agencies, and he presented other conflict of
interest bills. Concerned with the issue of political fund
raising, Senator Williams introduced several measures to protect
federal employees from corrupt inducements to support a political
party and other measures to control taxation and deductibility of
campaign contributions. Following 1964 sponsorship of a bill to
allow the investigation of Senate staff member Bobby Baker,
Williams offered other legislation to uphold ethics in the
Senate. In his final years in office, Williams proposed age
limits for government officials and mandatory retirement for
those elected to Congress.
<P>
Senator Williams sponsored over the years several measures
to prevent government waste. He urged the government to require
competitive bidding on contracts in the interest of national
defense. He waged a long campaign against excessive stockpiling
and sought prohibition of federal leasing of public lands to
produce agricultural crops already in excess. For programs such
as the 1965 HemisFair he sought to reduce authorized
appropriations. Williams brought cost-saving measures to the
Senate, as well. He proposed that unused stationery allowances
be returned to the Treasurer, and he also sponsored amendments to
Post Office appropriations to delete sections permitting
congressional junk or bulk mailing under franking privileges.
<P>
Senator Williams sponsored legislation to require
accountability concerning government finances. Early in his
career, he discovered a $350 million discrepancy in the books of
the Commodities Credit Corporation and sponsored legislation
requiring the CCC to be audited by the General Accounting Office.
He attached an amendment to the 1960 Mutual Security Act to
provide for complete accounting of counterpart funds. And over
the years, he supported legislation to provide improved methods
of budget estimates and appropriations, to provide more effective
evaluation of fiscal requirements, and to balance the budget.
<P>
Senator Williams represented the interests of Delawareans by
sponsoring legislation that affected the industries, building
projects, and public lands of the state. He gained
appropriations for support of poultry research, standards for
compulsory poultry inspections, assistance for development of
disease-resistant oysters, and labor exemptions for the holly
wreath industry. With other representatives from Delaware, he
sponsored several requests for authorizations of construction on
projects such as the Mispillion River project, the Summit Bridge
across the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, and toll collection on
the Delaware Memorial Bridge. He sponsored an amendment to
protect migratory waterfowl, and presented other legislation
enabling transfer of government land leases at Fort Miles and
Cape Henlopen back to the state. Senator Williams was quick to
respond to urgent needs of Delawareans as when he sponsored
legislation to allow extensions for tax deductions on the losses
from the storm of March 1962.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>I. Legislative Staff/Office Files</H3>
<A NAME=IF><H4>F. Congressional Record</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1947-1970<BR> 3 lin. ft.<BR>Boxes 50 - 53<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Staff-compiled indices, tear-sheets from the
Congressional Record.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> Two sequences of material, Office Index and Tear-
sheets, are arranged in chronological order by congressional
session.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> This series consists of indices to the remarks of
Senator Williams in the Congressional Record, 1947-1970, and
tear-sheets of his remarks from the years 1954-1970. Generally,
the Senator's remarks made on the Senate floor may also be found
in the Speeches series, so those made prior to 1954 which are
missing from this series are still available in this collection
of papers. The indices were compiled by the office staff,
listing subject and page number of the remarks in chronological
order. A separate index was created for each session of Congress
from 1947-1970. This series also includes tear-sheets from
retirement tributes to Senator Williams delivered by his
colleagues on the floor of the Senate.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>I. Legislative Staff/Office Files</H3>
<A NAME=IG><H4>G. Voting Records</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1947-1970<BR>4 lin. ft.<BR> Boxes 53 - 57<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Printed voting records.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> The voting records are arranged chronologically by
congressional session.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> The Voting Records files are the printed record and
analysis of Senate votes compiled by the Senate Republican Policy
Committee. They are arranged chronologically by congressional
session and the voting record for each session includes an index.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<A NAME=II><H3>II. Constituent Correspondence and Cases</H3>
<A NAME=IIA><H4>A. Executive Correspondence</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1946-1970<BR>22 lin. ft.<BR> Boxes 57 - 79<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Correspondence, memoranda.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> The series is aranged alphabetically by executive
departments and agencies, with subfiles of specific topics also
alphabetically arranged. Under each topcial subfile, annual
folders are filed in reverse chronological order. The order of
the Executive Correspondence Files parallels the arrangement of
the JJW:ERL and the Legislative Correspondence Series.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> A significant amount of correspondence with
executive departments and agencies was created in the course of
Senator Williams's investigations and to meet his own information
needs. But the bulk of the Executive Correspondence series was
created in response to the concerns of constituents.
<P>
Senator Williams and his staff served as the liaison between
Delawareans and the federal government with respect to
constituent problems with federal programs, rules, and decisions.
Typical requests for the Senator's help were to recover a lost
social security check, to appeal a disability claim, or to obtain
a hardship discharge from the military. It was the
responsibility of the Senator's staff to determine which
appropriate department or agency might resolve problems, to
contact effectively resourceful department or agency staff, to
pursue all information exchanges as the cases developed, and to
translate the impersonal bureaucratic responses into timely and
personal answers for the constituents.
<P>
The contents of the files reflect some concerns specific to
Delawareans, such as issues relating to the poultry industry and
contracts at the Dover Air Force Base; other files reflect
broader issues of the times, such as postwar displaced persons
cases or immigration appeals in the 1950s.
<P>
Staff filed cases according to agency or departmental
jurisdiction: inquiries about legal assistance for veterans are
found under Veterans Administration, suggestions for presidential
nominations under Office of the President, and complaints about
mail delivery services are found under Post Office. Searches for
specific topics may be complicated by cross jurisdiction for
issues, the history of departmental or agency name changes,
and/or quirks of the staff filing practices. For example,
correspondence concerning regulations of air travel may be found
under Civil Aeronautics Board, Federal Aviation Administration,
or Transportation Department. Poultry is a topic covered under
Agriculture Department, Delaware Miscellaneous, Economic
Stabilization Agency, and Office of the President--Trade
Negotiations.
<P>
The arrangement of the Executive Correspondence series
parallels JWW:ERL Subject Files and Legislative Correspondence
series and related material may be found in these files. The
contents of the three series complement and supplement each
other.
<P>
The original extent of the Executive Correspondence series
was significantly reduced because of either the strictly routine
or the confidential nature of the requests. Sequences of
routinely direct referrals to departments such as requests for
passports (3 inches) and visas (9 inches) referred to the State
Department were discarded. Veterans' claims and Defense
personnel files were not retained due to respect for privacy
rights of the constituents. Cases from veterans and military
servicemen generally detailed personal difficulties to which the
Senator's staff could only give help by referring the constituent
to the Veterans Administration or military service with the
appropriate jurisdiction. Defense personnel files (28 inches)
were not kept because the Senator simply had no influence with
requests for military transfers, discipline for AWOL cases,
deferral of active duty, excuses from training camps, or
obtaining security clearances.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>II. Constituent Correspondence and Cases</H3>
<A NAME=IIB><H4>B. Legislative Correspondence</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1946-1970<BR> 43 lin. ft. <BR>Boxes 80 - 122<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Correspondence, memoranda.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> The series is arranged alphabetically by
department, agency, or subject, with subfiles of specific topics
also alphabetically arranged. Contents of folders are in reverse
chronological order. The order of Legislative Correspondence
parallels the arrangement of the JJW:ERL Subject Files and
Executive Correspondence series.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> Correspondence in this series was created in
response to legislative issues and comes from both Delawareans
and national constituents. The arrangement of the series is by
department or agency with jurisdiction over the issue, or by
broad subject. As with the Executive Correspondence series,
similar topics may appear in several locations due to cross-
jurisdiction of the departments or agencies, or the filing
practices of the staff. The Legislative Correspondence series
with its reflection of public opinion, richly complements the
specific topics found in other series in the collection.
<P>
Each subseries in Legislative Correspondence series includes
files for specific issues and "miscellaneous" files to
accommodate general comments. The series contains
correspondence, petitions, and many "robos," a form letter
summarizing the Senator's opinion on an issue and sent in
response to high-volume, single-issue constituent correspondence.
<P>
The range of topics represented in the Legislative
Correspondence series provides an overview of the issues facing
the American public during the 1950s and 1960s and addressed by
the 80th - 91st Congresses. The spread of communism, U.S.
foreign policies in Southeast Asia, defense spending, taxation,
reform of laws for ethical standards for elected representatives
and judicial appointees, the Social Security program, and changes
in civil rights laws are some of the concerns documented in this
series. Of special interest to Delawareans are public reactions
to the court-ordered divestment of GM-Du Pont stock (found under
Finance), and the development of Delaware projects and plans for
state lands filed under Public Works.
<P>
The large volume of correspondence under the subseries
Finance and Foreign Relations indicates widespread public concern
with these issues. The volume is also the result of Senator
Williams's reputation as an influential member of both the
Finance and Foreign Relations committees. Another significant
amount of correspondence is found under the Rules subseries and
reflects the nationwide support of his efforts to expose
government corruption.
<P>
Sampling techniques were heavily used to appraise this
series of Legislative Correspondence. The large volume of
single-issue petitions and correspondence, to which the Senator's
office sent form letter responses, was routinely reduced to 20
percent of the original extent of the files. The "miscellaneous"
topical files under each agency or department were also reduced
by saving only a sample of the broad, general comments from
constituents. An appraisal summary documenting the original
volume of correspondence is filed in the front of several
folders.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>II. Constituent Correspondence and Cases</H3>
<A NAME=IIC><H4>C. Congratulations (received and sent)</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1946-1970<BR>1 lin. ft.<BR> Box 123<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Correspondence, clippings.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> The series consists of three subseries with files
in reverse chronological order: Congratulations, received, 1951-
1970; Congratulations, sent, 1956-1970; and Congratulations,
received and sent, 1946-1952.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> The series of congratulatory correspondence
includes letters and telegrams received by and sent from Senator
Williams throughout his senate career. A representative sample
of approximately 20 percent of the original volume of 5 lin. ft.
of correspondence was retained. The three subseries represent
variations in office filing practice and do not indicate
substantial difference in content of correspondence.
<P>
Years with heaviest correspondence include 1952 following
media coverage of Senator Williams's role in the Bureau of
Internal Revenue investigations, and 1964 following Senator
Williams's re-election victory over the Democratic National
Committee's post-Bobby Baker-scandal attempt to unseat him.
Senator Williams received congratulations from his state
constituents but also from the general public nationwide. He
sent congratulations for scholastic achievements, milestone
birthdays, receipt of awards, and other constituent
accomplishments such as winning the Pushmobile Derby.
<P>
The congratulations exchanged between Senator Williams and
his senate colleagues over re-elections, birthdays, and other
miscellaneous occasions give some idea of the personal
relationships he established in the Senate. Many compliments
were strictly protocol, but others such as those sent to Harry
Flood Byrd, Sr. reveal sincere respect and affection.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>II. Constituent Correspondence and Cases</H3>
<A NAME=IID><H4>D. Military Service Academy Files</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1947-1971<BR> .5 lin. ft.<BR> Box 124<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Correspondence, departmental memos.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> The arrangement of this series reflects the original
order of files by military service academy: Air Force, Maritime,
Military, and Naval. Each academy subseries includes a
departmental information file, a "general list," and selected
individual files from the original alphabetical sequence of
applicants. Dates on individual files indicate year of
nomination request.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> A small portion of the original 7 linear feet of
academy files was saved to represent the routine office task of
processing constituent requests for nominations to military
service academy appointments. Office staff maintained a
departmental information file for each academy which included
instructions for processing nominations and congressional
appointment quotas for each class. Because individual applicant
files were marked with a check indicating the Senator's approval
for nomination or a cross indicating the applicant's failure to
meet nomination requirements, it was possible to make a summary
table of the Senator's annual nominations to each academy. An
increase in applicants during the 1960s reflects the U.S.
involvement in Vietnam. These academy summaries have been
included in each departmental information file.
<P>
Pages from a miscellaneous office notebook summarizing
annual nominations are in files labeled "general list" under each
academy. The remainder of each academy subseries includes
selected individual files from the original alphabetical
sequences of applicants.
<P>
Retained files are representative of the scope of the
original sequences. Correspondence requesting the Senator's
nomination includes academic records and supporting letters of
recommendation. Several files include post-graduation
correspondence and notices of career developments from young men
appreciative of the Senator's nominations. Two naval academy
nominees went on to have successful careers, one with the command
of a submarine and another with appointment as an astronaut
trainee for NASA.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<A NAME=III><H3>III. Administrative and Personal Office Files</H3>
<A NAME=IIIA><H4>A. Miscellaneous Office Files</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1947-1988 (bulk 1947-1970)<BR> 3.5 lin. ft.<BR> Boxes 124-127<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Correspondence, memoranda.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> The series is arranged in three subseries,
alphabetically by topic. Contents of folders are in reverse
chronological order.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> The three subseries are General Office files, ERL
Office Closing, and Later Projects. The bulk of this series, the
General Office files, documents general administrative details of
Senator Williams's office and includes miscellaneous constituent
requests such as those for Senate gallery passes, student tours,
or copies of Agricultural Yearbooks. Office records include
telephone logs and mailing lists. The original extent of the
Miscellaneous Office Files was substantially reduced by sampling,
especially from the voluminous but routine constituent requests.
Representative folders were saved with an appraisal statement
documenting the original extent of the files.
<P>
The ERL Office Closing and Later Projects subseries are both
small groups of unfiled material that would eventually have been
integrated into other filing series in the collection. Executive
Secretary Eleanor Lenhart (ERL) had responsibility for these
materials. ERL Office Closing includes unfiled mail and projects
pending from the final days of Senator Williams's office in
Washington. The Later Projects document a few of Senator
Williams's retirement activities.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>III. Administrative and Personal Office Files</H3>
<A NAME=IIIB><H4>B. Datebooks</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1947-1970<BR>1.5 lin. ft.<BR>Boxes 128-129<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Calendar notebooks
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement and description:</STRONG> This series consists of four
subseries: Appointment books of Senator Williams, Staff
calendars, Office attendance, and Eleanor Lenhart diary. Within
each subseries, the datebooks are in reverse chronological order.
All datebooks were retained.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>III. Administrative and Personal Office Files</H3>
<A NAME=IIIC><H4>C. Appointment Correspondence</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1952-1970 <BR> .5 lin. ft.<BR> Boxes 129-130<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Correspondence
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement and description:</STRONG> The correspondence in this series
is arranged in reverse chronological order as maintained by the
office staff. The correspondence consists of requests from
Delaware constituents, many of whom Senator Williams arranged to
meet at his Millsboro office. Several of the letters mention the
purpose of the requested visit and reflect a variety of the
Senator's constituents' concerns.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>III. Administrative and Personal Office Files</H3>
<A NAME=IIID><H4>D. Invitations</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1948-1970 <BR> 1 lin. ft.<BR> Box 130<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Invitations, correspondence
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> The series consists of three small subseries: a
sample of general invitations in reverse chronological order,
special invitations to the Delmarva Chicken Festival, and
miscellaneous accepted invitations.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> In the original office files, invitations accepted
by Senator Williams were not separated from those he declined.
From the original volume of 17.5 linear feet, the sample of
invitations retained includes all accepted invitations found
within folders selected at five-year intervals beginning with
1948. Folders on special events such as "Dinner with Ike" or the
Delmarva Chicken Festival were also retained. Senator Williams
rarely accepted invitations to social receptions in Washington,
but he generally attended functions sponsored by Delaware
fraternal organizations, church groups, or the Republican party.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<A NAME=IV><H3>IV. Personal</H3>
<A NAME=IVA><H4>A. Campaigns</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1946-1970<BR> 2 lin. ft. <BR> Boxes 131-132<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Correspondence, press statements, advertising,
speeches
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> Arranged alphabetically by topic under a subseries
for each election year: 1946, 1952, 1958, 1964, 1970.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> Senator Williams never had a campaign manager
during his four successful campaigns for the Senate. The few
existing files that constitute the campaign series reveal a far
simpler style of campaigning than exists today. The series is
organized with subseries for the election years. There is a
considerable amount of correspondence demonstrating support for
Senator Williams during his embattled 1964 election, and also a
large quantity of mail from constituents urging Senator Williams
to reconsider running for the 1970 election.
<P>
The files include correspondence, statements, advertising,
speeches, and background material for campaign issues. The 1952
race against A.I. du Pont Bayard and the 1958 race against Elbert
Carvel are the most well-documented campaigns. Both of these
subseries contain Senator Williams's reference files on political
issues of the elections.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>IV. Personal</H3>
<A NAME=IVB><H4>B. Speeches</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1947-1970<BR> 4.5 lin. ft.<BR>Boxes 132-137<BR>
</DT>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Speech transcripts, note cards
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> This series consists of three subseries--Speeches,
1947-1970; Miscellaneous Speech Notes and Cards; and Press
Releases. Speeches and Press Releases are arranged
chronologically, and Speech Notes and Cards are arranged
topically.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> Most of the speeches were delivered on the floor of
the Senate, although the subseries also includes some radio
speeches, commencement addresses, and presentations to civic
clubs. Speeches are listed in chronological order, followed by
location of speech and the speech title. The original office
files, which contained multiple copies of speeches for reference
or for mailing to constituents, were substantially reduced by
weeding all duplicates.
<P>
The miscellaneous speech notes and cards, largely
unidentified by date or location, have been arranged in topical
order. The cards are mostly handwritten outlines with several
recurring themes, but they reveal Senator Williams's personal
style and his primary interests.
<P>
Senator Williams never had a press secretary or public
relations officer, so the press release files are relatively
small. Generally, the office seems to have supplied copies of
speeches delivered on the Senate floor to the press.
<P>
Common topics of the subseries are the problems of
corruption in government, the need for financial accountability
in government, concern for inflation and the federal budget
deficit, and the responsibility of all American citizens to
participate in their democratic system of government.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>IV. Personal</H3>
<A NAME=IVC><H4>C. Periodicals</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1950-1985 <BR> 1.5 lin. ft.<BR>Boxes 138-142<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Periodicals and articles from periodicals
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> Periodicals is arranged into three subseries--
Articles featuring Senator Williams, background and reference
articles, and Articles featuring Mrs. Williams. The periodicals
are individually foldered and arranged chronologically within
each subseries.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> Periodicles series consists of magazines,
bulletins, and newsletters that feature articles on Senator
Williams or news that mentions Senator Williams's involvement
with a certain issue. The series includes popular national
publications such as Forbes, Fortune, Reader's Digest, and
Newsweek, as well as trade magazines such as Feeds Illustrated.
Generally, the individual folders include the magazine cover and
tear sheets of the article concerning Senator Williams, although
complete magazine issues are also included.
<P>
The largest subseries, Articles featuring Senator Williams,
includes articles which document his involvement with
investigations and issues of government waste, and significant
political events such as campaigns.
<P>
The background and reference articles subseries supplements
the primary topics of the first subseries, providing in-depth
coverage on Adam Clayton Powell, Billie Sol Estes, and Bobby
Baker.
<P>
Captioned photographs predominate in the subseries of
Articles featuring Mrs. Williams. In magazines such as Promenade
and The Diplomat, Mrs. Williams is shown in her role as leader of
the Congressional Club.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>IV. Personal</H3>
<A NAME=IVD><H4>D. Cartoons</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1947-1970<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Cartoon are grouped in folders according to type and
arranged alphabetically by folder heading. In each folder,
cartoons are arranged chronologically, with undated cartoons
placed last.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG>The bulk of the cartoons are from a collection of
clippings kept during the Bobby Baker investigations, and many of
these feature Senator Williams. In addition, there is a group of
clippings on miscellaneous subjects of interest to Senator
Williams. Most are expressions of protest against corruption and
misuse of government funds; abuse of agricultural subsidies is a
frequent topic.
<P>
In addition to the clippings, there are oversized cartoons,
both originals and copies, from the collection of framed cartoons
in Williams's office. Some of these are inscribed, and many
feature Senator Williams. As with the clippings, most call
attention to some aspect of waste or corruption in government.
Large negative images of some of the cartoons are included in the
series.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>IV. Personal</H3>
<A NAME=IVE><H4>E. Biographical</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1872-1979 <BR> .5 lin. ft.<BR> Box 144<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Correspondence, biographical notes, documents,
publications.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> The biographical files are arranged topically in
six subseries: Biographical Material, Correspondence, Documents,
Miscellaneous, Retirement, and Mrs. Williams. Contents of the
correspondence albums and all folders are in chronological order.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> The first subseries contains material that is
generally biographical in content. It includes two folders of
standard biographical data released by the Senator's office for
press information or public appearances. A genealogical record
was compiled by a family relative, and a biographical essay was
written by Chuck Lewis in 1974. It is not clear who Chuck Lewis
was or why the essay was written. The transcript of the oral
history is from an interview conducted by Charles T. Morrisey for
the Association of Former Members of Congress. The whereabouts
of the recording of the oral history is unknown.
<P>
The Correspondence subseries consists of two keepsake albums
of correspondence compiled by Senator Williams. The albums
contain letters saved for a variety of reasons--mementos from
presidents, high-level government officials, and celebrities;
letters documenting career milestones; and a few letters of more
personal significance, such as those from his close friend,
Virginia Senator Harry F. Byrd. Some of the names of the
correspondents are Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald
Reagan, George Bush, Nelson Rockefeller, and Groucho Marx.
<P>
The documents subseries consists of a certificate of 1958
election returns, a facsimile of Senator Williams's 1947 Oath of
Office, a broadside reflecting early Delaware politics, and a
printed quote from Senator Harry Byrd.
<P>
The Miscellaneous subseries contains samples of Senator
Williams's office stationery and miscellaneous publications. A
1976 bicentennial publication on the history of Millsboro
includes pictures of the young couple, John and Elsie Williams on
the boardwalk at Rehoboth Beach, and their daughter Blanche as a
child playing amongst chickens in Millsboro. The subseries also
includes a miscellaneous untitled manuscript by an unknown author
that describes cases of financial waste in government, and
particularly mentions Senator Williams's interest in the issue.
The manuscript was possibly submitted to Senator Williams for
comment.
<P>
Two folders of tributes from senate colleagues comprise the
subseries on Retirement. The final subseries includes material
related to Mrs. Williams. In addition to biographical data,
there are two folders that reflect Mrs. Williams's activities
with the Congressional Club.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>IV. Personal</H3>
<A NAME=IVF><H4>F. Scrapbooks</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1946-1987 <BR>45 Volumes <BR>11 reels of microfilm<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Scrapbooks
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> Three subseries of the scrapbook series--Pre-
election, Senate Career, and Retirement--are arranged
chronologically and span the years 1946-1987. Four miscellaneous
scrapbooks covering three topics---the 1958 Campaign, the
Delaware State Highway Department Investigation, and the Baker
Trial--are arranged at the end of the Scrapbooks series. The
contents of all scrapbooks are arranged in chronological order.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG>The 45 scrapbooks in this series were carefully
compiled by Senator Williams's office staff, with dates and
sources included, providing comprehensive documentation of the
public life of Senator Williams. The scrapbooks consist of
Delaware, national, and occasionally international newspaper
clippings and magazine articles which featured Williams. These
were sometimes supplemented by background articles on issues and
investigations which Williams helped bring to the attention of
the public. Williams's involvement in civic activities and
fraternal organizations is also documented with agendas and
programs featuring Williams as speaker or participant. Although
the scrapbooks document primarily professional rather than
personal events, some clippings about family members, such as
those about Mrs. Williams's leadership in the Congressional Club,
are included.
<P>
The complete set of scrapbooks is also available on
microfilm.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>IV. Personal</H3>
<A NAME=IVG><H4>G. Citations and Awards</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1948-1987 <BR> .5 lin. ft. <BR> Box 144<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Citations, certificates, plaques, diplomas,
publications.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> The Citations and Awards series is arranged
chronologically. References to Oversized Citations and Awards,
which have been removed and stored separately, are included in
the chronological list.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> This series contains several of the awards and
tributes bestowed on Williams from the beginning of his Senate
career and throughout his retirement. The series is by no means
a complete list of the many others honors and awards granted to
Senator Williams. Additional citations and awards are preserved
in the John and Elsie Williams Conference Center in Millsboro.
<P>
A list, compiled by the office staff for reference purposes
and filed before the chronolgical sequence in the series, cites
Senator Williams's honors from the years 1952-1972. The majority
of his awards are from civic and citizens' groups, such as The
Masons, The Kiwanis Club, and The American Legion. Also
included, however, are honorary educational degrees and political
tributes from the Republican State Convention, the Senate Finance
Committee, colleagues in the U. S. Senate, and the Governor of
Delaware, as well as the unique Delaware General Assembly Joint
Resolution urging Williams to run for re-election in 1970. The
series also includes a humorous birthday tribute from the
Senator's office staff.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>IV. Personal</H3>
<A NAME=IVH><H4>H. Photographs</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1947-1975 <BR> 1.25 lin. ft.<BR> Box 145<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Photographs: black and white positive prints, color
prints.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> The Photographs series is arranged in 18 subseries,
which are arranged alphabetically by topic. Photographs within
most subseries are in chronological order; undated photographs
are filed at the end of each subseries. Examples of exceptions
to chronological order are: Committees and hearings
(alphabetical by committee), Delaware (alphabetical by location),
and Portraits of colleagues (alphabetical by last name).
Oversized photographs are removed and stored separately.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> The Photographs series documents the various
official, social, and ceremonial duties performed by Senator
Williams. Official photographs from subseries such as
Presidential and Vice-Presidential, Republicans, and Williams
with Colleagues visually enrich the documentation of Williams's
Senate activities provided elsewhere in the files in the
collection. Other subseries such as Banquets and Receptions,
Delawareans, and Poultry, provide important documentation of
social and ceremonial responsibilities which are not evident in
the Senator's office files.
<P>
Several of the subseries present Senator Williams with
Senate colleagues and other political contemporaries. The
Campaigns, Republicans, and Presidential and Vice-Presidential
subseries include photographs of Williams with presidents in
office from Truman to Nixon and other well-known politicians such
as Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. Williams is pictured with
his colleagues in the Committees and Hearings subseries, which
records sessions of the Finance, Agriculture, and Foreign
Relations committees. The subseries of Williams with Colleagues
and Portraits of Colleagues represent photographs of many
familiar congressmen and congresswomen, but are interesting in
being dated from the time when Senator Williams first met them.
The Portraits of Colleagues subseries includes publicity
portraits that were routinely exchanged with colleagues. The
portraits, which are arranged in alphabetical order, include
inscriptions which reflect the Senator's relationships with the
presenters. The Williams with Colleagues subseries records
casual interaction with fellow senators such as Everett Dirksen,
Mike Mansfield, and Harry Byrd, but also includes photographs of
more formal events such as presidential addresses to Congress.
Delaware colleagues often photographed with Williams are Senators
J. Allen Frear, Jr. and J. Caleb Boggs; and Delaware Congressmen
Harris McDowell, Harry G. Haskell, and William V. Roth.
<P>
Other aspects of Senator Williams's career are recorded in
the Banquets and Receptions, Media Appearances, and Public
Relations subseries. Some of the banquets and receptions
pictured are formal, but gatherings of civic groups, business
associations, and local political organizations are more typical.
Additional civic and ceremonial activities are documented in the
Public Relations subseries.
<P>
An important public relations duty for Senator Williams's
office was to welcome and host Delaware constituents in the
nation's capital, and the Delawareans subseries of photographs
which documents such activities is the largest in the collection.
The subseries includes Delaware youth honored for civic
contributions, scholastic achievement, homemaking skills, and
other activities such as the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.
Photographs of Brownie troops, school groups, the Delaware Farm
Bureau, and the Delaware Federation of Women's Clubs are also
included.
<P>
Senator Williams represented Delaware interests by promoting
the poultry industry, a significant concern for many of his
constituents. The Poultry subseries contains pictures of Senator
Williams hosting chicken dinners for his senate colleagues,
attending the Delmarva Chicken Festival, and posing with
representatives of the National Broiler Council. Photographs of
other Delaware businesses, industries, and scenic locations are
found in the Delaware subseries.
<P>
Senator Williams received many honors and awards during and
after his senate career. The Honors subseries documents some of
these ceremonial occasions and is a useful supplement to the
Citations and Awards series. Personal images of the Senator are
included in the subseries of Williams and Staff, Portraits of
Williams, and Portraits of Williams by Richard Frear. Another
subseries, Mrs. Williams and Family, contains a small collection
of family photographs. A small snapshot of Senator Williams
duck-hunting with his grandchildren in this subseries gives a
glimpse of his personal life.
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>IV. Personal</H3>
<A NAME=IVI><H4>I. Audio-visual materials</H4>
<UL>
<H5>A. Audio materials</H5>
<DL>
<DT>1955 - 1977 <BR> Box 146<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> 3 audio-discs, 10 reels of audio-tape, 19 Edison
Voicewriter recording discs (copied onto 4 reels of audio-tape);
all audio recordings transferred onto a total of 15
audiocasettes.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> Dated audio-tape recordings and audio-discs are in
chronological order, followed by undated recordings. Edison
voicewriter recordings, which have been removed from the office
files, are arranged in order parallel to the series files.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> The audio recordings in the collection include
speeches made by Senator Williams before political or civic
groups, and on radio programs. Several of the speeches repeat
themes (and jokes) that are outlined in the note cards in the
Speeches series. One of the recordings is from the memorial
ceremonies in the Rotunda of the Capitol for President Kennedy in
1963. The tape of tributes delivered at a dinner on the occasion
of Senator Williams's retirement in 1971 reflects the high regard
which was held by many for him. The statement by Governor
Peterson expresses Delaware's pride in their Senator, and Senate
Majority Leader Mike Mansfield's comments reflect the great
respect of Williams's colleagues for his skill, dedication, and
integrity.
<P>
Several of the recordings are copies of Edison voicewriter
discs, discs similar to tapes from office dictating machines.
These discs, originally filed in other series in the collection,
have been transferred to the audio materials and copied to reels.
The recordings have been maintained in order as they were removed
from the files.
<P>
<H5>B. Visual materials</H5>
<DL>
<DT>1959 - 1969 <BR> Box 147<BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> Five 16 mm films; all films are copied onto a total of
4 videotapes.
<P>
<STRONG>Arrangement:</STRONG> No significant order.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> The films in the collection include copies of
interviews recorded in the Senate Recording Studio in Washington,
and those conducted by CBS for "Face the Nation" and by Reader's
Digest. Also included is a short film of Senator Williams
receiving the Watchdog of the Treasury Award.
</UL>
<P>
<HR WIDTH=50%>
<H3>IV. Personal</H3>
<A NAME=IVJ><H4>J. Books</H4>
<DL>
<DT>1941 - 1970 <BR> Box 148 <BR>
</DL>
<P>
<STRONG>Contents:</STRONG> 1 folder, 16 volumes.
<P>
<STRONG>Description:</STRONG> The Williams papers originally included many books.
Several of these were added to the general library collection,
several were duplicates of publications available in the
government documents section of Morris Library, and several books
were transferred to the John and Elsie Williams Conference Center
in Millsboro. The remaining books are related in some way to the
contents of the papers.
<P>
The books in this series include miscellaneous titles of
monographs related to subjects that interested Senator Williams,
such as Bobby Baker or Lyndon Johnson; one book that refers to
Senator Williams's economic opinions; the Senator's joke book;
and Senate rules manuals and other government publications. A
folder in this series includes a list of books that were
transferred to the John and Elsie Williams Conference Center.
The title pages of these books, and pages with personal
inscriptions from the authors or friends who presented the books
to Williams, have been photocopied and are also included in the
folder. Among the interesting inscriptions is one in the cover
of a hardbound U.S. budget from Lyndon Johnson which reads, "To
my friend John Williams." Williams's differences with Johnson's
financial policies were well known and one can only guess at the
significance of this presentation.
<P>
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