Sub-Series I: Speech Files,, 1960-1981.
Dates
- 1960-1981.
Scope and Contents
Speech Files include what appear to be the centralized files of speeches maintained within HAW's office. The sub-series encompasses not only those remarks delivered before assorted audiences in New Jersey and around the country, but also remarks on the Senate floor, opening remarks and testimony before committees, remarks made along the campaign trail, and occasional press conferences. The sub-series also includes speeches that were never delivered, not delivered in person (e.g., by telephone), or delivered by HAW staff on his behalf or in his stead. For some speeches, contextual documents such as reference material or correspondence is included in the file. Speech Files range almost the entire length of HAW's Senate career, however, they do not appear comprehensive as there are noticeable gaps for some years, notably 1960, 1962, and 1964.
Speech Files is useful for providing insight into HAW's perspective on many matters of contemporary public interest, especially those related to his legislative priorities. Ranging over twenty years, the specific legislative matters and the emphasis on them varies, but several topics are well-represented. These include:
· labor legislation, such as occupational safety and health, mine safety, migratory labor, bargaining rights, minimum wages, common situs picketing, unemployment and public works jobs, and pension plan reform;
· civil rights, such as the legislative efforts of the early 1960s, equal employment opportunities, and sex discrimination as it related to pregnancy disability (1977);
· education, such as the role of community colleges, Federal funding of education, importance of teachers, and access of the disabled to public schools;
· metropolitan affairs, such as mass transportation, open space, and housing;
· securities, such as the increasing involvement of commercial banks in the securities markets, brokerage commission rates, transaction executions, investor protections, and the regulatory role of government;
· health care, such as support for early detection and treatment of health problems, alternative delivery systems (e.g., health maintenance organizations, or HMOs), expansion of chiropractic, optometric, mental health, alcoholism/drug addiction treatment, and other health services;
· elderly programs, such as Social Security and congregate housing;
· politics and general national assessments, such as critiques of Presidential administration policies; observations on local New Jersey and national campaigns; statements of Democratic legislative objectives; in the 1970s, acknowledgements of dissatisfaction and disillusionment of the public with Congress and the government, and campaign speeches.
There is less material overall concerning foreign affairs, but there is particular strength concerning US relations with Israel and the situation in the Middle East generally, as well as the condition of Jews in the Soviet Union, and the plight of Vietnamese orphans. Some of HAW's 1981 speeches also include extended remarks about Abscam.
Language of Materials
Undetermined .
Physical Description
(19.25 cubic feet)
Arrangement
The overarching original order of the files was chronological, and Speech Files retains this arrangement. However, there are inconsistencies in this arrangement for the 1960s material. Speeches from the mid to late 1960s were found by the archivist in bundled stacks, generally in what appeared to be microfilm frame order. The microfilm frame order within each stack was kept, although they followed chronological order only loosely, and in some cases not at all. The only disruption to microfilm frame order, besides unaccountable gaps, was the case of repeat copies of speeches found separated, in which case all copies were foldered together by the archivist.
For speeches through 1972 (most of which had no original folder descriptions), the folder description assigned by the archivist generally used the dominant item of information from the speech cover page. That was the speech's indicated title or subject, or the audience when a title or subject was not present. For 1973 and thereafter, original folders were retained and the folder descriptions reflect those.
Appraisal and Discard Information
Many of the speech folders contained several copies of the speech; generally, no more than two or three copies were retained by the archivist. Those few speeches that were substantially damaged in some way or had only a Thermofax copy in the file were photocopied and the original was discarded. Otherwise, all speeches and contextual documents were retained.
For most years from 1973 forward, the original speech folders were retained when their condition permitted. Prior to 1973, the speeches were found mostly in unfoldered piles or were in folders of a condition that did not permit retention.
General
Index Terms
For instances in which a speech title or subject was used as the folder description, the audience and geographic location of where the speech was given were used as index terms. For instances in which audience was used as the folder description, the subject(s) was determined by the archivist and used as an index term(s), unless the name of the audience already indicated the subject matter sufficiently. Index terms were also used to indicate other useful features of the particular speech folder.
Part of the New Brunswick Special Collections Repository