XV. General, 1935-1971

Extent:
333 box(es) (165.75 linear feet)
Scope and content:

During his thirty-eight years in the Senate, Russell received thousands of letters from Georgians and other citizens who revealed their concerns with issues of the day: agricultural policies, civil rights, communism, foreign policy, America's welfare, and any other contemporary hot topics. Most correspondence is with constituents, but congressional colleagues, government officials, representatives from special interest groups, and other American citizens are also represented.

The General series is composed mainly of correspondence and printed materials relating to federal agencies and departments. Arrangement is reverse chronological order, and within each year date, file headings are by agency or by subject and arranged alphabetically (see below for list of subjects). Because of the close relationship between the passage of legislation by the Congress and its implementation by the federal government, there is significant overlap between the General series and the Legislative series.

The standardized constituent responses, which are hand typed robos, reveal the operation of a senator's office before the use of word processors. In addition to correspondence, there are grant announcements, requests for publications, condolence messages, and letters of special interest to the Senator and his staff.

The Red Line File was designated by the office staff as a file for placing items that Senator Russell did not want lost. While it includes letters to save (used at the special request of Russell or at the discretion of staff as a means of easy retrieval), commemorative cachets, the Senator's requests for books, reference material, and condolence messages, the real value of the file is the notes and memos relating to high level meetings or presidential conversations. These notes were handwritten or dictated by Russell. For additional related files, see also the Exhibit B description.

Each folder in this series includes a two letter code that specifies the broad topic: AA. Accelerated Public Works; AB. Agriculture Department; AC. American Welfare; AD. American Legion; AE. Appalachia (Appalachian Regional Commission); AF. Appointments; AG. Atlanta Braves; AH. Atlanta Crash; AI. Atomic Energy Commission; AJ. Birth Certificates; AL. Bureau of the Budget; AM. Business; AN. Capitol Calendars; AO. Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB); AP. Civil Service Commission; AQ. Commerce Department; AR. Common Market; AS. Community Facilities Administration; AT. Congressional Record; AU. Court Matters; AV. Crime; AW. Defense Department; AX. Education for Freedom, Inc.; AY. Eighteen Year Old Voting; AZ. Electoral College; BA. Equal Employment Commission; BB. Federal Communications Commission; BC. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); BD. Federal Home Loan Bank Board; BE. Federal Maritime Administration (Commission); BF. Federal Power Commission; BG. Federal Reserve System; BH. Federal Trade Commission; BI. Flag; BJ. Football Tickets; BK. General Accounting Office (GAO); BL. General Services Administration (GSA); BM. Georgia, State of; BN. Gift Books; BO. Gold Reserve; BP. Government Contracts; BQ. Government Expenditures; BR. Great White Fleet; BS. Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW); BT. Hotel Reservations; BU. Housing and Urban Development (HUD); BV. Impeachment; BW. Inauguration Tickets and Inaugural; BX. Inflation; BY. Interior Department; BZ. Interstate Commerce Commission; CA. Jews; CB. Justice Department; CC. Labor Department; CD. Laboratories; CE. Libraries; CF. Library of Congress; CG. Liquor; CH. Magazines; CI. Mailing Lists; CJ. Memorials; CK. Miscellaneous; CL. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); CM. National Council of Churches; CN. National Foundation of Arts and Humanities; CO. National Science Foundation; CP. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); CQ. Oceanography; CR. Office of Economic Opportunity; CS. Office Matters; CT. Office Visits; CU. Panama Canal; CV. Passes; CW. Pollution; CX. Postal Matters; CY. Prayer; CZ. Price Control Matters; DA. Propaganda; DB. Railroad; DC. Reapportionment; DE. Requests; DF. Riots; DG. Scholarships; DH. Securities and Exchange Administration; DI. Senate Youth Program; DJ. Senator's F File; DK. Senior Classes; DL. Small Business Administration; DN. State Department; DO. Strikes; DP; Supreme Court; DQ. Surplus Property; DR. Tariff Matters; DS. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA); DT. Textiles; DU. Tours; DV. Trade; DW. Transportation Department; DX. Treasury Department; DY. Unanswered Mail; DZ. Veterans Hospital; EA. Warm Springs Foundation; EB. World's Fair; EC. Grants; ED. Robos; EE. Red Line Files.

Contents

Access and use restrictions

Parent restrictions:
Case mail, cross-reference copies, and military academies are closed. Additional files are restricted throughout the collection, as noted in the container listing.
Parent terms of access:
Before material from collections at the Richard B. Russell Library may be quoted in print, or otherwise reproduced, in whole or in part, in any publication, permission must be obtained from (1) the owner of the physical property, and (2) the holder of the copyright. It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain both sets of permissions. Persons wishing to quote from materials in the Russell Library collection should consult the Director. Reproduction of any item must contain a complete citation to the original.