Prince H. Preston, Jr. Papers, 1946-1961

Summary

Creator:
Preston, Prince H., Jr., 1908-1961.
Date:
1946-1961
Extent:
49 box(es) (24 linear feet)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Prince H. Preston, Jr. Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.

Background

Scope and content:

The Prince Preston Papers consist of correspondence, press releases, printed materials, news clippings, photographs, campaign memorabilia, sound recordings, and film from Preston's service as Representative from the First District of Georgia in the United States House. The years represented are 1946 to 1961, and the activities are political (local, state, and national). During his time in office, Preston was most proud of his work as chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce and Related Agencies in which he trimmed 750 million dollars from federal budgets over 5 years. While the files concerning legislative matters are chiefly from his last term in office (1959-1961), the campaign materials document Preston's complete political career in the House of Representatives. One film of interest that is available, however, is a previously classified film from the U.S. Energy Department, "Operation Ivy." Originally made for an exclusive audience of military and civilian officials with top-secret clearances, this film documents the November 1, 1952 testing of the Mike device -- the first thermonuclear or hydrogen bomb ever detonated -- on the island of Elugelab at Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

Biographical / historical:

Prince H. Preston was born on July 5, 1908 in Monroe, Georgia. He attended Statesboro public schools and graduated from the University of Georgia in 1930 with a LL.B. degree. After passing the bar, Preston practiced law in Statesboro. In 1935, he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives for Bulloch County and was re-elected in 1937.

In September 1942, Preston volunteered for the U.S. Army and entered as a private. He had risen to the rank of Captain when he was honorably discharged on October 13, 1945. After leaving the military, Preston was elected Judge of City Court of Statesboro in 1946. He never took this position, however, due to his election to the U.S. Congress as First District Representative. He was subsequently re-elected for the next six terms but he lost his seat in 1960 to Elliot Hagan. Despite receiving a majority of the popular vote, Preston did not receive enough county-unit votes to win.

While he was a member of Congress, Preston served on the House Appropriations Committee and was named chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce and Related Agencies in 1955, passing the budget requests for the Panama Canal, Saint Lawrence Seaway, and others. As head of the Subcommittee, Preston was especially proud of the fact that he was able to reduce the President's budget requests for the 15 agencies under the Subcommittee on Commerce and Related Agencies by 750 million dollars over five years. He was selected by presidential appointment twice to serve as a congressional advisor to UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization). He was interested in rivers and harbors and took an active role in the development of Savannah Harbor and the nine-mile channel connecting Savannah to Augusta. Preston worked to prohibit interstate shipment of slot machines, authoring the Johnson-Preston Law and also authored the Preston Venue Law which guarantees a citizen charged with violating Internal Revenue Laws the right to be tried before a jury of his peers rather than be forced to be tried in a distant court. He was also responsible for a bill that provided for the microfilming of government documents and made microfilm admissible in lieu of the original document as evidence in court. Preston was also, for one term from 1956 to 1958, Assistant Whip for the Democratic Majority.

Prince Preston died on February 2, 1961 in Savannah. He was survived by his wife, Myrtice Robinson Preston and their two daughters.

Processing information:

This collection was originally housed in the Hargrett Rare Books and Manuscript Library, where the papers were processed and organized. In 2000, alterations were made to the arrangement including the renaming of some series to provide a more clear description and the division and renaming of items at the folder level. Photographs, audiovisual materials, and artifacts were separated from the collection for their preservation.

Arrangement:

The Papers are divided into four series: I. Legislative (includes closed case mail and academy files), II. Political, III. Personal, and IV. Related Materials. Arrangement is chronological.

Access and use restrictions

Restrictions:

Case mail and academy files are closed.

Terms of access:

Library acts as "fair use" reproduction agent.

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 permission. 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.

Preferred citation:

Prince H. Preston, Jr. Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.