John Leonard Pilcher Papers, Series II: Meigs Office

John Leonard Pilcher Papers, Series II: Meigs Office

Descriptive Summary

Title: John Leonard Pilcher Papers, Series II: Meigs Office
Creator: Pilcher, John Leonard, 1898-1981.
Inclusive Dates: 1960-1964
Language(s): English
Extent: 4 box(es) (2 linear feet)
Collection Number: RBRL131JLP_II
Repository: Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies
Abstract: This series consists of correspondence (primarily with constituents), notes, and printed material sent to or handled by Pilcher's office in his hometown of Meigs, Georgia . Included in this series are such topics as Agriculture, the Democratic National Convention, and the 1960 Kennedy-Johnson Presidential Campaign and Election. Items of interest contained within the files include: Letters from John W. McCormack (Speaker of the House of Representatives), J. Edgar Hoover (Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation), Harry Truman (U.S. Presi­dent, 1945-1953), and Robert Kennedy (Attorney General and brother of President John F. Kennedy); transcripts of the Kennedy vs. Nixon Broadcasts, 1960; Foreign Affairs Committee notes; correspondence on impending legislation; and information pertaining to the Flint River channelization, urban renewal, housing development, military schools and service, veterans administration, and Internal Revenue Service data processing in Georgia.

Collection Description

Biographical Note

John Leonard Pilcher was born in a two-room log cabin near Meigs, Georgia on August 27, 1898. Although Pilcher's father died when he was five, and Pilcher had to support his mother and two young sisters, he completed seven grades of public school and graduated from Massey Business College. In 1922, he married Dorothy Covington of Moultrie, Georgia. They had two sons: John Leonard, Jr., who in 1946, at the age of seventeen, was killed in a plane crash while serving as an ROTC air cadet at the University of Georgia; and Charles, who handled the family business while his father was in Washington.

Pilcher started working at the age of fifteen, and by the time he was twenty he was operating a small business. Involved in agricultural pursuits most of his life, Pilcher not only owned a farm, but expanded his holdings to include a general mercantile business, a fertilizer manufacturing plant, feed mill, corn elevator, cotton gins and warehouses, and a syrup canning plant. He was involved in many business organizations, such as the National Cotton Council and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and served as the director of the Thomas County PEA (production and marketing). He also became president of the Bank of Meigs, Georgia.

At the age of twenty--one, Pilcher was elected mayor of Meigs. During the years 1921 through 1940, he also served as a councilman and a public school trustee. In 1940, he was elected to represent the Seventh District in the Georgia State Senate. After his term expired in 1943, he returned to Meigs and was elected to the post of county commissioner of roads and revenue for Thomas County, a position he held from 1943 to 1947. During this same period he also served as a member of the Agricultural and Industrial Board for the county (1944-1948). From 1948 to 1949, Pilcher was the Supervisor of Purchases for the state of Georgia, serving under Governors Thompson and Arnall. In 1953, Edward Eugene Cox, the congressman representing the Second District, died and a special election was held to fill his seat. In spite of a large field of candidates and his late entrance into the race for the position, Pilcher won the seat in a hardworking campaign by a 2,000 vote margin over his nearest competitor.

Pilcher was a member of Congress from February 4, 1953 to January 3, 1965. He started on the House Committee on Government Operations, serving on the committee from 1953 to 1954. After an attempt to gain a seat on the House Agriculture Committee failed, he accepted a seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee where he served from 1955 to 1964. He was a member of the Subcommittee on the Far East and the Pacific and became chairman of the Subcommittee on Foreign Economic Policy. Twice, in 1959 and 1961, Pilcher went abroad with other members of the subcommittee on Special Study Missions to oversee U.S. economic and technical assistance programs.

Pilcher did not run for reelection in 1964. Instead, he retired from his congressional career and took the post of Southeastern Regional Director of the Office of Emergency Planning. Pilcher died on August 20, 1981, at the age of 82.

Scope and Content

This series consists of correspondence (primarily with constituents), notes, and printed material sent to or handled by Pilcher's office in his hometown of Meigs, Georgia. A few subject files contain notes that cross-index individual files. Restricted materials have been removed from this series. Included in this series are such topics as Agriculture, the Democratic National Convention, and the 1960 Kennedy-Johnson Presidential Campaign and Election. Items of interest contained within the files include: Letters from John W. McCormack (Speaker of the House of Representatives), J. Edgar Hoover (Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation), Harry Truman (U.S. Presi­dent, 1945-1953), and Robert Kennedy (Attorney General and brother of President John F. Kennedy); transcripts of the Kennedy vs. Nixon Broadcasts, 1960; For­eign Affairs Committee notes; correspondence on impending legislation; and in­formation pertaining to the Flint River channelization, urban renewal, housing development, military schools and service, veterans administration, and Internal Revenue Service data processing in Georgia.

Organization and Arrangement

The papers are organized into two chronological groups (1960-1964, 1960-1961) the files are arranged alphabetically by individual or corporate name, or by the subject contained, e.g., "Congressmen's Letters".


Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

VII. Academies and VIII. Case Files are closed. Restricted files have been removed from II. Meigs Office, III. Miscellaneous File, and VI. Post Office and are housed separately from the rest of the collection.

Preferred Citation

John Leonard Pilcher Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia 30602-1641

Processing Notes

Scrapbooks, photographs, and artifacts were physically separated from the papers for preservation. Photographs were removed from scrapbooks wherever possible and replaced with Xerox copies.

User Restrictions

Library acts as "fair use" reproduction agent.

Copyright Information

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.

Finding Aid Publication

Finding aid prepared on: September 2008.


Related Materials and Subjects

Subject Terms

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Series Descriptions and Folder Listing

 

II. Meigs Office

4 box(es)
(2 linear feet)
This series consists of correspondence (primarily with constituents), notes, and printed material sent to or handled by Pilcher's office in his hometown of Meigs , Georgia . Within two chronological groups (1960-1964, 1960-1961) the files are arranged alphabetically by individual or corporate name, or by the subject contained, e.g., "Congressmen's Letters". A few subject files contain notes that cross-index individual files. Restricted materials have been removed from this series. Included in this series are such topics as Agriculture, the Democratic National Convention, and the 1960 Kennedy-Johnson Presidential Campaign and Election. Items of interest contained within the files include: Letters from John W. McCormack (Speaker of the House of Representatives), J. Edgar Hoover (Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation), Harry Truman (U.S. Presi­dent, 1945-1953), and Robert Kennedy (Attorney General and brother of President John F. Kennedy); transcripts of the Kennedy vs. Nixon Broadcasts, 1960; For­eign Affairs Committee notes; correspondence on impending legislation; and in­formation pertaining to the Flint River channelization, urban renewal, housing development, military schools and service, veterans administration, and Internal Revenue Service data processing in Georgia.
boxfolder
II.1 1Academies, 1962
II.1 2Adams, Harmon, 1961
II.1 3Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation, 1961
II.1 4Air Force Academies, 1958-1962
II.1 5John Tucker Jr. (Empty), undated
II.1 6Albany Post Office, 1962
II.1 7Aldridge, David, 1960-1951
II.1 8Appointments, 1961
II.1 9Bass, Julius, 1961
II.1 10Bray, Henry, 1951
II.1 11Byrd, Rosalee E., 1962-1963
II.1 12Caley, Mrs. G.R., 1951
II.1 13Clark, Robert, 1951
II.1 14Congressmens' Letters, 1962
II.1 15Cooper, Theron W., 1951
II.1 16Davis, George, 1951
II.1 17Department of Defense, 1956 and undated
II.1 18Resumes, n.d.
II.1 19Dickson, Fred J., 1951-1962
II.1 20Dollar, James F., 1961
II.1 21Flint River Dams, 1962
II.1 22Foreign Affairs-Washington, 1961
II.1 23Frierson, Wallace M., 1963
II.1 24Garstin, Mrs. Nancy Robert, n.d.
II.1 25Hall, Seaborn A., 1950
II.1 26Hardy, W.M., 1961
II.1 27Hilley, James E., 1952
II.1 28Hurst, Norma Mae, 1961
II.1 29Invitations, 1952
II.1 30Johns, George, 1962
II.1 31Joines, Vela, 1961
II.1 32Kennedy, C.H., 1961
II.1 33Keyton, Peyton, 1961
II.1 34King, Harris, 1961
II.1 35Kirbo, W.W., 1962
II.1 36Lane, Dr. George M., 1961
II.1 37Langford, J.J., 1961
II.1 38Layton, Lloyd C., 1963
II.1 39Legislation, Disarmament, 1951
II.1 40Legislation, Minimum Wage, 1962
II.1 41Legislation, Reserves, 1961
II.1 42Legislation, Tax Revision, 1962
II.1 43Letters to high school graduates, n.d.
II.1 44Lewis, Logan, 1961
II.1 45Little, Mayo, 1961-1962
II.1 46Mandus, Captain Ralph H., 1961
II.1 47Meigs School, 1961
II.1 48Mercer, Frederick V., 1961
II.1 49Miller, Charles W., 1961
II.1 50Mobley, Jerry E., 1961
II.1 51Morey, J.C., 1961
II.1 52Moultrie Post Office (empty), undated
II.1 53Murrah, Robert H., 1961
II.1 54McCorvey, Homer J., 1963
II.1 55McCraw, Castoria, 1946, 1961-1962
II.1 56McGuffey, Logan H., 1961
II.1 57McKinney, Genevieve M., 1961
II.1 58McPhaul, Evelyn B., 1961
II.1 59Neel, Dr. Julian, 1961
II.1 60Palmer, Willis L., 1961
II.1 61Patrick, Charley, 1961
II.1 62Phillips, Harvey Thomas, 1961
II.1 63Pilcher Appreciation Day, 1961
II.1 64Pilcher, Elizabeth, 1961
II.1 65Pilcher, J.L., 1961-1962
II.1 66Political Letters, 1962
II.1 67Post Office, Albany, 1962
II.1 68Post Office, Bainbridge, 1962
II.1 69Post Office, Barney, 1962
II.1 70Post Office, Cairo, 1962
II.1 71Post Office, Morgan, 1962
II.1 72Recommendations, 1962
II.1 73Recommendations, 1963
II.1 74Sasser, Winston, 1961
II.1 75Scott, Albert, 1961
II.1 76Senator Russell and Congressman Vinson, 1961
II.1 77Sizemore, Eddie, 1961
II.1 78Smith, Inez, 1961
II.1 79Smith, Mrs. Tom, 1961
II.1 80Strickland, Mrs. J.L., 1961
boxfolder
II.2 1Telegrams, 1961
II.2 2Telegrams, 1962
II.2 3Thomas, Mrs. Bonnie, 1961
II.2 4Thomasville, 1961
II.2 5U.S. Pardon and Parole Board, 1962
II.2 6Vinson, Wiley S., 1961
II.2 7Washington Office, 1962-1964
II.2 8Washington Office, 1962-1964, Copies 1961, 1961
II.2 9Weaver, Marvin B., 1961
II.2 10Weston, James Alexis, 1961
II.2 11Willis, Mrs. Gladys, 1961
II.2 12Wilson, Lewis, 1961
II.2 13Wyche, Harry, 1962
II.2 14General Office Inform, undated
II.2 15Miscellaneous, 1962, 1964
II.2 16Agriculture Department and Home Economics, University of Georgia, 1960
II.2 17Applications of Jobs, 1961
II.2 18Appointments-Meigs, 1960
II.2 19Bagley, Leo, 1961
II.2 20Belcher, G. L., 1961
II.2 21Brinson, Wendell, 1961
II.2 22Bryan, Mrs. Patty, 1961
II.2 23Check List, 1952, 1958
II.2 24Clark, Chet, 1960
II.2 25Clippings re: 1960 Presidential Election, 1960
II.2 26Coats and Clark, Inc., 1960
II.2 27Cochran, Ed, 1960
II.2 28Collier, Henry M., 1960
II.2 29Collins, Mrs. Frances, 1961
II.2 30Congressional Record, 1960
II.2 31Congressmen-Letters, 1961
II.2 32Cullens, W. F., 1960
II.2 33Custer, Vance, 1961
II.2 34Customs of Ports-Letters, 1960
II.2 35Darby, Miss Ruby, 1960
II.2 36Dawes, Ed, 1960
II.2 37Debvoise, Paul, 1960
II.2 38Dean, Roscoe, 1961
II.2 39Democratic Digest, 1960
II.2 40Democratic Information, September-November 1960
II.2 41Democratic Information, June-September 1960
boxfolder
II.3 1Demonstration Agent, 1960
II.3 2Department of Agriculture, 1961
II.3 3Department of Agriculture, U.S. Tariff Commission, 1960
II.3 4Ellis, John W., 1961
II.3 5Engineers, 1961
II.3 6Etheridge, Joe empty, undated
II.3 7Farmers Bank of Pelham, 1960
II.3 8FHA empty, undated
II.3 9Fletcher, Nancy, 1960
II.3 10Flint River, empty
II.3 11Foreign Affairs Committee, 1960
II.3 12Foreign Aid, 1959-1960
II.3 13Forrester, Jon. E. L., 1960
II.3 14Fort, Mrs. Martha, 1959
II.3 15Georgia Farm Bureau, 1960
II.3 16Georgia State College of Business Administration, 1960
II.3 17Godwin, R. L., 1960
II.3 18Hall, Seaborn Anderson, 1960
II.3 19High School Association, 1960
II.3 20Holland, J. S., 1960
II.3 21Holton, W. C. empty, undated
II.3 22Housing for the Elderly, 1960
II.3 23Howard, Bevo, 1959-1960
II.3 24Howze, Claude S., 1961
II.3 25Invitations, 1961
II.3 26Johnston, George, 1961
II.3 27Joines, Vela, 1961
II.3 28Jordan, George C., 1961
II.3 29Lambert, Harold, 1961
II.3 30Legislation, 1961
II.3 31Legislation, 1961, Labor, 1960
II.3 32Moss, Charles T., 1961
II.3 33Musgrove, Downing, 1960
II.3 34Myllymaki, Mrs. Jane, 1960
II.3 35McCorkel, Kenneth G., 1960
II.3 36Office, 1960
II.3 37Pay Raise Letters, 1960
II.3 38Peavy, Miss Evelyn, 1960
II.3 39Phelps, Dr. A.D., 1961
II.3 40Phillips, Austin P., 1961
II.3 41Pilcher, Charles, 1957-1961
II.3 42Pilcher, J.L.—Apointments, 1960-1961
II.3 43Pilcher, J.L.—Personal, 1960-1961
II.3 44Pilcher, Mrs. J.L., 1960-1961
II.3 45Pittman, Dr. G.S., 1961
II.3 45Political Letters—Presidential Election of 1960, 1960
II.3 46Postal Employees—Thomasville, 1960
II.3 47REA—Cairo, GA, 1961
II.3 48Rivers and Harbors, 1960
II.3 49Rogers, Carl T., 1960
II.3 50Ross, William, n.d.
II.3 51Rotary Club, Pelham, GA, 1960-1961
boxfolder
II.4 1Sauls, W. Theron, 1961
II.4 2School, Meigs, 1961
II.4 3Sealy, J.R., 1960
II.4 4Small Business, 1958-1960
II.4 5Smith, Agnew, 1961
II.4 6Smith, Edwin T., 1961
II.4 7Smith, Mrs. Mary S., 1961
II.4 8Smith, Taxi, 1960
II.4 9Snipes, H.G., 1960
II.4 10South Georgia Grocery Company, 1960
II.4 11Southern Bell, 1961
II.4 12Speech Material, 1959-1960
II.4 13Spengler, R., 1959
II.4 14Stamps, 1960-1961
II.4 15State Pardon and Parole Board, 1960
II.4 16Supreme Court Cases, 1960-1961
II.4 17Tate, Mr. Max W., 1960
II.4 18Taylor, Otis J., 1960
II.4 19Telegrams, 1960-1961
II.4 20Timmons, Marvin, 1960
II.4 21Travel Regulations, 1960
II.4 22Truluck, Joe M., 1960
II.4 23Truman, Harry, 1960
II.4 24Turner Air Force Base-Albany, GA, 1961
II.4 25Vernon, Lester B., 1960
II.4 26Veterans Administration, 1960
II.4 27Walters, Bennie, 1960
II.4 28Warner Robins Air Material, 1960
II.4 29-31 Washington Office, Folders I-III, 1960
II.4 32Copies 1955-1957, 1960-1961, 1955-1957, 1960-1961
II.4 33Webb, Julian, 1960
II.4 34Wetherbee, Ernest, 1960
II.4 35White, Edward S., 1960
II.4 36Williamson, Dr. Norman F., 1960
II.4 37Wilson, Teresa T., 1961
II.4 38Yandle, Curtis R., 1960
II.4 39Yearbook, 1950-1961

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