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About the Congressional Archives |
The Congressional Archives at the Carl Albert
Center, University of Oklahoma, contains
the papers of over 50 former members of Congress,
plus those of congressional staff, scholars, and journalists. Most are open to research, although some recent acquisitions are closed except by special permission from the donor. The centerpiece
of these collections is the papers of Carl Albert,
former Speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives. Other prominent
collections include those of Helen Gahagan Douglas, Fred Harris, and Robert S. Kerr,
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The Congressional Archives collections range in time from the Civil War era to the present, but the
substantial portion of the holdings document the period from the 1930s
through the 1970s. In addition to manuscript collections, the Congressional Archives also holds
over 20,000 photographic images, numerous maps,
and several audiovisual pieces.
These collections certainly provide information about the history of Congress, congressional leadership, national and Oklahoma politics, and election
campaigns. However, these materials are also a rich source for the study of public policy affecting agriculture, Native Americans, energy,
foreign affairs, the environment, and the economy. Other topics widely documented include the Great Depression, flood
control, soil conservation, and Oklahoma and U.S. history. The variety of material in these collections provides a surprising multitude of subjects beyond those mentioned here. |
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The holdings
of the Congressional Archives have been used for several notable scholarly
and popular works. Among them are Center Stage: Helen Gahagan Douglas, A Life by
Ingrid Scobie and Palimpsest: A Memoir by Gore Vidal. The PBS show The
American Experience, the A&E program Biography, and the
film Nixon have also drawn upon photographs and documents held by
the archives. |
The Congressional Archives serves researchers on the University of
Oklahoma campus and throughout the world. Our facilities include a
quiet reading room, photocopy service, digital scanning and reproduction, and a re-creation of Speaker Albert's
office. Researchers visiting in person are encouraged
to make an appointment, though reference requests are also accepted by telephone, mail, or e-mail. In addition, a Visiting Scholars Program provides travel support to
certain scholars requiring direct physical access to the Center's holdings. |
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