John C. Stennis papers, Series 050: Politics

This series contains material related to national, state, and local political campaigns and operations. including correspondence, public papers, voting results, oversized materials, and county visits, among others. Materials are arranged chronologically, with dates ranging from 1947-1983.

The Individual Correspondence Sub-Series is compiled form files previously coded as “political files” and “special friends.” Because of the similarity of the two groups, they have been inter-filed and arranged alphabetically. The “special friends” code designated files of individuals who have been and are supporters of Senator Stennis.

The correspondence covers a wide range of topics, mostly, though not entirely, of a political nature. In the 1960's, much of the correspondence that in the past had been filed in these two classifications began to be transferred to other, more specific categories.

The Mississippi Politics, National Politics, and Stennis Campaigns Sub-Series contain general information on political activities and elections from 1947-1980. Due to the brevity and inter-relationship of the three sub-series, a common index has been compiled. All three sub-series are comprised primarily of correspondence. However, they also include speeches, party platforms, election returns, and campaign materials.

Mississippi Politics includes material composed of general correspondence, correspondence regarding Lions Club elections, Mississippi patronage, and the Democratic Party. Also included is material regarding Mississippi campaigns, elections, and election results from 1955-1971. National Politics is composed of general correspondence, correspondence, correspondence about the John F. Kennedy and the Lyndon B. Johnson Administrations, and the 1960 Presidential Election. Other items include correspondence, speeches, and material about the following: Democratic and Republican platforms (1932-1965 and 1976), election statistics, national elections, the Mississippi Democratic delegation, Mississippi presidential election returns, national Democratic delegation, Mississippi presidential election returns, national Democratic Party conventions (1952-1972), presidential campaigns and elections (1960-1972), presidential campaigns and elections (1960-1976), presidential electors and Congressional election results, and presidential inaugurations. The sub-series also contains newsletters, compiled data, and correspondence regarding farm policy (1960, 1966); material on House of Representatives determined presidential elections; independent electors group (1960); John F. Kennedy’s State of the Union Message; legislative activity indexes (1973-19740; political file duplicates (1960-newsletters, articles, correspondence regarding elections and general national politics); political correspondence regarding elections and general national politics); political paragraphs concerning Stennis support of the national Democratic Party in 1960; Stennis political statements (1950's); and the voting record of Congressional members in 1967.

Stennis Campaigns is comprised of general correspondence, memorandums, election returns, drafts of Stennis statements, and lists of people to contact.

The 1976 Campaign Sub-Series contains information concerning John C. Stennis’ campaign for the United States in 1976. The collection is comprised primarily of correspondence and materials regarding the campaign. These materials range in date from 1974-1977.

The Sub-Series made up of the following record groups: Correspondence, Campaign Operations, Public Papers, Stennis Opponents, and Voting Results.

Correspondence is comprised of letters and memorandums from 1974-1977. This correspondence is primarily general, but it also contains information concerning campaign contributions and federal election requirements.

Campaign Operations includes correspondence and lists of key people of the 82 counties in Mississippi. Files are arranged alphabetically by county. In addition to the county files are files of biographical information, campaign business, donations, staff information relating to campaign planning, campaign material, county lists of people to contact, names and address of newspaper editor, staff file (contains general background information for possible issues and material for campaign use), statements of endorsement, and telephone campaign material (includes lists of key people that Stennis and his staff workers were to call or had called).

Stennis Opponents files contain copies of campaign material and memorandums about Henry J. Kirksey, E. Michael Marks, and Richard Thompson.

Voting Results records are a compilation of voter returns from each county for the June 1, 1976 Democratic Primary.

The 1982 Campaign Sub-Series contains information concerning John C. Stennis’ campaign for re-election to the United States Senate. The collection is comprised primarily of correspondence and materials regarding the campaign. The Sub-Series is made up of the following record groups: Correspondence, Campaign Operations, Media, Public Papers, Republicans, Voting Results, Miscellaneous, and Oversize Material. Correspondence is comprised of general correspondence; individual correspondence of Joe Blunt, Rex Buffington, Paul V. Lacoste, General Louis H. Wilson; general memorandums; individual memorandums of Joe Blount and Rex Buffington; telephone messages; and individual telephone messages of Joe Blount and Rex Buffington. Most of this correspondence concerns campaign planning and financial contributions. Campaign Operations includes campaign advertisements, campaign budget, campaign business records, campaign calendar of engagements, campaign contributors and contributions, campaign forms for issue questions, Democratic campaign material, samples of Stennis campaign material, campaign planning material, county population information, form letters, endorsements for Stennis, lists of people to contact mailing lists for districts 1-5, maps of the various districts, photographs, polls, resumes of potential campaign workers, staff information (contains general background information for possible issues, background material for possible issues and campaign literature), Stennis Committee (a list of its members), and telephone campaign material (includes lists of key people that Stennis and his staff workers were to call of had called). Media is made up of letters to editors regarding the campaign, area coverage of the Mississippi news networks, NBC News reports, and names and addresses of newspaper editors.

Public Papers include press releases, press reports, programs from speaking appearances, proposed statements, public statements, speech notes/issues, speech outlines, speeches, and the Stennis Fact Book (contains brief accounts of various information for possible use in speeches or campaign issues).

Republican files include correspondence, campaign material, and endorsements of Haley Barbour. It also includes general Republican correspondence and campaign material.

Voting Results is comprised of voter returns and county quotas for various counties. Miscellaneous contains greeting cards and tributes to Stennis.

Oversize Material includes posters or photographs of Stennis campaigning, sample ballots for the November 2, 1982 election, a map of Mississippi by Senate districts, a laminated newspaper article on the campaign, a draft of a Stennis campaign poster, and Stennis campaign posters.