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State of Tennessee Department of State Tennessee State Library and Archives 403 Seventh Avenue North Nashville, Tennessee 37243-0312 SENATOR HARLAN MATHEWS PAPERS 1993-1994 Processed by: Gregory G. Poole & Theodore Morrison Archives Technical Services Accession Number: 1996-031 Microfilm Number: 1696 Date Completed: December 12, 2002 MICROFILMED INTRODUCTION Harlan Mathews (born 1927) served as the United States Senator from Tennessee during the years 1993 through 1994. Appointed by Governor Ned McWherter, Mathews completed the term of Al Gore, who was elected Vice President of the United States. The Harlan Mathews Papers, spanning the years 1992-1994, represent an official record of his tenure in office. The collection was presented to the Tennessee State Library and Archives upon Mathews' retirement 1996. The collection upon arrival was found to be in good condition and reflected the order of his various senatorial offices throughout the state. The Harlan Mathews Papers consists of 333 boxes, containing approximately 166 cubic feet of material. Very few items were removed from the collection except routine duplicate items. The collection was arranged into several different series in accordance with original order. This order should provide the researcher with easy access to the vast amount of material. The series include: correspondence; invitations; files of the legislative offices; administrative office files; press office, recommendations, and audio/visual materials. The Harlan Mathews Papers are a major addition to the holding of the Tennessee State Library and Archives. The papers represent the culmination of the lifework of a man who spent many years in state and national politics, and are a rich legacy for the student of national and state politics in the late 20th century. SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE Harlan Mathews (born 1927) was United States Senator from Tennessee for two years, 1993 through 1994. The Harlan Mathews Papers represent an official record of Mathews' tenure in office. Totaling over 166 cubic feet, the collection has been arranged into seven series: Correspondence, Invitations, Legislative Office files, Office Files, Press Office, Recommendations and Audio/Visual materials. Constituent correspondence comprises almost half of the collection. The constituent correspondence is arranged according to issues and reflects the concerns of Tennesseans and non-Tennesseans of the mid-1990s. The processor retained the folder label titles that originated in the Senator's office. The processor arranged the correspondence within each folder in chronological order. The constituent correspondence is a barometer gauging the issues predominant during President Bill Clinton's first administration. Important issues contained in the correspondence include: abortion rights and pro-choice, including the Freedom of Choice Act, which was proposed by the 103rd Congress in 1993 to protect the reproductive rights or women; controversy over the balanced budget; crime legislation; Clinton's economic reforms; education reform; the Joycelyn Elders' nomination for United States Surgeon General; the Senator Robert Packwood Affair, who was charged with altering his diaries to obstruct an investigation into sexual and official misconduct; environmental issues; foreign affairs, including the Middle East and Bosnia; gays in the military; gay rights; trade policies, including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); gun control; Clinton's health care plan; and other miscellaneous issues. The Senator's office issued form letters to answer the majority of the constituent correspondence. When constituents wrote the Senator concerning many issues, the processor grouped this correspondence into multi-issue correspondence. The issues discussed are the same as in the general constituent correspondence, such as abortion and gun control. Occasionally a constituent would express an opinion on 4 or 5 issues in one letter. This correspondence is arranged chronologically. The smallest portion of the correspondence is the personal correspondence. The personal correspondence is composed of primarily thank you notes and letters of congratulation. There are several photocopied letters from President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore and other state and national political leaders. A large portion of the collection is composed of various office files. Senator Mathews, apart from his Washington D.C. office, kept field offices in the three grand divisions of the state. Each office was headed by a staff member, and was comprised of a few staffers to answer incoming correspondence and telephone calls. In keeping with the original order, the processor arranged the files in the following series: Legislative Office files; Administrative Office files; and Press Office files. In each series, the issue or legislative files are arranged by subject according the staff member responsible for that particular issue, for instance, Erin Day's office, Jess Hale's office, Sean McDonough's office or W. Jayson Hill's office. A chart of the structure of Senator Mathews' is included in the finding aid. In Mathew's short term in office, he served on four important committees: Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Energy and Natural Resources; Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee; and the Rules and Administration Committee. The Legislative and Administration Office files are concerned with issues concerning the Senator's committee work. The legislative, administrative and issue files are arranged in alphabetical order and may include some correspondence, handwritten notes, clippings, reports, audits, state and federal documents, pamphlets and other materials. Important topics and issues found in the files include: abortion, health care reform, foreign relations, the budget, environmental concerns, crime, education and other concerns. The Administrative Office files are composed of documents used in the daily activity of operating the office, such as form letters, casework files, grant applications, Mathews' voting record and staff project reports. The Press Office was in charge of press coverage, interviews, and research into the major issues of the day. Included in the Press Office files are newsletters and newspaper clippings arranged according to subject. The Audio/Visual material includes speeches, appearances and interviews with Senator Mathews. The videocassettes and tapes are currently stored in the vault. The computer discs, which contain form letters and mailing lists, are currently not accessible with Tennessee State Library and Archive computer equipment. The short time that Mathews' served in the United States Senate was the culmination of a successful career in public service. Appointed to serve a specific time, and then retire, he filled the "caretaker" role ably and efficiently. The Harlan Mathews Papers are important in that they provide a social and political view of the state and National arena during the latter part of the 20th Century. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Harlan Mathews Harlan Mathews was born January 17, 1927, in Alabama, and educated in the local public schools. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business from Jacksonville State College in Alabama and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Vanderbilt University. He received a law degree from the Nashville School of Law in 1962. A United States Navy veteran of World War II, Mathews began his career in Tennessee state government in 1950 as a member of the planning staff of Governor Gordon Browning. He was named to the budget staff of Governor Frank Clement in 1954, and rose to the post of Commissioner of the Department of Finance and Administration in 1961. He served as Commissioner under Clement and Governor Buford Ellington for 10 years, the longest tenure of any commissioner of that department to date. Mathews left state government briefly in 1971 to work as senior vice president of multi-family housing development for Amcon International Incorporated of Memphis. He returned to Nashville in 1973 to become legislative assistant to state Comptroller William Snodgrass. In 1974, Mathews was elected state Treasurer by members of the Tennessee General Assembly and served in that position until January, 1987, when he joined the staff of Governor Ned McWherter. His 13 years as Treasurer made Mathews the longest holder of that office in Tennessee history. He held the post of Deputy to the Governor, serving as secretary of the Cabinet, until January 2, 1993, when he became a member of the United States Senate. McWherter appointed Mathews to serve until November 8, 1994, when Tennessee voters elected Fred Thompson to complete the final two years of a term vacated by Vice President Al Gore. During his tenure in the United States Senate, Mathews served on the Foreign Relations Committee, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the Committee on Rules and Administration and the Joint Committee on Printing. SERIES INDEX Series Number Box Numbers I Correspondence 1-163 II Invitations 164-165 III Legislative Office 166-229 IV Office Files (Administrative) 230-254 V Press Office 255-330 VI Recommendations 331-333 VII Audio/Visual Materials 334-337 (In vault) Series I: Correspondence Microfilm Roll #1________________________________________________________ Box 1 1. Correspondence--Constituent, A to Z Spending Cut Plans, 1994 2. Correspondence--Constituent, Abortion, 1993 3. Correspondence--Constituent,

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