Mississippi State University Libraries Congressional and Political Research Center P.O. Box 5408, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5408 Phone: (662) 325–7663 E-mail: [email protected] Russell C. Davis papers CPRC.141 Dates: 1952-1977 Extent: 101 cubic feet Preferred Citation: Russell C. Davis papers, Congressional and Political Research Center, Mississippi State University Libraries. Access: Open to all researchers. Copyright Statement: Any requests for permission to publish, quote, or reproduce materials from this collection must be submitted in writing to the Manuscripts Librarian for Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Mississippi State University as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained. Donor: Russell C. Davis. Scope and Contents Correspondence, minutes, speeches, reports, and other documents concerning Russell C. Davis' terms as mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, his terms as Representative from Hinds County in the Mississippi Legislature, his campaigns for political office, and various community activities. The majority of the collection relate to his years as mayor, a period of much growth and many changes in Jackson. During the Davis administration the Jackson city government consisted of the mayor and two city commissioners, who were Ed Cates (1969-1973), Tom Kelly (1969-1977), and Doug Shanks (1973-1977). In addition to the daily administration of Jackson, the papers also concern relief efforts to aid the victims of Hurricane Camille, the activities of the Republic of New Africa, and the riots at Jackson State College (now JSU) that killed two students and injured 12 others. Among notable correspondents are Ross Barnett, Jimmy Carter, Thad Cochran, J.P. Coleman, James Eastland, Dwight Eisenhower, Cliff Finch, Gerald Ford, Evelyn Gandy, Paul B. Johnson, Jr., Trent Lott, G. V. Montgomery, Richard Nixon, John C. Stennis, George C. Wallace, and John Bell Williams. Series I, Mayoral Files, the largest part of the collection, consists of Russell Davis' office files during his tenure as mayor of Jackson, 1969-1977. The Mayoral Files include correspondence, memoranda, reports, photographs, clippings, and publications. Among the major subjects are the administration of city government, industrial development, bonds, schools, and the Mayor's Council for Youth Opportunities. Also included are the relief efforts to aid victims of Hurricane Camille in August 1969 and Davis' activities with local, state, and national organizations such as the National League of Cities and the United States Mayors Conference on Cities. The series is arranged alphabetically by topic. Documents concerning city council meetings comprise Series II, City Council Meetings. The Council, composed of the mayor and two city commissioners, met regularly once a week, with additional sessions held to consider zoning cases and special subjects. Included in the files are minutes, memoranda, correspondence, petitions, maps, and bid tabulations. The files are arranged chronologically according to the dates of the meetings, which begin on July 15, 1969 and end on June 22, 1977. The third series, Department Head Meetings, consists of memoranda, financial data, and other papers concerning department head meetings, which were held monthly from December 18, 1969 to March 17, 1977. The meetings were established by Davis "for the purpose of better understanding between all of us as to the total operation of the city and to encourage ideas within [the] staff as to its improvement." In addition to the department heads, the City Council attended the meetings. The series is arranged chronologically according to the dates of the sessions. Series IV, Press Conferences, contains items relating to press conferences held by Davis while he was mayor. Included are statements, notes, correspondence, memoranda, press releases, and statistics. The series dates from December 19, 1970 to June 27, 1975 and is arranged chronologically. Speeches, 1959 to 1977, make up the fifth series. In addition to speech texts, the series contains notes, correspondence, programs, invitations, and source material. Davis made numerous speeches and occasionally gave different versions of a speech to several groups. The series is arranged chronologically by the date of the speech. Series VI, Pre-Mayoral Files, consists of Davis' pre-mayoral office files, 1952-1969. Much of the series concerns Davis' service in the Mississippi House of Representatives from January 1960 to July 1969, when he resigned in order to assume the office of mayor of Jackson. Among the main subjects are legislative issues such as reapportionment. Davis' involvement with community affairs and various organizations is also included. The arrangement is alphabetical by topic. Items relating to campaigns and elections, 1963-1977, comprise Series VII, Campaigns/Elections. Included are correspondence, financial records, advertising material, photographs, polls, clippings, and speeches. The series is arranged in two groups: campaigns in which Davis participated as a candidate (1963 and 1967 Mississippi legislative elections and 1969, 1973, and 1979 Jackson municipal elections), and other campaigns. In Series VIII, Jackson State College , are reports, correspondence, clippings, press releases, and other documents relating to-Jackson State College (now Jackson State University), 1965-1972. The campus of the predominantly black institution was the scene of riots on May 13 through May 15, 1970, during which time two students, Philip Lafayette Gibbs, a junior at JSU, and James Earl Green, a senior at nearby Jim Hill High School, were shot and killed by members of the Mississippi Highway Patrol sent to police the unrest alongside the Jackson Police Department. Twelve other students were also injured. Subsequent investigations were made by the Hinds County Grand Jury, the FBI, and by the Mayor's Committee to Investigate Incidents of May 14 - 15. The majority of the series concerns the events and investigations of 1970. See also the 1984 Accession, described at the end of this guide. Its contents relate to several of the series listed above. Biographical Information Russell C. Davis (1922-1993) was a native of Rockville, Maryland. After completing two years at the University of Maryland, Davis took employment in a U.S. Naval gun factory while awaiting a call to military service. During World War II, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and was stationed in Jackson, Mississippi in 1944. After the war, Davis joined his father-in-law in his insurance agency, married, and became active in community affairs. From 1960 to 1969 he served in the Mississippi Legislature as a representative from Hinds County. In 1969 he was elected mayor of Jackson, a position he held until 1977. Container List Box Series Inclusive Folder Titles 1 II: City Council Meetings July 15, 1969 - June 9, 1970 2 II June 16, 1970 - June 8, 1971 3 II June 15, 1971 - March 16, 1972 4 II March 21, 1972 - November 7, 1972 5 II November 14, 1972 - June 12, 1973 6 II June 26, 1973 - December 26, 1973 7 II January 2, 1974 - June 18, 1974 8 II June 25, 1974 - December 26, 1974 9 II January 2, 1975 - July 2, 1975 10 II July 9, 1975 - January 21, 1976 11 II January 28, 1976 - June 30, 1976 12 II July 7, 1976 - January 12, 1977 13 II January 19, 1977 - June 22, 1977 14 I: Mayoral Files Action Line - Allied Services (1971) 15 I Allied Services (January 1972) - Allied Services Assessment 16 I Allin, John - Annexation-Petitions 17 I Apartments - Appointments Pending 18 I Appraisal of Property - Bailey Avenue Overpass (1/2) 19 I Bailey Avenue Overpass (2/2) - Bicentennial (3/5) 20 I Bicentennial (4/5) - Bond Issue (7/8) 21 I Bond Issue (8/8) - Buckley, Horace 22 I Budget - Cable Television (8/8) 23 I Calvary Baptist Church - Central Mississippi Health Planning 24 I Central Mississippi Planning and Development District - City Expansion North 25 I City Expansion Part Five - Community Hospital 26 I Community Improvements - Cottonreader, R. B. 27 I Council of Governments - Council of Governments Proposed Merger 28 I Country Club of Jackson - Delta Management Systems, Inc. 29 I Dennery's Seafood Restaurant - Disaster Control (12/14) 30 I Disaster Control (13/14) - Ellis Avenue Signal System 31 I Ellis, Tellis Burthorne Jr. - "Exorcist" 32 I Explosive Shipments - Federal Programs (18/28) 33 I Federal Programs (19/28) - Fire Department (5/7) 34 I Fire Department (6/7) - Friends 35 I Friends (Black) - Health Department (City-County) 36 I Heidelberg Hotel - Human Relations: Progress Report 37 I Human Resource Center - Industrial Development: Aircraft Manufacturing 38 I Industrial Development: A. 0. Smith - Industrial Development: Roblin Industries 39 I Industrial Development: Sears Roebuck - Inglewood Manor 40 I Inman, William B., Jr. - Jackson Chamber of Commerce Objectives 41 I Jackson Civil Service Commission - Jackson Newspaper Clippings (February 1977) 42 I Jackson Newspaper Clippings (March 1977) - Jackson Schools: Multi- purpose (1974). 43 I Jackson Schools: Multipurpose (1975) - Jackson Transit Company (April) 44 I Jackson Transit Company (May) - L. Q. C, Lamar Society 45 I Labels - LeFleur's Bluff Heritage Foundation 46 I Legacy of Parks Ceremony - Lutken, Donald C. 47 I Lynch Street Park - Mayor's Council for Youth Opportunities (5/11) 48 I Mayor's Council for Youth Opportunities (6/11) - Mayor's Council for Youth Opportunities: Bumper Stickers 49 I Mayor's Council