JAMES O. EASTLAND COLLECTION FILE SERIES 1: PERSONAL/POLITICAL SUBSERIES 18: CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENCE The eleven boxes in this subseries contain Eastland’s correspondence with U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives, as well as various non-member congressional offices and agencies. Arranged alphabetically by the last name of the member of Congress, the inventory then provides a chronological, item-level description of each document. Eastland correspondence with congressional office and committee staff appears under the relevant member of Congress. Correspondence with no apparent date is placed at the end of each file. The item-level description includes a brief summary of the topic under discussion. Subjects discussed range from routine birthday greetings; thank you notes for gifts; requests for signed photographs, surplus tickets, or publications; and discussions of committee assignments. Other letters may contain in-depth analysis of politics and legislation with attached memoranda and publications. Also present are drafts of tributes by Eastland honoring various colleagues. Researchers should note that members of Congress often send letters addressed as “My dear Senator,” or “Dear Colleague” to either the entire Congress or to the membership of their respective legislative branch. However, those letters on the inventory designated as specifically addressed to Eastland were not necessarily sent to him alone. Also, note that Eastland occasionally received copies of correspondence between other members of Congress, as well as correspondence between other members of Congress and the executive branch or federal government agencies. Occasionally, correspondence between Eastland and constituents are filed in this subseries if the only topic under discussion is a particular member of Congress. Several members of Congress may co-sign a letter. All correspondents are listed in the item-level description (if a typed name appears underneath the signature), but the relevant letter is filed under the individual whose name is on the letterhead (if that is unclear, the first name listed). Thus, researchers interested in a particular member of Congress should conduct a search throughout the entire subseries inventory, not just that individual’s file. When apparent from the context of the correspondence, the item-level description provides the number of the senate (or house) bill (or resolution) under discussion, as well as the unofficial name of the legislation. Descriptive terms used are not consistent, so researchers should either read the entire subseries inventory or conduct numerous keyword searches on potential terms. The archivist made a concerted effort, however, to provide the specific name of the federal department/agency/office referenced in a piece of correspondence. In addition, the archivist avoided using government acronyms whenever possible, so conduct keyword searches on terms in the complete title of a government agency or program. Correspondence between Eastland’s office and non-member congressional offices are at the end of the subseries. These files also appear in alphabetical order, but contain no item-level description as the majority of this correspondence is typically of a mundane, administrative nature. A few large items are stored separately in Eastland Oversized Box 1, Folder 3. A removal sheet included among the regular sized files will provide cross-referencing information for separated material. Most congressional correspondence pertaining to an individual employment application or nomination resides in the subseries Patronage, Nominations, Employment, and School References. Other congressional letters regarding constituent appeals for the senator’s assistance inviting a congressman to Mississippi events exist in the Routine Requests subseries. Letters co-signed by Eastland and other members of Congress are also in the Executive Branch Correspondence and the Federal Correspondence subseries. BOX 1: W.M. ABBITT TO CLARENCE J. BROWN Folder 1-1: W.M. Abbitt (U.S. Representative from Virginia) Typed letter signed dated 27 November 1953 from Abbitt to Eastland, re: birthday wishes. Folder 1-2: James Abdnor (U.S. Representative & U.S. Senator from South Dakota) Typed letter signed dated 8 March 1977 from Abdnor to “Dear Colleague,” re: testimonial and book for Ben Reifel, 1 page. Attached: typed letter signed from Rollyn H. Samp, Recognition Committee of Ben Reifel Dinner for the Mennehaha County Republican Central Committee in Sioux Falls, SD, re: above topic. Folder 1-3: Thomas G. Abernethy (U.S. Representative from Mississippi) Handwritten letter signed dated 24 February 1943 from Mrs. T.G. Abernethy to Eastland, re: thanks for gift; envelope. Handwritten note by Abernethy on carbon typed letter dated 25 February 1943 from P.B. Dallis, Chancery Clerk in Louisville, MS, to Abernethy, re: Abernethy and Eastland’s congressional votes on New Deal programs, J.W. Chiles of Noxapater, MS wanting mail carrier route; 2 pages; envelope addressed to Eastland. Typed manuscript dated 18 March 1943 entitled “An Income Tax on the Wages of Service Men? Never!,” re: Abernethy speech in House. Copy telegram dated 19 December 1945 from Courtney C. Pace, Administrative Assistant to Eastland, to Abernethy in Okolona, MS, re: papers at Ruleville. Typed letter signed dated 4 January 1946 from Abernethy to Eastland, re: return of letters received from War Department with information on Grenada and Enid Dams. Typed letter signed dated 3 March 1948 from Abernethy to Eastland & John C. Stennis, re: appropriation for land purchases from farmers near Grenada and Enid Reservoirs. Carbon typed letter dated 5 August 1949 from Eastland to Abernethy, re: Big Creek, MS road. Attached: typed letter signed dated 4 August 1949 from Abernethy to Eastland, re: Big Creek, MS road outlet to Highway 8. Attached: carbon typed letter dated 1 August 1949 from Harry D. Warner in Big Creek, MS to Abernethy, re: Grenada Dam, Corps of Engineers, and above topics. Typed letter signed dated 3 March 1953 from Abernethy to Eastland, re: cotton acreage allotments, appeal to Secretary of Agriculture. Enclosed: carbon typed letter dated 3 March 1953 from Abernethy to Ezra T. Benson, Secretary of Agriculture, re: reduction in cotton acreage; 2 pages. Typed memorandum from Abernethy to Eastland, re: enclosed. Attached: carbon typed letter dated 6 March 1953 from Abernethy to Howard H. Cordon of Production and Marketing Administration of U.S. Department of Agriculture, re: cotton acreage allotments; 2 pages; envelope. Carbon typed letter dated 21 December 1953 from Eastland to Abernethy, re: acreage in agriculture bill. Handwritten note on enclosure from Abernethy to Eastland on press release In the News by Congressman Abernethy (21 June 1956), re: Mississippi Republicans and civil rights. Envelope postmarked 15 June 1956. Typed letter signed dated 14 August 1961 from Abernethy to Eastland, re: postal rural route vacancy at Slate Spring. Typed memorandum from Abernethy to Eastland, re: enclosed clipping, W.B. Alexander campaign speech to Indianola and Inverness Lions Clubs. Attached: copy newspaper clipping "Alexander Raps Abernethy Voting: Representative is Tied to Support of Liberals" Memphis Commercial Appeal (20 September 1966), re: Abernethy voting for African American members to obtain important committee chairmanships. Typed memorandum from Abernethy, re: clipping. Attachment: newspaper clipping “If We Feel that Way, Let’s Vote that Way” Aberdeen Examiner (23 September 1965), re: Republican votes to dismiss the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party challenge, switching parties, upcoming Eastland election. Carbon typed letter dated 28 July 1966 from Eastland to Mrs. J. Rigg Vaughn of Columbus, MS, re: Abernethy’s speech; 1 page. Attachment: handwritten letter signed dated 26 July 1966 from Mrs. J. Rigg Vaughn to Eastland, re: clipping on Abernethy’s speech on floor of house; 1 page. Attachment: newspaper clipping “Abernethy Charges Bias in Riot News” Memphis Commercial Appeal (26 July 1966), re: James Meredith’s March, northern violence against blacks. Carbon typed letter dated 3 August 1966 from Sam Thompson, Legislative Assistant to Eastland, to Abernethy, re: enclosed. Attached: carbon typed letter dated 3 August 1966 from Thompson to Gerald Dearing, Cotton Editor of Memphis Commercial Appeal, re: cotton, conservation. Attached: carbon typed letter dated 3 August 1966 from Thompson to B.F. Smith, Executive Vice President of Delta Council, re: above topic. Attached: typed letter signed dated 2 August 1966 from H.D. Godfrey, Administrator of Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, to Eastland, re: above topic. Attached: typed manuscript with handwritten corrections entitled “Modifications in Conservation Base Regulations”; 2 pages. Carbon typed letter dated 15 December 1966 from Eastland to Abernethy, re: votes for Eastland in Chickasaw County, votes for Abernethy in Delta; 1 page. Attached: typed letter signed dated 11 November 1966 from Abernethy to Eastland, re: thanks for campaign help, votes for Eastland. Typed memorandum from Abernethy to Eastland, re: attached clipping, Hodding Carter III, Eisenhower’s testimony before House Committee on uselessness of African American troops during Italian campaign. Attached: newspaper clipping “Race and Military Service” Greenville Delta Democrat-Times (9 May 1967). Copy typed letter signed dated 26 February 1969 from Abernethy to John B. Layton, Chief of Police in Washington, DC, re: parking ticket.