George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library, MS2FL 4400 University Dr. Fairfax, Virginia 22030 Business Number: 703-993-2220 Fax Number: 703-993-8911 speccoll@gmu.edu URL: https://scrc.gmu.edu
Finding aid prepared by Zac Greenfield
Repository
George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center
There are no restrictions on personal use. Permission to publish material from [collection title] must be obtained from the
Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.
Access Restrictions
There are no access restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Vincent Callahan Collection, #C0299, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.
Acquisition Information
Donated by Yvonne Callahan on November 15, 2016.
Processing Information
Processing completed by Zac Greenfield in June 2017. EAD markup completed by Zac Greenfield in June 2017.
Vincent F. Callahan Jr. was a Republican party member from Northern Virginia that represented Fairfax County in the state
legislature. He served for 40 years before retiring in 2008 until he passed away as a result of complications from West Nile
virus. Callahan was first elected in 1967 as one of only 14 Republicans out of 100 representatives, with the Republicans becoming
a majority by the time of his retirement. In 1972 he was elected to the Appropriations Committee, where he would eventually
become the first Republican to head the committee in many years.
Many of his accomplishments benefitted his native Northern Virginia, as he worked to make sure the region was not only not
forgotten but expanded upon. He is credited for the expansion of the Dulles Corridor as well as the funding of the Wolf Trap
Center. He was also influential in the growing George Mason University.
He did not always see eye-to-eye with the conservative direction the party was moving in as the decades went, preferring to
be a moderate and work to compromise with both sides whenever possible. This led to his being well liked on the floor of the
Virginia House.
The Vincent F. Callahan Jr. collection consists primarily of local newpaper clippings, magazine clippings, photographs, and
various invitations and awards that Callahan collected over the course of his political career. The content ranges from the
late 1960s to the mid-2000s when Callahan retired. The materials in the collection pertain almost entirely to local Northern
Virginia news and events that he was directly involved in. Topics range from Callahan's campaigns to get elected and re-elected,
tax issues across the state, events in Northern Virginia and across the state, projects he has helped secure funding for,
and invitations to political events. While the majority of the material was not created by Callahan, included also are several
writings of his that were submitted to papers or were part of his newsletters. These range from the "Callahan and the Capital"
newsletter to the "House Call" column run in the McLean Providence Journal, as well as responses he made to his opponents
in papers. Over the course of his political career Callahan had opportunities to travel internationally and locally for major
events, attending the inaugurations of President Nixon and many other events that shaped local and national history that have
appearances in this collection. One box consists of many newspaper clippings sorted into scrapbooks put together by the Callahan
family. The remaining boxes are loose clippings and other materials sorted into folders organized by publication. Some parts
of the collection, such as The Washington Post and the Washington Times, were not kept due to the ease of access online.
Events and Galas Callahan was invited to at different times
Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 3
Assorted Papers
1971-2003
Scope and Contents note
AP articles and unmarked clippings
Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 4
Awards and Honors Received
circa 1960s-80s
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 5
The Bee
1988
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 6
Business Journals
1986, 1998-2003
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 7
Callahan at the Capital
1970s
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 8
Campaign Materials
1960s-2000s
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 9
Capitol Reports
1996-2001
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 10
Christmas Cards
circa1960s-80s
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 2
The Fairfax Journal (2 of 6)
1980-84
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 11
The Connection (1 of 2)
1989-99
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 12
The Connection (2 of 2)
2000-07
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 13
The Daily Progress
1983-87, 2001-02
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 14
Daily Press
2001-06
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 15
Evening Star and Daily News
1969-1975
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 1 folder: 16
The Free-Lance Star
1984, 2003-07
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 1
The Fairfax Journal (1 of 6)
1969-79
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 2
The Fairfax Journal (2 of 6)
1980-1984
Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 3
The Fairfax Journal (3 of 6)
1985-89
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 4
The Fairfax Journal (4 of 6)
1990-95
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 5
The Fairfax Journal (5 of 6)
1996-99
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 6
The Fairfax Journal (6 of 6)
2000-04
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 7
The Fairfax Star
1976-81
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 8
The Gazette
1974-89, 1994-2002
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 9
The Globe
1969-79
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 10
Herndon Newspapers
1971-77, 1994-2002
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 11
Human Events
1976
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 12
Presidential Inaugurations
1969-73
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 2 folder: 13
Virginia Governor Inaugurations
1970-86
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 1
The Local Star
1980
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 2
Magazine Cuttings
1970s-80s, 2000-05
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 3
The Marketplace
1973-76
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 4
McLean News
1974-75
Scope and Contents note
Mixed Materials box: 3 folder: 5
The McLean Providence Journal (1 of 6)
1969-74
Scope and Contents note
Newspaper went through multiple name changes: McLean Providence Journal, Providence Journal and Fairfax Herald, Great Falls
Current, Times Community Newspapers, McLean Times