Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research, except for Series VI: Restrcited File. Permission to access this series must be obtained from Mr. Harris; contact Department for further information.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Herbert E. Harris II Papers, Accession 10466, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library

Acquisition Information

The Harris Papers were given to the University of Virginia Library by Mr. Herbert E. Harris II of Washington, D. C., on 1 July 1981.

Funding Note

Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Biographical Sketch

Herbert E. Harris II was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 14, 1926. He did his undergraduate work at Missouri Valley College, Rockhurst College, and the University of Notre Dame, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degrees. Harris earned a law degree from Georgetown University Law School but his education was interrupted in 1942 when he served as an U. S. naval officer during World War II. He settled in Fairfax County in 1956 and became involved in civic affairs; in 1967 he made his first campaign for public office and was elected to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

He was involved in concerns beyond northern Virginia; as an attorney specializing in international trade he helped draft America's first Food for Peace law in 1955. Seven years later, he drafted parts of President John F. Kennedy's Trade Expansion Act of 1962. In 1974 Harris was elected to Congress from Virginia's Eighth District as the state's first Catholic congressman. Harris served on the House Post Office and Civil Service committees and the House's District of Columbia committee. He chaired the House Subcommittees on the Bicentennial, Environment, and International Community during his first term. Harris was also an active member of the Environmental Study Conference and a founders of the Caucus of New Democratic House Members.

Scope and Content

The Herbert E. Harris (1926-) papers, ca. 1974-1981, consist of ca. 43,000 items (107 Hollinger boxes, ca. 37 cubic feet), correspondence, newsletters, photographs notes, printed matter and miscellaneous materials resulting from Harris's tenure as a member of the U. S. House of Representatives during the 94th, 95th, and 96th Congresses, 1975-1981, representing the Eighth District of Virginia . These papers relate to his years in office until his defeat in his bid for reelection in November 1980. There is very little material specifically related to his campaigns for public office, and other miscellaneous activities.

The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence between Harris and his constituents, including exchanges of political ideas and appeals for information or assistance. These provide some insight into the legislative activities of Harris as a congressman. One such example was his successful attempt to expand the boundaries of the Manassas National Battlefield Park and his efforts toward the creation of a Tenants' Tax Justice bill.

Organization

The collection comprises six series. Series I, Public Relations; Series II, Correspondence; Series III, Legislation Files (correspondence and all other material relating to legislative measures were removed from other areas of the collection and consolidated as subseries within Series III); Series IV, Photographs; Series V, Overwise; and Series VI, Restricted Files, comprised of restricted material such as job applications, resumes, and salary information. Throughout the various series Harris's original filing system has been retained with some modifications. Folders are arranged chronologically or alphabetically within each series. The original internal order and titles of select folders has been retained.

Series I: Public Relations Materials: This series' folders include Harris press releases, statements, Journal Messenger columns, special reports, and newsletters. This series has been divided into four sections:

A. Press Release (Boxes 1-8): This material was retained in its original folders and folder headings are arranged chronologically. These files generally do not provide substantive information about Harris's congressional activities or his views about legislation. They provide a brief overview of his position on various contemporary subjects.

B. Statements (Boxes 8-9): These were retained in their original folders and arranged chronologically. They contain prepared statements for inclusion in the Congressional Record "Dear Colleague" letters, memoranda, correspondence and some press releases.

C. Journal Messenger Columns (Box 10): These folders are arranged by year for Harris's column, "The Congressional Mail Bag." This weekly column featured sampling of constituent letters to Harris and his responses to them. These folders contain the unedited text of the columns, from the first one for the week of September 15, 1975 until August 8, 1980. In the front of several folders are indexes to the topic covered during the specific year.

D. Special Reports and Newsletters (Box 11): These are in their original folders and are arranged chronologically. Each folder contains a finished report or newsletter with various drafts. The nature of a particular report or newsletter is indicated in the original folder headings. Reports or newsletters either deal primarily with a particular topic or are directed toward a specific constituency.

Series II: Correspondence: This series contains constituent mail, as well as correspondence with other legislators and government officials. Certain folders are arranged in reverse chronological order under a subseries A of the same name (Boxes 12-19); in subseries B, "Topical Correspondence" (Boxes 20-66); or as subseries C, "Alphabetical Correspondence" (Boxes 67-70).

Series III: Legislation Files: This series contains Harris's legislative activities as a member of the 94th, 95th and 96th Congresses, and is arranged into three general categories: Legislative Information Files, Subject Files, and Chronological Legislative Files. The Legislative Files are divided into five subseries:

A. Legislative Information Files: These contain folders for Harris-sponsored legislation; empty ones are retained. House bills are filed first, in numerical order, followed by resolutions and joint resolutions (Boxes 71-81).

B. Subject Files: These contain reports, "Dear Colleague" letters, memos, statements, and correspondence about various legislative topics. Subject folders differ from the legislative files in that the former are arranged only by general topics while each folder in the Legislative Information Files relates specifically to a particular bill (Boxes 82-99).

C. Chronological Legislative Files: These files are self-explanatory; furthermore, they pertain to proposed or pending legislation but unlike subseries B (Subject Files) it is a miscellaneous grouping of materials (Box 100).

D. Manassas National Battlefield Park Bill: Folders related to this legislation were transferred from throughout the collection and filed in this subseries for researcher convenience. It includes correspondence, and thanks to this measure the boundaries of the park were expanded by 1700 acres in order to protect it from encroaching commercial development (Boxes 101-104).

E. Tenants' Tax Justice Bill: This folders were pulled from the collection for consolidation in this subseries. This bill sought to allow tenants to claim a tax deduction for that part of their rent which paid local property taxes, rather than allowing the tax deduction solely for the owners of rental units (Box 104).

Series IV: Photographs File: Self-explanatory (Box 104).

Series V: Oversize: Most of these items (in Oversize box M-3) are maps pertaining to the Manassas National Battlefield Park bill.

Series VI: Restricted File: Materials such as job applications, resumes, and salary information are restricted. No access is allowed without the written consent of Mr. Harris (Boxes 105-107).