First of all, I want to share some incredible information, care of the Library of Congress Blog (see the post here: http://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2010/04/pictures-2-0/). The Library of Congress has just launched a brand new version of their Prints and Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC) which enables users to brows over 1.2 million online prints and photos. PPOC has a lot of great interactive features, so go check it out. This is a fantastic resource for researchers, especially if you dabble in local or public history like moi.
Now that that's covered, I want to give you a brief look at the Williamson Collection (see previous post) so you will understand why I think Mr. Williamson was such a unique legislature.
I would say the collection itself consists of three (sometimes overlapping) categories:
1. Correspondence (between Mr. Williamson and his constituents, state agencies, interest groups, and corporations)
By far the most fascinating portion of this category is the correspondence with constituents. Mr. Williamson, who came to the Texas Congress as a seasoned lawyer, was a ceaseless advocate for his constituents (and occasionally, for people out of his district who wrote him as well). He was happy to send whatever information he had at his disposal regarding various bills and issues to anyone who inquired, answering questions and clearing up discrepancies.
Mr. Williamson spent a tremendous amount of time and resources assisting his constituents in legal matters as well (without discrimination). The best example of this in the collection is a series of letters to lawyers, legislators, and state agents on behalf of a young man coming up for parole review. The young man in question was convicted of armed robbery. His mother, who lived in Mr. Williamson's district, believed her son was not receiving fair consideration from the parole board. Because she could not afford a lawyer, she contacted Mr. Williamson, who proceeded to contact the head of the parole board, refer a pro bono lawyer to represent the young man, and review his trial transcript. In another instance, Mr. Williamson facilitated the transfer of a mentally disabled man from the Austin State Hospital to a Denton facility where he could be closer to his family. Mr. Williamson was especially vigilant in advocating for the fair treatment of his constituents by their insurance companies (often maintaining lengthy correspondences with the state insurance board and the companies in question on behalf of his voters).
Mr. Williamson frequently requested information from interest groups and state agencies that pertained to his committee duties (and his personal curiosities). He also contacted independent experts and individuals who worked in the fields. Mr. Williamson also worked on behalf of his professional constituents (the most significant case I found involved the rights and wages of tuberculosis specialists in state-funded hospitals).
The most amusing collection of correspondence is a series of files he labeled "psy", or "psycho". This includes newspapers, letters, and various publications sent to him by conspiracy theorists, white supremacists, and radical religious groups (among others). One of the most bizarre inclusions was a state ceramics group, which he apparently considered pretty off-base.
2. Bills
Mr. Williamson maintained records of every bill, resolution, and amendment during his term. I personally find it interesting to peruse the texts for his personal notes in the margin. He (or his secretary) cross-referenced the bills with correspondence and newspaper clippings.
(side note: at some point, either in his transition away from Capitol Hill or during transit to the University, the files got pretty jumbled up... so a big part of my job is trying to discern what the original system was).
3. Newspaper clippings
Mr. Williamson maintained a massive number of newspaper clippings on all kinds of topics and individuals. Some of these went into yearly scrapbooks and some are attached to various issue files and bills. He scoured newspapers from all across the state.
(another major facet of my job is making copies of the individual articles, due to the acidic nature of the newspaper material)
In the course of my work, I have really become convinced that Mr. Williamson came from a different breed of legislator... his humor, his dedication, and his tireless self-education are attributes mostly lacking from politics today.
As a historian, the Williamson collection has really opened up a whole new world of resources and research possibilities for me. I would never have known how rich and intriguing personal papers could be.
This is the archive blog, maintained by Archivist Deirdre Joyce: http://uttylarchives.wordpress.com/
Check it out for updates on our activities and collections.
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