Jack Hightower Series Outline

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JACK E. HIGHTOWER

Texas Senate
1965-1974

U. S. House of Representatives
1975-1985

Texas Supreme Court Justice
1988-1996

Biography

1983 Official Bio

Photographs

Scope and Content

Series Outline

Outline - Annotated

Series Statement

SERIES OUTLINE

I. Legislative Files

A. Committee Files
1. Select Committee on Hunger
2. Appropriations (1981-1985)

B. Subject Files

1. Nuclear Waste
2. Energy

C. State Legislative Files

1. 59th Legislature (65-66)
2. 60th Legislature (67-68)
3. 61st Legislature (69-70)
4. 62nd Legislature (71-73)
5. 63rd Legislature (73-74)

D. U.S. Congress Legislative Files

1. 94th Congress (1975-1976)
a. Computer Letters
b. Legislative correspondence
c. Bill Files

2. 95th Congress (1977-78)

a. Legislative Correspondence
b. Bill Files

3. 96th Congress (1979-80)

a. Legislative Correspondence
b. Bill Files

4. 97th Congress (1981-1982)

a. Legislative Correspondence
b. Bill Files

5. 98th Congress (1983-84)

a. Legislative Correspondence
b. Bill Files

E. Voting Records
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II. General Correspondence

(Constituent Matters)

The original filing system used for constituent correspondence was an intricate system consisting of several files, and employed the DIALCOM Congressional Correspondence System for indexing and locating the files. Since the master directory compiled for use with this system is an index of virtually all of the constituent correspondence received by Hightower's office, it also serves as the best master finding aid for locating correspondence by specific name, dates, and subject categories; as well as matching incoming letters with Hightower responses.

Note: Not all constituent mail was handled in this fashion. Letters regarding specific bills often went into the legislative correspondence files. In addition, some non-constituent correspondence is indexed in this system, although most non-constituent mail is located elsewhere.

Initially incoming constituent mail was apparently sorted into one and then several temporary files:

By alpha --

A. General: Opinion mail sorted by Subject

1. To be answered by form letter by subject
2. To be answered individually by alpha

B. Legislation (regarding specific bills)

1. To be answered by form letter
2. To be answered individually Organized by subject and bill

C. Casework by number

D. Invitations

E. Academy

F. Personal

Incoming letters were entered into the computer system with each constituent assigned a unique record number. As responses were written, the files were assigned a unique document number, and then, eventually, opinion mail and casework filed by that document number. At that point the document number would serve as the key to locating the file. Accessed by name, the computer file indicated information about the files such as the date the letter was received, initials of the response letter author, and subject categories of the letters. The exception to this appears to be those that were answered by form letter. In addition, colored copies of outgoing letters were placed in several files in different arrangements:

1. By committee (new for each year)
2. By date of outgoing letters - month, year
3. By last name in alphabetical order
4. Invitations declined, Invitations accepted

The Hightower Papers Constituent Correspondence Files follow this same arrangement as much as possible. Detailed access is gained through the use of a master directory which lists all constituent correspondents that were entered into the computer and provides the user with the following pertinent information:

1. name
2. address
3. document numbers for all files indexed by the Dialcom
system
4. subject categories for each file(a "1" document number appears to indicate mail placed in "L" (Legislation) files arranged by subject and answered by form letter. Much of this was pre-printed mass mailings.)
5. date the original letter was received by the Hightower
office

The Constituent Correspondent Files in the collection consist of the following sub-series:

1. Main Files: Arrangement based on the Dialcom Document
number
2. Correspondence1983-1984 Files: These were files that had not been entered into the computer at the time Hightower left office. They are arranged in alphabetical order.
3. Casework Files, 1983-1984: These were also files that had not been entered into computer. arranged by number.
4. Form letter response files, 1982-84: arranged by subject (1975-81 missing).
5. Outgoing letters, 1975-84: arranged alphabetically. Copies of
Hightower outgoing letters. Additional copies are found scattered throughout several other locations, thus this is the only file that brings together almost all of Hightower's official outgoing letters. Unfortunately these are not cross referenced to Dialcom documents numbers or other files where incoming correspondence is located. Responses to invitations and personal correspondence are also found in this file, as well as in separate sub-series in the Hightower Personal series where the complete file may be found. Academy nominations form a separate series at this time. Most invitations and personal correspondence are not in the computer index.
6. Opinion Mail: Pre-printed mass mailings. Due to the nature of this type of mail, only a sample of each has been retained along with a record of the number and assigned subject code. Appropriately most of this was answered with computer form letters.
7. Computer Form Letters: arranged by year and subject.
8. District Files: Copies of district office correspondence
forwarded to Washington. Much of it is congratulations with newspaper clippings. The remainder is correspondence duplicated in the District Office Files. Could be "weeded."
9. Congratulations(from Washington)
10. Unanswered Mail
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III. Casework

A. District Offices
1. Amarillo Files
2. Wichita Falls

B. General Cases
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IV. Project Files, 19 Boxes

1,2: Amarillo

3,4: ?

5: Wichita Falls Urban Transportation Study

6: Wichita Falls

7: Water Projects

8: Corps of Engineers

9: High Plains Water Study

10: Groundwater and Irrigation

11. Administration Water Policy

12. Texas Watershed Progress Reports

13. Texas Water Development Board

14: Water Project Files

15: Lake Meredith

16,17: Holliday Creek

(Background- The Texas Water Rights Commission had declared the Lake Wichita Dam on Holliday Creek to be unsafe. In 1976 the Carter Administration imposed a freeze on individual water projects which continued through the Reagan Administration. In 1981, the Reagan Administration began severely curtailing and eliminating funding for Corps of Engineers Water Projects. These files on Holliday Creek reflect attempts over the period from 1976-1984 to obtain government funding in order to solve major flooding problems.)

18,19: Red River Basin Chloride Control Project
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V. Political Files (60 Boxes)

A. Campaign Files (60 boxes)
1974 Campaign Files (22 boxes)
1 - 2: Biographical material, speeches, press releases, correspondence with individuals, and correspondence arranged by county, 1973-1974.
3 through 8: General files including press coverage, opposition, returns, "friendly files," schedules, maps, some voter lists.

9: Voter lists

10 - 12: Expense records.

13 - 21: contributions

22 - 24: Campaign fund, fundraising, bank statements, xeroxed checks

1976 Campaign Files (13 boxes)

25 - 27: Campaign expenses, press, ratings, materials, opponents
28 - 35: Contributions

36 - 38: Financial Reports

1978 Campaign Files (5 boxes)

39: General Files - Campaign expenses, press ratings, materials, opponents
40 - 44: Contributions

1980 Campaign Files (2 boxes)

45 - 47: General

1982 Campaign Files (8 boxes)

48: Correspondence, issues, general materials
49: Opponents (Beau Bolter, Ron Slover), press coverage

50: Strategy and Marketing

51-52: Polls

53: Parties, Ratings, Humor, Maps

54: Lists

55: Contributions and Thank yous, fund raising, records.

1984 Campaign Files (5 boxes)

(Hightower was defeated in this campaign by Republican Beau Boulter, coincidentally also a Baylor graduate.)
56: General- press, correspondence, Beau Boulter, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Polls

57: Election day calling, ratings

58: Fundraising and Expenses

59: contributor Lists, Ledger sheets

60: Finance disclosure reports, both Hightower and Boulter

B. House Organization Files (14 Boxes)

(relates to Caucus matters, especially House Democratic Party organization and Leadership. Includes Whip notices and material concerning leadership elections.)
1: General 1974, 1975 (4 folders)

includes whip advisories, correspondence, new member information

2: Whip Advisories 1975

3: Democratic Caucus 1976 (3 folders)

4: General 1977, 1978 (5 folders)

includes "dear colleague" letters, correspondence, and notices

5: General 1981,82,83 (3 folders)

Whip notices, Correspondence concerning Democratic caucus, majority Whip, Democratic Study Group.

6: General 1984 (3 folders)

7: Subject Files (15 folders)

8: "Dear Colleague" Letters (6 folders, 1978, 1980 - 1984)

9: General (3 folders, mostly 1984)

(Includes files on the Congressional pay increase of 1984, loose material on portrait ceremonies for Jamie whitten and Hubert Humphrey.)

10-14: Democratic Study Group, 1974-76,1978,1980,1981-82,1984
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VI. General Files (104 boxes)

A. Office Files and Records (22 Boxes)
Consists of office correspondence files, staff records,financial records, information about office equipment, computer printouts of mailing lists, requests for publications, White House tours, flags; and information about Washington events. These files contain virtually everything relevant to administering the daily affairs of the office of a member of Congress.

B. Personal Files and Records (62 boxes)

Consists of biographical information, general personal correpondence from 1974 - 1982, speeches, family records, information on special events, schedules, invitations, and appointments. Numerous correspondence files are devoted to organizations with which Hightower was affiliated. Among these are files on the Texas Baptist Children's Home, Baylor University Board of Trustees, Masonic Lodge, Texas Breakfast Club, Texas State Society, and Army and Navy Club. Sveral other files are devoted to specific subjects as well. See folder listing for more information.

C. Press Files ( 6 boxes)

Consists of Newspaper clippings 1975-1984, press releases, radio reports, Hightower Washington Reports, information and correspondence related to the news media, project announcements, and grant announcements.

D. Disaster Files (4 boxes)

This is a set of files concerning the multitude of natural disasters (floods, tornadoes, and droughts) which seem to plague the Texas 13th District. Consists of newspaper clippings, correspondence, and publications related to several specific disasters and subsequent relief efforts.

E. Travel Files (7 Boxes)

F. Non-District Files (3 boxes)

Consists of correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings related to non-district events, organizations, and government agencies. Files are organized by subject and correspondent. Various Texas state agencies are the subject of several files.
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VII. Subject Files (4 boxes)

These are general files on various subjects of interest to HIghtower and his staff. Included are a wide range of files on specific individuals, organizations, events, government agencies, Texas state-federal relations, and political and legislative issues. They consist of various materials including correspondence, publications, reports, newspaper clippings.
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VIII. Administration (Executive Branch) Files (47 boxes)

Consists of subject files, correspondence files, publications, reports, press releases, and some casework.
A. Office of the President (4 boxes)

B. Departments (33 boxes)

Includes academy files- applications and nominations.

C. Agencies and Commissions (10 boxes)
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