Projects, 1947-1975
Series
Identifier: CAC_CC_001_15_0000_0000_0000
From 1947-1977, Carl Albert served as the representative of Oklahoma's Third District to the U.S. House of Representatives. During the last three terms, he was the Speaker of the House. Known as the "Little Giant from Little Dixie," Albert held more power than any other Oklahoman.
The Albert Collection is the largest held by the Carl Albert Center, and it contains a prodigious amount of material generated and received by Albert's congressional offices. It is mostly comprised of correspondence, and correspondents include constituents, prominent personalities, congressional colleagues, and Oklahoma state politicians. There is a small amount of letters to and from presidents.
The papers of the Carl Albert Collection reveal part of the long history of Congress; they house materials documenting Albert, his congressional colleagues, and the legislative debates of the late 1940s to mid-1970s. There is also information on the Capitol, events at the Capitol, and the administration of the House during the 1960s and 1970s. Other well documented topics include political campaigns, visits of VIPs to Oklahoma, agriculture, housing and urban development, the Korean War, the Office of Economic Opportunity, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Civil Rights Act, veterans affairs, and Native Americans. The collection also contains files on the major issues of Albert's years as Speaker, when the debates over Vietnam, busing, the economy, the energy crisis and policy, gun control, and Watergate were played out in the Oval Office and the chambers of Congress. Information on Sam Rayburn, Richard Nixon and Adam Clayton Powell can also be found in this collection.
Because of Carl Albert's representation of his district, the history of Oklahoma from the 1940s to the 1970s unfolds in his papers as well. In particular are documents that tell the story of various programs and projects--federal, state, and local-- that literally changed the face of the state: the highway system that paved thousands of miles of roads, the Arkansas River Navigation System that made Tulsa an inland port, dozens of reservoirs that created hundreds of square miles of lakes, soil conservation measures that halted devastating erosion, and economic development programs that encouraged small business growth.
The Albert Collection is the largest held by the Carl Albert Center, and it contains a prodigious amount of material generated and received by Albert's congressional offices. It is mostly comprised of correspondence, and correspondents include constituents, prominent personalities, congressional colleagues, and Oklahoma state politicians. There is a small amount of letters to and from presidents.
The papers of the Carl Albert Collection reveal part of the long history of Congress; they house materials documenting Albert, his congressional colleagues, and the legislative debates of the late 1940s to mid-1970s. There is also information on the Capitol, events at the Capitol, and the administration of the House during the 1960s and 1970s. Other well documented topics include political campaigns, visits of VIPs to Oklahoma, agriculture, housing and urban development, the Korean War, the Office of Economic Opportunity, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Civil Rights Act, veterans affairs, and Native Americans. The collection also contains files on the major issues of Albert's years as Speaker, when the debates over Vietnam, busing, the economy, the energy crisis and policy, gun control, and Watergate were played out in the Oval Office and the chambers of Congress. Information on Sam Rayburn, Richard Nixon and Adam Clayton Powell can also be found in this collection.
Because of Carl Albert's representation of his district, the history of Oklahoma from the 1940s to the 1970s unfolds in his papers as well. In particular are documents that tell the story of various programs and projects--federal, state, and local-- that literally changed the face of the state: the highway system that paved thousands of miles of roads, the Arkansas River Navigation System that made Tulsa an inland port, dozens of reservoirs that created hundreds of square miles of lakes, soil conservation measures that halted devastating erosion, and economic development programs that encouraged small business growth.
The Albert Collection is the largest held by the Carl Albert Center, and it contains over 1000 linear feet of documents, multiple maps and oversize materials including scrapbooks, and over 10,000 photographs. Because Albert served for an extended period of time during an extremely productive time in Congress, the collection includes materials related to a variety of national legislative actions and political occurrences including Great Society legislation like the Civil Rights Act, the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, and a wide variety of public works projects, the Vietnam war, the energy crisis, and Watergate.
Of particular note are the files, departmental and legislative, related to the Great Society legislation and Watergate. The collection also includes extensive materials related to the development of Oklahoma and projects, like the Arkansas River Navigation System, that changed the face of the state. There are also materials related to Albert’s work with various Native American tribes and their concerns within his district and throughout the state.
In addition to the more typical legislative-type documents found in congressional collections, the Carl Albert Collection also contains vast amounts of correspondence from constituents, colleagues, and others. This correspondence, found throughout the collection but mostly centered in the General, Mail, and Legislative series, provides excellent insight into Albert’s relationship with the public and the public’s response to important legislation and political events.
Of particular note are the files, departmental and legislative, related to the Great Society legislation and Watergate. The collection also includes extensive materials related to the development of Oklahoma and projects, like the Arkansas River Navigation System, that changed the face of the state. There are also materials related to Albert’s work with various Native American tribes and their concerns within his district and throughout the state.
In addition to the more typical legislative-type documents found in congressional collections, the Carl Albert Collection also contains vast amounts of correspondence from constituents, colleagues, and others. This correspondence, found throughout the collection but mostly centered in the General, Mail, and Legislative series, provides excellent insight into Albert’s relationship with the public and the public’s response to important legislation and political events.
Dates
- 1947-1975
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access:
Certain series of this collection are stored off-site and require prior notice to access. If you wish to view these materials, please contact the Congressional Archives staff to arrange an appointment.
The following series are stored off-site: Clippings, Invitations, Mail, Miscellaneous, Office, and Post Office.
Requests for Office Series: All requests must be made at the folder level and approved by an archivist prior to research. Materials must be reviewed for personally identifiable information and, if needed, appropriately redacted before the researcher is allowed to view them.
The following series are stored off-site: Clippings, Invitations, Mail, Miscellaneous, Office, and Post Office.
Requests for Office Series: All requests must be made at the folder level and approved by an archivist prior to research. Materials must be reviewed for personally identifiable information and, if needed, appropriately redacted before the researcher is allowed to view them.
Extent
17.1 Linear Feet (15 containers)
Arrangement
Alphabetical
Repository Details
Part of the Carl Albert Center Congressional and Political Collections Repository