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<b>GUY A. VANDER JAGT PAPERS, 1957-1992</b>
<p>
<dd>Guy A. Vander Jagt represented the Ninth District of Michigan in the U.S.
House of Representatives from 1967 to 1992. His papers include records documenting his
campaigns, legislation, casework for constituents, and public appearances.
<p>
<table>
<tr>
<td width=200>Quantity:</td>
<td>244 linear feet</td>
</tr>
<td width=200>Donor:</td>
<td>Guy Vander Jagt (accession no. H92-1165)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=200>Access:</td>
<td>Some files are restricted for reasons of personal privacy (75 years from date of creation) or in accordance with U.S. House of Representatives privacy rules regarding official committee papers (30 years).</td>
</tr>
<td width=200>Processed by:</td>
<td>Helen Baer, Summer 1998</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=200></td>
<td>Christina Schmidt, Summer 1999</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=200></td>
<td>Sallie Garrett, Summer 2000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width=200></td>
<td>Geoffrey D. Reynolds, Fall 2000</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>
<u>Biographical Note</u>
<p>
<dd>Guy Vander Jagt was born in Cadillac, Michigan, on August 26, 1931. While still
a student at Cadillac High School, he began preaching at the Tustin Presbyterian Church. By
the time he graduated from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, in 1953, he had won the
National Oratorical Championship, was undefeated in four years of extemporaneous speaking
at the state and national level, and won the Michigan Debate Championships three years in a
row a record never equaled before or since. He attended Yale Divinity School, graduating
with a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1957. After graduating from Yale, he served as
interim pastor of the Cadillac Congregational Church. In the summer of 1952, Vander Jagt
was Holland s community ambassador to Bonn, Germany. He studied for one year at the
University of Bonn on a Rotary Foundation Fellowship.
<dd>His first job after college was as news director and anchor for WWTV in Cadillac,
Michigan. Soon he went back to school to study law at Georgetown University in
Washington, D.C. While in Washington, his broadcasting experience paid off when he was
hired as a public relations assistant to U.S. Representative Robert McIntosh, R-MI, in 1958.
Later that year he left Washington to attend law school at the University of Michigan, where
he received his J.D. in 1960. From 1960 to 1964 he practiced law at Warner, Norcross &
Judd in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1964 he married Carol Doorn of Grand Rapids. That
year he ran for a seat in the Michigan State Senate, touting his legal experience and oratorical
skills, and was elected.
<dd>In February of 1966, Vander Jagt was one of thirty-six candidates in Gov. George
Romney s program to select a consensus candidate to the U.S. Senate. The field of thirty-
six was narrowed to three Dr. Leroy Augesstine, U.S. Rep. Bob Griffin, and Vander Jagt.
When it became clear that neither Vander Jagt nor Griffin could reach the 65% support
demanded by Romney as long as each of them stayed in the race, Vander Jagt threw his
support to Griffin and ran instead for the congressional seat being vacated by Griffin. He
was simultaneously elected to fill the remainder of Griffin s term in 1966, and to complete a
full term beginning in 1967. He held that seat until January 3, 1993.
<dd>Vander Jagt was able to make a legislative impact at the subcommittee level. As
ranking minority member on the Conservation and National Resources Subcommittee, he
pushed through an act establishing the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan.
He spearheaded the National Diabetes Act of 1974. As a new member of the House, Vander
Jagt was appointed to the Space, Science and Astronautic Committee and helped oversee the
development of America s space program and successful landing on the Moon.
<dd>As an active member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs he was appointed by
President Nixon to serve as his personal trade envoy to eight African nations in 1973. Later
that same year President Nixon sent Vander Jagt to Japan, Korea, and Taiwan to explain the
Nixon Doctrine of foreign policy to Asian leaders.
<dd>Appointed to the powerful Ways and Means Committee in 1974, Vander Jagt was the
lead Republican sponsor of the Comprehensive Multilateral Trade Agreement and later the
Caribbean Basin Initiative, two major landmark pieces of trade legislation. In addition to
serving as the Ranking Republican on the Trade and on the Select Revenue Measures
Subcommittees of Ways and Means, Vander Jagt also served on the Joint Tax Committee of
the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. By the time of his primary election defeat in 1992, he had
risen to become the second ranking minority member on Ways and Means.
<dd>Vander Jagt was personally chosen by Governor Ronald Reagan to deliver the
keynote address at the Republican National Convention in Detroit in 1980 and was considered
by Reagan as a Vice Presidential Candidate. The consideration was serious enough that the
U.S. Secret Service had begun to make plans for command posts at the Vander Jagt s
residences. After what was considered a triumph of a speech at the GOP Convention,
Vander Jagt ran for the position of Republican Leader of the U.S. House where he was
narrowly defeated by Representative Bob Michel, (R IL), in a very close election.
Congressman Vander Jagt was awarded a Knighthood in the House of Orange by Queen
Beatrix of the Netherlands in 1986. He was named the Outstanding Dutch-American of the
Year by the Netherlands Amity Trust Association in 1991.
<dd>In 1992 he lost the Republican primary to challenger Peter Hoekstra. After leaving
the House of Representatives, Vander Jagt joined the law firm of Baker & Hostetler LLP,
where he has risen to become one of the firm s top performing legal professionals. He
continues to be active in political circles.
<p>
<u>Vaner Jagt's Congressional Staff</u>
<p>
<dd>Like many beginning politicians, Guy Vander Jagt began his political career with a
limited staff. His wife, Carol, served as his first campaign manager. Papers from his tenure
in the Michigan State Senate bear signs that Vander Jagt did much of the day-to-day office
work himself, work that would later be done by his personal secretary and administrative
assistant when he was elected to the House. By the early 1970s Vander Jagt's professional
staff handled most administrative tasks, leaving him free to pursue political work.
<dd>Most of Vander Jagt's top Washington staff members worked for him for many
years.
In 1975, James M. Sparling, Jr. replaced Vander Jagt's first administrative assistant, Bernard
Nagelvoort, and stayed with Vander Jagt until the congressman's defeat in 1992. Sparling
had
a great deal of political experience, having held a variety of political jobs, including positions
at the White House and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Sparling's personal secretary,
Irene "Renie" Guback, came with him from his previous position and continued to work for
him until the late 1980s. Margaret Treanor, Vander Jagt's personal secretary, worked for the
congressman beginning in 1973 until retiring in the late 1980s.
<dd>At the Muskegon district office in Michigan, Jim Gibson served as District Manager
from 1966 to around 1980. Dan Nelson, who had worked in the Washington office, shared
district head responsibilities with Gibson beginning in the late 1970s before taking over in
1980. Nelson held that position until 1992.
<p>
<u>Other Sources</u>
<p>
<dd><u>Archival sources</u>: Several collections at the Joint Archives of Holland
have small amounts of Vander Jagt-related materials. For correspondence and photos, see
the William A. Sikkel Papers and the Gerhard F. Megow Papers. The archives of Hope
College has the transcripts of several of Vander Jagt's speeches, including a video and
transcript of his 1980 GOP convention keynote address. Vander Jagt's National
Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) papers are located at Grand Valley State
University in Allendale, Michigan.
<dd><u>Secondary sources</u>: See Schrier, William, <i>Winning Hope
College
Orations 1941-1966</i> (Holland, Mich.: Hope College, 1966) for the text of three of
Vander Jagt's early speeches: "The Price of the Best" (1951), "Bonn Report" (1953) and
"John Marshall" (1953).
<p>
<u>Scope and Content Notes</u>
<p>
<dd>The Guy A. Vander Jagt Papers span the dates 1957-1992. Most of the papers date
from 1975 to 1992. Also included are papers from his single term as a Michigan State
Senator (1965-1966), from his work as a lawyer in Grand Rapids, Michigan (1960 to
1964), and personal papers dating from 1957 to 1964.
<dd>The provenance of the collection did not mirror the chronological sequence of
Vander Jagt's career in public service. The papers, which arrived in several shipments
between 1992 and 1995, came from three locations: the Congressman's Washington and
Muskegon, Michigan offices, and the Federal Records Center in Suitland, Maryland.
Seventy-
five percent of the files were from the Federal Records Center and most of the rest came
from the Washington office.
<dd>Staff at the Washington office sent older files to the Federal Records Center
periodically to open up storage space in the Washington office. Hence, most of the files
dating between 1973 and 1990 were at the Federal Records Center. Papers from Vander
Jagt's last term, 1991-1992, were in active use at Vander Jagt's office in Washington,
D.C., along with some other files from as far back as 1966, mostly in the
Personal/Political subgroup. Almost all of the Muskegon files were campaign files
spanning the years 1974-1992. It is likely that these files were stored in Muskegon to
comply with a federal regulation mandating the separation of a candidate's campaign files
from other office files.
<dd>The Vander Jagt papers are sparse for the years 1967-1975, since Nagelvoort was
known to discard files when the Washington office ran out of storage space. Sparling,
who arrived in 1975, was more careful to preserve papers, making annual deposits at the
Federal Records Center.
<dd>The Vander Jagt Papers are divided into four series. The first series,
Legislative, contains materials created by Vander Jagt and his staff during the legislative
process. The second series, Correspondence, documents the response of Vander Jagt's
staff to constituent requests for help in dealing with the federal government. This series
also contains mail from constituents and others expressing their opinions about political
matters. The third series, Administrative, contains documents that reflect the day-to-day
workings of Vander Jagt's Washington office. The Personal/Political series documents
Vander Jagt's personal and political activities and opinions, and includes written, audio
and visual materials in a variety of formats.
<a name="outline">
<p><u>Outline of Series in the Guy A. Vander Jagt Papers, 1957-1992</u></p>
</a>
<p>
I. <b>LEGISLATIVE SERIES</b>
<dd><a href="gvj_legislative_series-bills.html">Bills</a>
<dd> <a href="gvj_legislative_series-voting_records.html">Voting Records</a>
<p>
II. <b>CORRESPONDENCE SERIES</b>
<dd> <a href="gvj_correspondence%20series-departmental_files.html">Departmental
Files</a>
<dd><a href="gvj_correspondence_series-general_files.html">General Files</a>
<dd><a href="gvj_correspondence_series-legislative_files.html">Legislative Files</a>
<dd><a href="gvj_correspondence_series-control_files.html">Control Files</a>
<p>
III. <b>ADMINISTRATIVE SERIES</b>
<dd><a href="gvj_administrative_series-press.media%20files.html">Press/Media Files</a>
<dd> <a href="gvj_administrative_series-calendars.schedules.invitations.html">Calendars/Schedules/Invitations</a>
<dd><a href="gvj_administrative_series-trip_files.html">Trip Files</a>
<p>
IV. <b>PERSONAL/POLITICAL SERIES</b>
<dd> <a href="gvj_personal.political_series-campaigns.html">Campaigns</a>
<dd> <a href="gvj_personal.political_series-speeches.html">Speeches</a>
<dd> <a href="gvj_personal.political_series-biographical_files.html">Biographical
Files</a>
<dd> <a href="gvj_personal.political_series-audiovisual_materials.html">Audiovisual
Materials</a>
<dd><a href="gvj_personal.political_series-publications.html">Publications</a>
<dd> <a href="gvj_personal.political_series-memorabilia.html">Memorabilia</a>
<dd> <a href="gvj_personal.political_series-famous_signatures.html">Famous Signatures</a>
<p>
<b>LEGISLATIVE SERIES</b>, 1967-1992 (43.00 linear ft.)
<p>
<u>Bills</u>, 1967-1992 (41.50 linear ft.)
<p>
<dd>This sub-series documents legislation sponsored or cosponsored by Vander Jagt.
Individual bill files contain correspondence, reference materials, and markup and final
copies of bills. Annual "Legislative Profiles" produced by the Clerk of the House
summarize Vander Jagt's legislative activity. A few of the bill files concern legislation in
which Vander Jagt was interested but not involved. Arranged chronologically by
Congress and thereunder by bill number.
<p>
<u>Voting Records</u>, 1967-1992 (1.50 linear ft.)
<p>
Voting records indicate how Vander Jagt voted on each bill that came before the
House. Includes official voting records compiled for each Congress by the Clerk of the
House and others compiled by the press and various civic and political organizations.
Attendance is documented by the Roll Call Votes subseries. Arranged by Congress.
<p>
<b>CORRESPONDENCE SERIES</b>, 1967-1992 (122.00 linear ft.)
<p>
<dd>This is the largest series in the collection. Consisting mostly of correspondence
between Rep. Vander Jagt and his constituents, it also includes memos, notes,
reports, maps and news clippings. The bulk of these records span the years 1975-
1992, but the Congressman's earliest years in office, 1967-1974, are represented as
well. These files document the personal, local, and national concerns of western
Michigan constituents, and others, about the federal government and the leadership
of Congressman Vander Jagt.
<dd>he strength of this series lies in the wide variety of interests and views
expressed by individuals, businesses, and organizations on issues spanning five
presidents, both Republican and Democratic. Opinions on all topics are represented
in the file. Vander Jagt s position as ranking minority member of the powerful
Ways & Means Committee, which deals with taxes and economic reform, sparked a
continual onslaught of constituent correspondence. Some of the most compelling
letters are from individual private citizens who felt the need to express their concerns
and frustrations about the direction the nation was heading. Their stories are often
filled with personal, sometimes sad, revelations that document a segment of society
often left unnoticed. At the same time, the collection is also rich in correspondence
from corporations, non-profit organizations, and small business owners. Large
corporations such as Teledyne, Dow, and Gerber vigorously wrote the Congressman
urging consideration for favorable legislation, grant funding, or for their way to be
smoothed through bureaucratic channels.
<dd>In return, Vander Jagt's correspondence most often reveals an individual
approach to the constituents concerns. Considering the thousands of letters that his
congressional office received each year, it is remarkable that the majority of
responses were treated in this manner. Jim Sparling, Vander Jagt's administrative
assistant, was a well-organized administrator. He oversaw all of the correspondence
that left the office, and his personal notes are found both jotted in margins and in
memo form on much of the material. On the other hand, the Congressman would
often compose a letter free hand, from beginning to end, rarely re-working his
original draft. Particularly in his last years in office, when the advent of computers
led to an outpouring of mail from the public on a particular issue, form letters were
often used to respond to constituents. Today, these form letters serve as a record of
issues that created a great stir within the public at large, reflecting the overall mood
of western Michigan and the nation.
<dd>The wide variety of topics represent the changes in the economy, environment,
morality, and the balance of national and international power. Each subseries within
the Correspondence Series is accompanied by a scope and content note that reveals
the important issues contained within, and details the original organizational scheme
which was maintained for the series as a whole. The organization for this series is
identified below.
<p>
<u>Departmental Files</u>, 1965-1992 (49.50 linear ft.)
<p>
<dd>The Departmental Files of the Guy A. Vander Jagt collection are
correspondence files that document the personal and individualized constituent pleas
for assistance and action from the Congressman, and his office, in dealing with the
federal government. Commonly referred to as case files, each includes
correspondence between the Congressman, an agency or agencies, and the
constituent(s). Together these files document the success of the Congressional office
in meeting constituents needs.
<dd>Particularly well represented are the decade of the 1980s and the
Congressman's final years in office, 1990-1992. Items of special significance to the
region, such as disaster relief for farmers, development monies for individual cities,
townships and counties, and issues related to the Great Lakes and Michigan National
Parks, have been given preference over the more routine constituent requests. Issues
in which Congressman Vander Jagt took an extraordinary interest, such as Indian
gill net fishing, the Cross Lake Ferry, Sleeping Bear Dunes, the J. C. Penney Project,
Teledyne tank contracts, and Reyes Syndrome, encompass many years of
correspondence and are rich in information pertaining to the Ninth District.
Presidential letters and correspondence from Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George
Bush, and several of the First Ladies are a substantial addition to the collection. A
significant portion of the collection is confidential correspondence. These cases have
been sampled following a 20% retention schedule and placed in the closed files, and
will be available for use after 75 years.
<dd>The original order of the Departmental Files as the office maintained them has
not been altered, and a key to their organization follows. In order to aid the
researcher, however, case files that span years and often decades have been
artificially combined and arranged chronologically within the individual subject
matter. Please note that over the course of years, agencies have been reorganized,
renamed, and replaced. For example, HEW, (Health Education and Welfare), was
replaced at the beginning of the 1980s with three separate departments: HHS (Health
and Human Services), Education, and HUD (Housing and Urban Development). For
this reason, information about similar issues may be found in more than one agency.
<p>
Departmental Files- Original Size of Sampled Materials
<p>
<dd>Because case files were filed together with the grants, projects, and public
works files in the Departmental Files, the numbers below represent the sum of both
series.
<p>
<table>
<tr>
<td width=1>Year</td>
<td>Quantity before sampling in linear
feet</td>
</tr>
<td width=1>1972</td>
<td>0.3</td>
</tr>
<td width=1>1973</td>
<td>5.5</td>
</tr>
<td width=1>1975</td>
<td>5.7</td>
</tr>
<td width=1>1976</td>
<td>8</td>
</tr>
<td width=1>1977</td>
<td>10.3</td>
</tr>
<td width=1>1978</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<td width=1>1979</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
<td width=1>1980</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<td width=1>1981</td>
<td>9</td>
</tr>
<td width=1>1982</td>
<td>10</td>
</tr>
<td width=1>1983</td>
<td>11</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>
*Estimated based on box count
<u>Departmental Files-KEY:</u>
<p>
Action<br>
Agriculture
<dd>FCA - Farm Credit Administration<br>
<dd>FmHA - Farmers Home Administration<br>
<dd>Forest Service<br>
CAB - Civil Aeronautics Board<br>
Commerce<br>
<dd> EDA - Economic Development Agency<br>
Defense<br>
<dd> Air Force<br>
Army<br>
<dd>Army Corps of Engineers<br>
<dd>Marines<br>
<dd>National Guard<br>
<dd>Navy<br>
Education<br>
Energy<br>
ERDA - Energy Research and Development Administration<br>
EPA - Environmental Protection Agency<br>
FCC - Federal Communications Commission<br>
FDA - Food and Drug Administration<br>
FEC - Federal Election Commission<br>
FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Administration<br>
FERC - Federal Energy Regulatory Commission<br>
FPC - Federal Power Commission<br>
FTC - Federal Trade Commission<br>
GAO - General Accounting Office<br>
GSA - General Services Administration<br>
GPO - Government Printing Office<br>
HEW - Health, Education and Welfare<br>
HHS - Health and Human Services/Medicare<br>
SSA - Social Security Administration<br>
HUD - Housing and Urban Development<br>
Interior<br>
<dd>NPS - National Park Service<br>
<dd> NPS - Sleeping Bear Dunes<br>
ICC - Interstate Commerce Commission<br>
ITC - International Trade Commission<br>
Justice<br>
Labor (includes OHSA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration)<br>
State of Michigan<br>
Miscellaneous Agencies:<br>
<dd> AID - Agency for International Development<br>
<dd>Committee for the Purchase from the Blind & Other Severely<br>
Handicapped<br>
IJC - International Joint Commission<br>
NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration <br>
NEA - National Endowment for the Arts<br>
NSF - National Science Foundation<br>
NRC - Nuclear Regulatory Commission<br>
OEO - Office of Economic Opportunity<br>
OMB - Office of Management and Budget<br>
OPIC - Overseas Private Investment Corporation<br>
SBA - Small Business Administration<br>
U.S. Botanic Gardens<br>
U.S. Copyright Office<br>
USIA - United States Information Agency<br>
USRA - United States Railway Association<br>
USPS - United States Postal Service<br>
State Department<br>
Transportation<br>
<dd>Coast Guard<br>
<dd>FAA - Federal Aeronautics Administration<br>
Treasury<br>
<dd> Customs<br>
<dd> IRS - Internal Revenue Service<br>
USTR - United States Trade<br>
VA - Veteran's Administration<br>
White House<br>
<p>
<u>General Files</u>, 1967-1992 (24.00 linear ft.)
<p>
<dd>The General Files consist of correspondence, questionnaires, opinion polls,
Congressional Record inserts, invitations, schedules, and inner office memorandums.
Vander Jagt's office maintained these records separately from the more issue-
oriented correspondence. The bulk of the records fall between 1973 and 1992.
Arranged in chronological and alphabetical order, these files offer an excellent view
into the inner workings of the Congressman's office, and the methods used to
maintain a relationship with Ninth District constituents.
<dd>Each year, Vander Jagt prepared a questionnaire that was mailed to Ninth
District residents, seeking their opinions on pertinent issues. Also, the Congressman
scheduled a yearly district trailer tour in which he visited many of the smaller cities
and townships of western Michigan. Dialoguing on an individual basis with
constituents, he was able to keep abreast of local concerns, while at the same time
reassuring residents of his continued support and leadership. The design and
scheduling of these questionnaires and district tours are well documented here.
<dd>Some of the most interesting sections of this subseries are the James Sparling
files. Mr. Sparling, who had aspired to political office himself, served as Vander
Jagt s administrative assistant for the last eighteen years of the Congressman s
tenure. He often represented the Congressman at important legislative or political
meetings and functions. It is clear from notes and memoranda that the Congressman
relied on his judgment and wisdom. Sparling often dealt with Capitol Hill visitors,
lobbyists and constituents of all levels. He was responsible for the inner workings of
the Congressional and District offices and all correspondence sent from those offices.
Sparling initiated a policy in which all events such as weddings, anniversaries,
birthdays, and special recommendations or awards, as recorded in all Ninth District
newspapers, were acknowledged by a congratulatory letter originating from Vander
Jagt s office. This was a clever way to make the constituents feel the Congressman s
concern for their personal well being. His records allow a birds eye view of the
daily workings of the House of Representatives and in particular the Vander Jagt
office.
<dd>Congressional Record inserts made by Vander Jagt on behalf of constituents
are found here. Also included are requests for the Congressman s help in obtaining
notable speakers to appear at functions for organizations and businesses of the Ninth
District, or positions within the current administration.
<dd>Additional bonuses to this subseries include a wealth of famous signature
letters, inaugural materials, and a rich collection of 1976 Bicentennial materials.
Five presidents are represented, including Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Bush.
Other letters are from international political figures such as Anwar Sadat and Henry
Kissinger, and celebrities including Carol Channing and Don King. Inauguration
celebrations are well documented for both Carter and Nixon, with additional
information for these and other inaugurations found in the personal/political series.
Finally, the 1976 national Bicentennial celebration is preserved here, and includes a
full range of events, publications, and memorabilia.
<p>
<u>Legislative Files</u>, 1967-1992 (36.50 linear ft.)
<p>
<dd>Correspondence, memos, press releases, committee reports, and news clippings
dealing with national and western Michigan legislation comprise this subseries, with
the bulk of the materials falling in the years 1975 through 1992. Organized
chronologically and alphabetically, the records are arranged according to committees
within the House of Representatives, such as Appropriations, Foreign Affairs, or
Ways & Means.
<dd>These records are rich with opinion, intrigue, and controversy. Topics include
Watergate, abortion, civil rights, oil crises, recession, and taxes, among others. This
collection is ripe with national and international shifts and changes. Some of the
particularly well documented issues are the Panama Canal Treaty, Reaganomics,
the Vietnam and Persian Gulf Wars, forced bussing, school prayer, gun control, the
environment, and the economy.
<dd>Vander Jagt began his career assigned to the Government Operations and
Science and Astronautics Committees, 1967-1974, and immediately spearheaded
investigations into the misconduct of several members of the House of
Representatives, including Rep. Cornelius Gallagher, charged with Mafia affiliation.
The investigations often became personal, and were always heated. In 1975, Vander
Jagt was reassigned to the powerful Ways & Means Committee, where he remained
until the end of his congressional career. An avid supporter of President Ronald
Reagan, the Congressman had a front row seat in the shaping of the nation s
economy at a time of an overburdened federal budget and a full blown recession.
His hard line stance concerning taxes and proposed budget cuts, which affected both
local and national social and economic funding, created a blizzard of controversy and
is well documented in this subseries.
<dd>Legislation initiated or co-sponsored by Vander Jagt can be found in the Bill
Files of the Legislative Series. However, correspondence, background materials,
committee and public statements are located within this subseries. The files are
organized as the office maintained them. Each year of committee correspondence is
preceded with a General Views section that the office used to keep letters from
constituents that included several issues or general concerns, rather than specific
topics of legislation or sentiment. The committee files are arranged alphabetically
and each contains a General Views section that deals with issues that drew some
but not a lot of attention. Those issues that generated a wealth of correspondence
have been arranged according to topic within the committee. A key to the committee
organization follows:
<p>
<dl>
<dd>Committees<br>
<dl>
<dd>Agriculture<br>
Appropriations<br>
Armed Services<br>
Banking, Currency & Housing (later Urban Affairs replaced Housing )<br>
Budget<br>
District of Columbia<br>
Education & Labor<br>
Foreign Affairs (1980-92, earlier this was International Relations)<br>
Government Operations<br>
House Administration<br>
Interior & Insular Affairs<br>
International Relations (1967-80, changed to Foreign Affairs)<br>
Interstate & Foreign Commerce<br>
Energy & Commerce<br>
Judiciary<br>
Merchant Marine & Fisheries<br>
Post Office & Civil Service<br>
Public Works & Transportation<br>
Rules<br>
Science & Technology<br>
Standards of Official Conduct<br>
Veterans Affairs<br>
Ways & Means<br>
<dl>
<dd>Health<br>
Oversiht<br>
Public Assistance<br>
Social Security<br>
Taxes<br>
Trade<br>
Unemployment Compensation (changed to Human Resources in the
1990s)
</dl>
</dd>
Select Committees</dl>
</dd>
</dl>
</dd>
<p>
<u>Subject Key to Master Library of Form Letters</u>, 1978-1985
<p>
<dd>Listed below are the subjects for the codes used in the 1978-1985 master
library of form letters. These codes also apply to the 1983-1992 form letters with a
few exceptions. The Science and Technology code (18000) does not appear in the
1983-1992 library, nor do 91000 and 92000 (Michigan letters). Conversely, the 1983-
1992 letters include a 7000 code, denoting a Fry for Guy letter, which is not part of
the 1978-1985 library.
<dd>In addition to this subject list, a more detailed subject key, written in 1987,
indexes the 1983-1992 form letters up to 1987. A few non-numeric codes exist in
both master libraries, the titles of which are self-explanatory.
<p>
Master Library of Form Letters, 1978-1985
<p>
01000 Agriculture<br>
02000 Appropriations<br>
03000 Armed Services<br>
04000 Banking, Currency, Finance and Urban Affairs<br>
05000 Budget<br>
07000 Education and Labor<br>
08000 Government Operations<br>
09000 House Administration<br>
10000 Interior and Insular Affairs<br>
11000 International Relations/Foreign Affairs<br>
12000 Interstate and Foreign Commerce<br>
13000 Judiciary<br>
14000 Merchant Marine and Fisheries<br>
15000 Post Office and Civil Service<br>
16000 Public Works and Transportation<br>
17000 Rules<br>
18000 Science and Technology<br>
21000 Veterans Affairs Committee<br>
22000 Ways and Means<br>
23000 Visitors<br>
24000 Requests<br>
25000 GVJ Legislation<br>
26000 American Citizen<br>
27000 General Legislation<br>
30000 Cases<br>
40000 Miscellaneous<br>
50000 Miscellaneous<br>
90000, 91000, 92000, 93000 Michigan<br>
<p>
<u>Control Files</u>, 1974-1992 (12.00 linear ft.)
<p>
<dd>These records are a representational sample of all of the correspondence that
was produced by Vander Jagt s congressional office. It includes copies of all letters
sent to members of Congress from 1980 to 1992, and all constituent correspondence
for the years 1974 and 1986, as well as a master library of form letters. All files are
arranged alphabetically within each year.
<p>
<p>
<b>ADMINISTRATIVE SERIES</b>, 1966-1992 (30.00 linear ft.)
<p>
<u>Press/Media Files</u>, 1967-1992 (15.00 linear ft.)
<p>
<dd>The subject of this series is Guy Vander Jagt as a public figure. These files
show how Vander Jagt and his staff informed the media about political events and
communicated his views on important issues to his constituents and to a larger
national audience. Includes press releases, position papers, statements, and
newsletters. The reaction of the public and the media to these public relations efforts
is documented in the Clippings subseries, which includes clippings from local and
national newspapers, magazines, and other publications, arranged chronologically by
year and thereunder by title of publication. Other media-related files, e.g.
advertising and clippings, can be found in the Campaign Series. Arranged
alphabetically by title of publication.
<p>
<u>Calendars/Schedules/Invitations</u>, 1967-1992 (6.00 linear ft.)
<p>
<dd>Consists of daily and weekly schedules, desk calendars, appointment books, and
selected invitations. Declined invitations ("regrets") were discarded; one file of
"invitations accepted" has been retained as a sample. Special events files (invitation
files devoted to one appearance only) were retained. These include invitations,
correspondence and background materials. Typical events included speaking
engagements, conferences, and overseas travel. These files overlap with the Trip
Files and are arranged chronologically.
<p>
<u>Trip Files</u>, 1966-1983 (9.00 linear ft.)
<p>
<dd>Contains correspondence, itineraries, background information on the places to
be
visited, information on contacts made while traveling, and news clippings. Vander
Jagt traveled extensively throughout the 1970s and to a lesser extent in the 1980s.
The
trips documented here were mostly in association with his work on the Foreign
Affairs Committee in the early 1970s. Other trip files can be found in the Invitations
series. A subseries of Administrative Files contains expense reports that were
submitted to the Foreign Affairs Committee for reimbursement and annual
summaries
of foreign travel requested by media organizations. Arranged chronologically.
<p>
<p>
<b>PERSONAL/POLITICAL SERIES</b>, 1951-1992 (49.00 linear ft.)
<p>
<u>Campaigns</u>, 1966-1992 (13.50 linear ft.)
<p>
<dd>The campaign files document Vander Jagt's fourteen congressional campaigns
beginning with the Republican primary in 1966 and ending with Vander Jagt's 1992
primary loss to Peter Hoekstra. The files contain a wealth of financial information
about campaign expenses and contributions, including the annual Fry for Guy
cookout in Michigan. The Fry for Guy papers include lists of contributions,
Vander Jagt Campaign Committee bank statements and routine campaign expenses.
Other notable financial records in the campaign series are press files (newspaper,
magazines, radio and TV) and campaign expense reports. Examples of the more
routine campaign files include nominating petitions, ballots and daily schedules.
Information about campaign strategy can be found in files on opponents, campaign
literature, candidate questionnaires distributed by the press and organizations,
election results and analysis, and correspondence files. Arranged chronologically by
campaign year.
<dd>The Audiovisual Series includes recordings of radio and TV advertisements
used in some of the campaigns. Information on Vander Jagt's 1964 campaign for the
Michigan State Senate is in the pre-congressional papers series, as are materials on
Vander Jagt's brief candidacy for the U.S. Senate in February of 1966.
<p>
<u>Speeches</u>, 1951-1989 (7.50 linear ft.)
<p>
<dd>This series chronicles Vander Jagt's heavy speaking schedule. Vander Jagt, an
award-winning speaker in his college days, was a popular GOP spokesman, and he
was particularly in demand as a speaker for GOP candidates in election years. The
speech files contain background materials, Vander Jagt's handwritten outlines,
correspondence, event briefings prepared by Vander Jagt's staff, and transcripts.
More than 250 speaking engagements are represented. Arranged chronologically.
Audio and video tapes of many of Vander Jagt's speeches can be found in the
Audiovisual Materials subseries.
<p>
<u>Biographical Files</u>, 1951-1992 (13.50 linear ft.)
<p>
<dd>Consists of biographical material about Vander Jagt and a small amount of
material about his wife. Files include clippings, material written by Vander Jagt's
staff for public relations purposes, photos, and the manuscript of an unpublished
political memoir written in 1978. Arranged chronologically.
<dd>These papers also document Vander Jagt's personal and professional life before
he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. The series includes personal
correspondence, files from his legal work in Grand Rapids, Michigan, State Senate
papers, and a file relating to Vander Jagt's unsuccessful bid for the Republican
nomination to the U.S. Senate in February of 1966.
<p>
<u>Audiovisual Materials</u>, 1966-1990 (12.00 linear ft.)
<p>
<dd>Consists of audio cassettes tapes, video cassette tapes, and 8mm and 16mm
film. The subseries is divided into three topical subseries (photographs,
videocassettes/reels/film, audiocassettes/reels). Most of the campaign tapes are radio
and TV advertisements; there are a few appearances on TV shows. Of the nine pre-
congressional tapes, eight are from 1965, including tapes of the news from when
Vander Jagt was news director for WWTV in Michigan. The ninth tape, "Vander
Jagt giving the news of the Republican Party," dates to October of 1966, just before
Vander Jagt's election to the House of Representatives. This tape shows how early
Vander Jagt became involved with Republican Party leadership. The political tapes
illustrate Vander Jagt's support for Gerald Ford's presidency in the mid-1970s and
show how Vander Jagt took advantage of media opportunities on the House floor
and at the White House in the late 1980s. Vander Jagt's appearances on nationally
known television shows are documented by six tapes that include "The Today Show,"
Robert Schuller's "Hour of Power," and the "MacNeil/Lehrer Report." Many of the
audio tapes are transcribed and contained in the Speeches subseries of this series and
can be located by either date or event.
<p>
<u>Publications</u>, 1983-1986 (0.50 linear ft.)
<p>
<dd>Consists of correspondence between Vander Jagt and his publishers,
manuscripts and published versions of Vander Jagt's publications, <i>A Country
Worth Saving</i> (1984) and <i>What You Have at Stake in the 1984 Election</i>
(1984). A final manuscript and published version of Paul Ried's analysis of selected
Vander Jagt's speeches, titled <i>The Orator</i> (1984), is also included.
<p>
<u>Memorabilia</u>, 1971-1984 (1.50 linear ft.)
<p>
<dd>Contains personal mementos, memorabilia of important political and cultural
events, plaques, and certificates of appreciation given to Vander Jagt by various civil
and business groups. Arranged chronologically.
<p>
<u>Famous Signatures</u>, 1967-1991 (0.50 linear ft.) <b>(RESTRICTED)</b>
<p>
<dd>Contains cards and correspondence directed to Vander Jagt from politicians
and celebrities, removed and restricted due to their value. Photocopies of these
letters were placed in their original location. Signatures include those of: John D.
Rockefeller, III; William Clay Ford; Pete Rozelle; Pat Boone; Paul Tagliabue;
Richard Digger Phelps; Michigan Govenor William Millken; C. Everett Koop,
MD; Barry Goldwater; Senator Hatfield; Bella Abzug; Strom Thurmond; William
Simon; Henry Cabot Lodge; Congressman Phil Hart; Lady Bird Johnson; Senator
Griffin; Hon. Sir Peter Rambotham, British Embassy; Delaware Govenor Pierre du
Pont; Anwar El-Sadat; Congressman Jack Kemp; City of New York Mayor Ed
Koch; Eastern Airlines President Frank Borman; Major League Baseball
Commissioner Bowie Kuhn; actress Carol Channing; Senator Edward Kennedy;
Henry Kissinger; Jimmy Carter; Alexander Haig; Donald Regan; Lynne Cheney;
George P. Shultz; James Watt; Newt Gingrich; Hubert H. Humphrey; Nelson
Rockefeller; Robert Dole; Richard Nixon; Gerald R. and Betty Ford; Ronald and
Nancy Reagan; Dan Rostenkowski; James A. Baker; George Bush; and John
Ehrlichman.
<p>
<i> List of Guy Vander Jagt's Committee and Subcommittee Assignments,
1967-1992</i>
<p>
<b>1967-1971</b>
<dl>
<dd>Science and Astronautics<br>
<dl>
<dd>Space Sciences and Applications<br>
NASA Oversight
</dl>
</dd>
</dl>
</dd>
<p>
<b>1967-1974 </b>
<dl>
<dd>Government Operations<br>
<dl>
<dd>Legal and Monetary Affairs (1967)<br>
Natural Resources and Power (1967-1968)<br>
Intergovernmental Relations (1968-1974)<br>
Conservation and Natural Resources (1969-1974)
</dl>
</dd>
</dl>
<p>
<b>1971-1974</b>
<dl>
<dd>Foreign Affairs<br>
<dl>
<dd>State Department Organization and Foreign Operations (1971-
1972)<br>
Africa (1971-1974)<br>
Europe (1971-1974)<br>
Foreign Economic Policy (1971-1974)
</dl>
</dd>
</dl>
<p>
<b>1975-1992</b>
<dl>
<dd>Ways and Means
<dl>
<dd>Trade (1975-1992)<br>
Public Assistance (1976)<br>
Public Assistance and Employment Compensation (1977-1978)<br>
Select Revenue Measures (1980-1992)
</dl>
</dd>
</dl>
<p>
<b>1989-1992</b>
<dl>
<dd>Joint Committee on Taxation</dd>
</dl>
</body>
]]>