U.S. Senate
       
Search for information on the U.S. Senate in Bowdoin Library's online catalog:
United States Congress Senate
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U.S. Senate, 1950-1994 [bulk 1980-1994].
988.5 linear feet.
Catalog Number: M202.6
Background Note:
In May of 1980 Maine Governor Joseph Brennan appointed George Mitchell
to fill Edmund S. Muskie's Senate seat, vacated when President Jimmy Carter
appointed Muskie U.S. Secretary of State. In 1982, Mitchell won reelection
with sixty-one percent of the vote. After the congressional elections
in 1984 he was voted chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
(DSCC). In 1986, during Mitchell's committee chairmanship, the Democrats
won eleven seats and a majority in the Senate. In 1987 Mitchell was appointed
a member of the Select Committee on Iran-Contra. Mitchell won his second
reelection campaign with eighty-one percent of the vote in 1988. Mitchell's
performance on the Iran-Contra committee and his success as DSCC chairman
allowed him to develop a broad base of confidence and support from the
Senate as a whole, and Senate Democrats in particular, in a relatively
short period of time. This enabled him to capture his party's nomination
for Senate majority leader. Mitchell also served as a member of the Finance
Committee, the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Veterans' Affairs
Committee, and the Governmental Affairs Committee. In early 1994 Mitchell
announced that he would not run for another term after the completion
of his second full term in January, 1995.
Mitchell's Senate office was organized in four basic functions: administrative
operations; legislative activities; constituent services; and press and
media activities.
Description:
Records in this group include memos, notes, correspondence, schedules,
reports, bills, hearing transcripts, press releases, press clippings,
audio and video tapes, memorabilia, photographs, financial records, and
computer files. The largest series of records consists of legislative records (492.5 linear feet) and was produced
by legislative aides. These records document the major work of the senator's
office.
Significant legislative events include the authorization of the Maine
Indian Lands Claim settlement of 1980; the Clean Water Act of 1987 and
Clean Air Act of 1990; the Iran-Contra affair in 1986-1987; health care
initiatives of 1991 and 1993-1994.
Access Restrictions: Restriction details listed in the sub-series notes.
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