US Congressman Harry Mitchell Donates Papers to ASU Libraries

U. S. Congressman Harry Mitchell at the April 2012 reception held in his honor at the Luhrs Reading Room in Hayden Library. Photo by Phil Cisneros/ASU Libraries

Congressman Harry Mitchell and his staff have been working with the ASU Libraries to preserve the history of Mitchell’s work in the US House of Representatives. In early 2011 University Archivist Rob Spindler worked with the Mitchell staff to acquire nineteen boxes of archives from the Scottsdale and Washington DC offices. The materials include electronic and paper correspondence, reports, photographs and memorabilia documenting Mitchell’s service from 2007-2011.

Spindler also worked with Mitchell Director of Administration Chris Quigley and The Library Channel staff to organize an oral history project, in which Mitchell and six key staff were interviewed by ASU Professor Emeritus David Berman. “We knew that staff interviews would be very helpful in developing a deeper and more useful historical record of Congressman Mitchell’s work, and The Library Channel had the skills and facilities available to help us do just that” said Spindler. Three of those interviews were taped in the historic Senator Carl Hayden Office in Hayden Library.

On Thursday April 19^th Harry Mitchell’s career and the gift of his papers were celebrated in a special reception for the congressman, his family, his staff and close friends. Associate University Librarian Phil Konomos read a congratulatory letter from President Crow at the reception. Mitchell is the eleventh member of Congress to donate his papers to the Arizona Collection at ASU Libraries.

The preliminary inventory of the Harry Mitchell Papers is now online at http://www.azarchivesonline.org/xtf/view?docId=ead/asu/mitchell_acc.xml;query=harrymitchell;brand=default and they are now available for research by appointment.  To make an appointment, please call 480.965.4932 or email archives@asu.edu.

The Mitchell Oral History Project videos are online at http://repository.asu.edu/collections/90

Photos from the reception for Harry Mitchell are posted online at http://www.flickr.com/photos/asulibraries/sets/72157629913949021/

- Rob Spindler, University Archivist, Archives and Special Collections