Aleph Number:
1977 Duke University. All rights reserved.
Collection is open for research.
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[Identification of item], The Graham Arthur Barden Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.
The Barden Papers were presented to the Rubenstein Library in 1961 and 1965 by Representative Barden.
Processed by: Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library Staff
Completed August 26, 1977
Processing of the collection and the preparation of this inventory were made possible by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Encoded by Stephen D. Miller
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
74th Congress 1935-36: Education; Library; Rivers & Harbors; Special Committee to Investigate Campaign Expenditures
75th Congress 1937-38: Education; Library; Patents; Rivers & Harbors (Left Patents Committee and placed on Labor Committee during this Congress)
76th Congress 1939-40: Education; Labor; Library; Rivers & Harbors
77th Congress 1941-42: Census; Education; Labor; Library; Rivers & Harbors
78th Congress 1943-44: Census; Education (Chairman; Civil Service; Labor, Library; Rivers & Harbors; Special Committee to Investigate Campaign Expenditures
79th Congress 1945-46: Census; Civil Service; Education (Chairman); Expenditures in the Executive Departments; Labor; Library; Rivers & Harbors
80th-86th Congresses 1947-60: Education and Labor Chairman 1951-52 and 1955-60
The Graham Arthur Barden Papers consist of the office files of Democratic Congressman Barden from his first election to Congress in 1934 through his retirement in 1960. Correspondence, public statements, and miscellaneous Items relate to his service as a member and then chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor. His interest in matters concerning his constituents in the Third District of North Carolina is reflected throughout the collection.
Congressman Barden left his successor, Congressman David Newton Henderson, many papers about ongoing business, especially local projects. These papers came to the library in the Henderson Papers where they are filed, Consult the Inventory of the David N. Henderson Papers for this material that dates prior to 1961 when Henderson took office. The Barden material dates as early as 1930.
The Graham Arthur Barden Papers span Barden's political career from 1933 through his retirement in 1960. There is little material for 1933-1934. Scattered Items pertain to Barden's work in the North Carolina General Assembly and papers for 1934 deal chiefly with his successful campaign in North Carolina's Third Congressional District for the United States Congress. The papers from 1935 through 1960 form a comprehensive record of Barden's congressional activities. To facilitate the use of the collection, the Barden Papers have been arranged in the following series:
I. Subject Files
II. Education and labor
III General Legislation
IV. Correspondence
V. Personal
For more detailed information on the arrangement and content of each series, refer to the Series Descriptions and Container Listing which follow.
The Barden Papers consist in part of correspondence exchanged between Barden and other committee members, legislators, and officials of government agencies. Educators, labor leaders, businessmen, and prominent North Carolinians also communicated with Barden. A large category contains numerous letters from constituents in the Third District of North Carolina who wrote concerning local projects, employment prospects, veteran's benefits, and issues immediately affecting them. There is also a Quantity of "pressure mail" urging Barden to support or oppose certain legislation. Although this type of correspondence is often short and repetitive, it represents a broad geographical area outside of Barden's district and include letters providing comment ranging from the highly articulate to the semi-literate on issues of the day
In addition to correspondence, the Barden Papers contain typescripts and drafts of speeches, legal briefs, and reports. There is also printed material related to the development of various bills, including reports, hearings and confidential committee prints. Many such Items are public documents and have been retained because of the legislative history they reveal, because they have immediate relation to the collection, or because they contain corrections or marginalia written by Barden. Other government documents, however, such as final or complete copies of committee hearings and reports or documents sent to Barden as a courtesy, have been removed since they pertain only tangentially to the collection. A researcher may therefore wish to consult appropriate printed government documents located elsewhere in the Perkins Library.
Many printed Items that Barden collected for research for committee work or accumulated for general information have also been retained. Labor, education, and other partisan groups furnished many of these Items. The papers also contain clippings and some photographs, mainly of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and Goldsboro, North Carolina.
As a whole, the Barden Collection illustrates legislative trends, particularly in education and labor, from the Depression to the Kennedy years, and the role that Barden played as a member and chairman of an important House Committee. Major issues include federal aid to education, labor-management relations, labor standards, and minimum wage legislation,
Coverage for legislation considered by committees other than Education and Labor is uneven and is likely to reflect Barden's own interests or viewpoints. Since Barden continually tried to serve his constituents, for example agriculture information is more abundant than foreign policy material. The Third District was largely rural, and agriculture, fishing, and related industries were important to the District, as were lumbering, preliminary processing of tobacco, and some furniture manufacturing. Barden was also instrumental in the establishment and development of several military installations in his district, including Camp Lejeune Marine Base and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. These activities, as well as other issues of national importance, are reflected in the materials filed under General Legislation and in the Third District Projects and Constituent Concerns files.
Since Barden was consistently unopposed in congressional elections there is little campaign material, Family and exclusively personal material is also rare.
A note on Processing: The five series roughly parallel the arrangement of the tiles as they came from Barden's office, with some consolidation of smaller units, particularly in Series I, the Subject Series.
Certain Items or groups of material were not retained. These include duplicates standard and repetitive responses to pressure mail, and ephemeral material or papers pertaining to ordinary facilitative processes.
Samples from other categories were retained on the following basis:
1. Veteran's files - "C" names retained
2. Employment files - "C" names retained
3. Service Academy Appointments - General files and "C" names retained
4. Post Office - Morehead City files and files for county seats in district retained
These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will bring up other related research materials.
Material deals with general agricultural
matters rather than specific crops, Much
of the correspondence concerns
Early correspondence concerns the location
of
Correspondence revolves around Barden's
attempts to assist wives and relatives of
soldiers of the
Material refers to
This folder contains a copy of
Most of this correspondence deals with patronage on the beach erosion project.
Correspondence concerning
Material refers to the closing of Protestant
churches in
Information concerns the attempts by several
This section includes a
Included are reports of the
This segment contains a May,
Most of the correspondence deals with coal shortages and Barden's efforts to increase the quotas of towns in his district.
Correspondence relates mainly to
Material concerns the erection of memorials to
Much of this material deals with
Letters from people
Early correspondence deals with the
location of the camp, and the establishment
of a
Bulk of material on new directives by the
Department concerning the movement of
household goods of servicemen, and the
awarding of that business to moving companies.
Also includes correspondence on other
Early material includes information on finances, the activities of the Democratic National Committee Women's Division, and a report of
State material deals with the activities
of the
Most material concerns
Most material deals with FSA statistics and
constituents' problems with the
Most material focuses on applications for
Pamphlet (24pp.) on architectural modernization; pamphlet (24pp.) on
One case involves the need in
Address by
Lists of approved
Material concerns a shortage of
Correspondence concerning efforts to
establish branches in
Correspondence related to Federal and
state policies on the stocking of ponds
through governmental assistance, the
menhaden fishing industry,
Correspondence concerns how
Correspondence focuses on pros and cons of
fluoridation; also 17 pamphlets from the
Bulk of correspondence deals with rationing
of gasoline and
Includes several bulletins from
Correspondence deals with attempts by GI's
to get loans, problems with lending institutions and the
3 pamphlets:
Correspondence deals with the sale of the Health Center building by the
Correspondence concerns needed expansion of the hospital because of its use by persons associated with
Correspondence focuses on a proposal to build a
Correspondence deals with the acquisition of a government building to be used as the
Includes information on seamen's benefits through the
Bulk of material consists of clippings on the strike from
Correspondence concerns the purchase of
the old
Correspondence revolves around
Includes
Protects from
Most correspondence concerns fees and
commercial facilities on the
Correspondence concerns efforts to obtain
funds to build a new courthouse in
Correspondence centers on efforts to
establish a labor camp at
Material concerns designating the library
at
Includes lists of books lent by
Material concerns centers for the
Material discusses ways the Federal
government could aid
Correspondence concerns crisis in the
Includes
Material includes Federal assistance to
Includes pictures of proposed
Correspondence related to
Material includes photographs of armory dedication with
Material reflects Barden's efforts to aid constituents in their dealings with OPM and OPM regulations.
Correspondence concerns fuel shortages in
the
Barden assists elderly in obtaining assistance from the Federal government.
Correspondence concerns a private bill to allow compensation to oyster farmers for the killing of oysters caused by the discharge of sewerage and waste from military bases.
Penderlea was a homesteading project
in which Barden was greatly interested.
Material includes
Correspondence reflects Barden's efforts
to assist
Samples of letters mailed to
Includes letters of recommendation for blacks and whites
Most of correspondence deals with Barden's
aid to
Letters of application for the position of
secretary to Barden,
Most correspondence deals with attempts to obtain agricultural deferments for draftees.
Correspondence and resolutions reflecting public opinion on a national health insurance plan.
Correspondence shows Barden's assistance to constituents having problems with governmental red tape. Some material concerns tobacco acreage allotments.
Material includes annual reports of the
Material relating to governmental rationing of sugar and constituents' problems in dealing with the regulations.
Material includes report
Correspondence generally reflects
Material concerns developing and maintaining
tobacco markets at
Correspondence deals with constituents'
attempts to purchase trucks and the
restrictions on such purchases imposed by
the Federal government during
Correspondence concerns attempts to
develop
Letters in May,
Correspondence generally concerns Barden's
aid to veterans in obtaining duplicate
discharge certificates and his assistance
to local communities in scheduling
Material includes booklet and addresses:
Material includes notices of the passage
of
Notebook,
29 pp. with maps of
Note: For