John H. Chafee 1972 Senatorial Campaign Papers

Series 1. Correspondence
This series contains correspondence received and sent out by the “Chafee for ’72” campaign. The series is arranged chronologically within month by the date of the reply to the letter and alphabetically by name of recipient. The series contains the carbon copy of the letter sent by the “Chafee for ’72” office to the correspondent with the original letter sent to the Campaign office, along with any enclosures and usually the envelope.

At the end of the series are three folders with “Political Flavor” letters. Although they were written when Chafee was Secretary of the Navy, they were written to support him in running for the office of US Senator from Rhode Island. Included are Chafee’s replies to those letters.

Series 2. Chronological Correspondence
This series contains pink carbon copies of letters sent out by the “Chafee for ’72” campaign staff. This series also contains news releases, schedules, and memoranda.

Series 3. Appointments
This series contains letters relating to events Chafee did or did not attend, remarks made at various functions, News Releases of other Republican candidates, organizational lists and other lists–all related to his campaign for the Senate in 1972. The News Releases from his campaign are collected in another series, News Releases. This series is organized alphabetically by subject.

Series 4. Pell Research Files
This series contains the extensive research done on Senator Claiborne Pell, Chafee’s opponent in the Campaign of 1972 by Chafee’s campaign staff. The research consists of newspaper clippings, excerpts of the Congressional Register with statements by or votes of Pell, copies of bills sponsored by Pell, and numerous notes made on his position on various topics.

The notes are sometimes handwritten, but often are typed. The files often have notes to “Alice” who may have compiled this file. Alice Bridget Gibney was the Research Assistant to the Chafee campaign. She graduated from law school at Catholic University, Washington, DC, in 1972, worked for the “Chafee in ’72” campaign, and later (in 1984) became an Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court. The folder titles generally reflect the original titles given them by the compiler of the files.

The series begins with a subject file and is followed by folders in a legislative file which document Pell’s stands in the 91st and 92nd Congresses. The Legislative File include copies of the Congressional Register which record bills introduced by Pell, copies of bills sponsored by Pell, and notes on Pell’s voting record. These two files are arranged alphabetically and, in the Legislative File, chronologically within category.

Series 5. Newsclippings
Extensive newspaper clipping files were kept or have survived for the Campaign of 1972. This series may have been kept by Alice Bridget Gibney, Research Assistant for the “Chafee in ’72” Campaign. Various notes for “Alice” were found in this material which consists of a subject file of newspaper clippings from Rhode Island newspapers. The files also contain some “Position Papers” on various topics, some news releases, and letters. This series also contains note cards [in Chafee’s hand] with a note, “Alice–Notes for Debate.” Alice Gibney graduated from law school at Catholic University, Washington, DC, in 1972 and became an Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court in 1984.

Series 6. News Releases
This series contains a collection of the News Releases written by the “Chafee in ’72” campaign. The series consists of mimeographed or photocopied examples of the News Releases. In some few cases the original manuscript copy is stapled to the News Release.

Series 7. Post-Campaign Files
This series contains a collection of personal records and correspondence kept by Chafee between the time of his failed Senate race in 1972 and his successful Senate campaign in 1976. It consists mainly of carbon copies of letters that Chafee sent and letters recipients sent to him. The series is arranged alphabetically, and chronologically by date of letter within category.

On February 1, 1973, Chafee became a partner in the law firm, Edwards and Angell. This series does not include his files from his legal practice, but does include some records of his on speech material, his partnership articles, mementos of a trip to China, and miscellaneous information of interest to him which were kept in a folder labeled “Edwards and Angell”.