Burton Hoffman Papers

University Archives and Special Collections
15 Lippitt Road
Kingston, RI 02881-2011
Tel: 401-874-4632

email: archives@etal.uri.edu

Published in 2009

Collection Overview

Title:	Burton Hoffman Papers
Date range:	1952-1986
Creator:	Burton, Hoffman
Extent:	17.25 linear feet, 34 box(es)
Abstract:	This collection contains the papers of journalist, political aide, and activist Burton Hoffman. The papers center on Hoffman's work as a newspaper editor, press secretary, and political advisor in the 1960s and 1970s.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	University Archives and Special Collections
Collection number:	Mss. Gr. 184

Scope & content

The Burton Hoffman papers consist of Hoffman's records from his positions as a U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate staff member, a journalist and editor, press secretary to politicians and political candidates, and as a public affairs consultant. The records were stored at Hoffman’s residence, and were donated to Special Collections in May 2005.

Most of the collection is well preserved; however, many of the records on the exchange trips with the Soviet Union and the Film Project on Congress have severe water and mold damage. Severely damaged records were photocopied, and the originals were discarded.

The papers consist of memoranda, correspondence, speech transcripts, reports, notes, schedules, newspapers and newspaper clippings, photographs, realia, audiocassettes, and one LP record.

The collection is divided into the following series:

Series I, Special Assistant to the House Majority Whip (1975-1981), contains records relating to Hoffman's position as Special Assistant to John Brademas, the Majority Whip of the U.S. House of Representatives from the 94th through the 96th Congressional sessions. The series contains memoranda, press clippings, correspondence, reports, press releases, speech transcripts, notes, schedules, briefing materials, photographs, and one audiocassette.

Series II, US-Soviet Legislative Exchange Trips (1977-1981), consists of records relating to an exchange program between the U.S. Congress and the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The series contains briefing documents, reports, press clippings, schedules, photographs, correspondence, and memoranda. Much of the material in this series was severely water and mold damaged. Photocopies were made of the damaged material and the originals were discarded.

Series III, Shriver Campaign 1972 (1970-1975), consists of documents relating to Hoffman’s position as R. Sargent Shriver’s Press Secretary during the Presidential campaign of 1972. The series contains staff lists, speech transcripts, newspapers, memoranda, press releases, news clippings, schedules, correspondence, one 33 1/3 LP record, and notes.

Series IV, Korean Bribery Scandal (1973-1978), consists of records relating to allegations of bribery of several members of Congress by Korean intelligence agents, and the subsequent investigations and Congressional hearings into the matter in 1978. The series consists of press clippings, memoranda, cassette tapes, notes, and correspondence.

Series V, Film Project on Congress (1975-1979), contains memoranda, correspondence, interview transcripts, promotional materials, and press clippings relating to two films, broadcast on public television, about Congress and the legislative process. Some of the documents in this series are photocopies of severely water damaged materials.

Series VI, Editorial Files (1958-1976), contains records from Hoffman’s career as an editor and journalist. The series consists of memoranda, press clippings, newspapers, reports, and correspondence.

Series VII Subject Files (1952-1986), contains records relating to Hoffman’s positions as aide to both Senator Carl Levin and Representative Henry Waxman, as well as personal and employment correspondence, reports, articles on sailing, realia, and appointment books.

Arrangement

The Burton Hoffman collection is divided into seven series:

• 1. Special Assistant to the House Majority Whip
• 2. US-Soviet Legislative Exchange Trips
• 3. Shrive Campaign 1972
• 4. Korean Bribery Scandal
• 5. Film Project on Congress
• 6. Editorial Files
• 7. Subject Files

Biographical note

Burton Hoffman was born in New York City on June 28, 1929. His family moved to Newport, R.I. when he was a child, and he attended several Newport public schools, including Coddington, Lenthal, and John Clark Schools, before graduating from Rogers High School in 1946.

Hoffman joined the U.S. Army after high school, serving thirteen months, from July 1946 to November 1947, in Inchon, South Korea as a Corporal and Sergeant of the Guard with the 57th Military Police Company, where he was given a citation for helping to control a prison break.

After receiving an honorable discharge from the Army, Hoffman began attending the University of Rhode Island, majoring in English with a minor in political science. While at URI, Hoffman became editor of the student newspaper, and after leaving URI he began working as a journalist, first as a sports editor and daily sports columnist for The Herkimer Evening Telegram, then, in 1953, reporting on local politics and city government for The Elmira Advertiser.

Hoffman moved from New York to Washington, D.C. in 1955, taking a position as a reporter and copy reader forCongressional Quarterly magazine. By October of that year, he had become news editor of the magazine, supervising twenty editors, reporters, and researchers covering the U.S. Congress and national politics.

Hoffman left Congressional Quarterly in 1958 and, for the next fourteen years, held a number of positions at The Washington Star. Beginning as a city desk reporter, Hoffman moved up to positions as copy editor, assistant national editor, world editor, and, finally, assistant managing editor in October 1968. In his work as an editor he directed coverage of major national and international events, and gave him the opportunity to travel while reporting on international events.

Hoffman resigned from the Star in 1972, to become the Press Secretary to R. Sargent Shriver, two weeks after Shriver was chosen to be George McGovern’s running mate in the Presidential election. As one of Shriver's chief aides, Hoffman scheduled press activities and assisted in the planning of campaign arrangements. Following McGovern and Shriver’s loss to incumbent President Richard Nixon in the election, Hoffman returned to journalism in 1973, as the managing editor of the National Journal, becoming editor a few months later.

Hoffman left the National Journal in 1975 for a position as senior aide and advisor to John Brademas, the Majority Whip of the U.S. House of Representatives. Hoffman advised Representative Brademas on issues of media relations, legislation, politics, and foreign affairs. In addition to Brademas, Hoffman would often advise members of the Democratic Leadership in general, including Speaker of the House Thomas P. (Tip) O’Neill.

While in his position as assistant to the Majority Whip, Hoffman participated in a series of meetings between members of the House of Representatives and legislators in the Soviet Union in 1978-1979. He traveled to the Soviet Union with a special House Delegation in April of 1979, meeting with officials of the Soviet Government and the Communist Party, as well as with religious leaders and political dissidents.

Following the defeat of John Brademas in the election of 1980, Hoffman took a job as the Press Secretary to Senator Carl Levin of Michigan. As Press Secretary, he helped develop legislative and political strategy, advised and trained staff members, and wrote drafts of statements and speeches for the Senator. Hoffman became the Administrative Assistant for the Chairman of the Health and Environment Subcommittee of the House, Representative Henry Waxman of California, in 1983.

Hoffman left his positions in the Congress in 1985 to become the Director of Media Relations in Washington for Hill and Knowlton, Inc., advising corporate and government clients. As a Senior Vice President of Hill and Knowlton, Hoffman spent forty-two months in Indonesia, supervising the government’s National Development Information Office and working with cabinet ministers to increase foreign investment and economic development.

He continued to work as a consultant throughout the 1990s, directing a USAID economic reform program, the Ukraine Social Assistance Program, from 1995-97, and consulting on public education campaigns in Moldova and Ukraine in 1999 and 2000.

Hoffman retired to Newport, R.I. in 1997 and continued to participate in state and local political reform efforts until at least 2007, after traveling extensively in Southeast Asia, settling in Chang Mai, Thailand. He died in hospice care in Chang Mai on November 18th, 2010 of lung cancer at the age of 81.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	Open for research.
Use of the materials:	Terms governing use and reproduction: Photocopying and scanning of materials is a fee based service available in the repository and is allowed at the discretion of the Archivist when in compliance to the Unit's policy on copyright and publication.
Preferred citation:	Burton Hoffman Papers, 1952-1986, Mss. Gr. 184, University of Rhode Island Library, University Archives and Special Collections.
Contact information:	University Archives and Special Collections 15 Lippitt Road Kingston, RI 02881-2011 Tel: 401-874-4632 email: archives@etal.uri.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	The records were stored at Hoffman’s residence, and were donated to Special Collections in May 2005.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by David Sherman.
Encoding:	Finding aid encoded by Hailie D. Posey 2009 June 16, updated by Mark Dionne on 2020 April 8
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Inventory

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Inventory