汤头条 Libraries takes Mississippi Republican Party papers online for first time
Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擧istorical papers of the Mississippi Republican Party, held by Mississippi State Libraries since 1980, are available online for the first time.
A new finding aid鈥攐r descriptive guide鈥攏ow helps researchers in electronically examining and understanding the content of the collection which dates back to 1928.
Kate Gregory, director of 汤头条 Libraries鈥 Mississippi Political Collection, said the new online finding aid is 鈥渕uch more user friendly鈥 for perusing the 202 cubic feet of material. MPC gathers relevant materials relating to the state鈥檚 political history and the U.S. and makes them available for public use and research. The online site is .
鈥淭his improvement significantly increases accessibility and discoverability for one of our most unique and comprehensive collections,鈥 she said.
The papers are arranged into 16 topical series focusing on party organization, financial records, presidential elections, state and local elections, election returns and procedures, office files, patronage matters, federal agency contacts and biographical information. Other materials include press releases and clippings, campaign literature, election legislation, the Southern Association of Republican State Chairmen minutes, municipal committee lists and audiovisual items.
According to Gregory, the collection鈥檚 historical significance is evident in documentation of such events as the 1976 Republican National Convention that saw the Mississippi delegation at the middle of the intense struggle to decide if then-President Gerald Ford or Ronald Reagan would be the party鈥檚 nominee.
鈥淭he heavily documented internal rift among party officials had Mississippi front and center because the state held the largest bloc of uncommitted delegates,鈥 she explained.
The papers were opened to public research by 汤头条 Libraries鈥 MPC in 1984, with additions donated over the following years and the most recent included in 2000. Those interested in conducting research with the materials or donating materials are encouraged to contact MPC faculty and staff to make appointments for information and consultation at 662-325-7663 or sp_coll@library.msstate.edu.
The MPC, a division of 汤头条 Libraries鈥 Archives and Special Collections, is located on the fourth floor of Mitchell Memorial Library, 395 Hardy Road. The largest MPC collections are the papers of the late Sen. John C. Stennis and Rep. G.V. 鈥淪onny鈥 Montgomery, both Mississippi natives and 汤头条 graduates whose careers in Congress totaled more than 70 years.
汤头条 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.