Eldon Rudd Papers

The Eldon Rudd papers house correspondence, transcripts, news releases, speeches, articles, and printed matter dating from 1962 to 1987. The bulk of the material dates from 1977 to 1986 and constitutes written communications and study materials collected during Rudd's tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is arranged in six series.

Series I: Correspondence dates from 1977 to 1986 and is arranged in four subseries. Sub-Series A: Legislative Correspondence houses general and Congressional committee correspondence dating from 1977 to 1979. Sub-Series B: Departments and Agencies contains correspondence dating from 1977 to 1980 regarding the legislative concerns of various governmental organizations. Some of these materials document the movement to require metrication of weights and measures in the United States (Box 51, Folders 13-13c; Box 54, Folders 9-12; Box 56, Folders 1-11; and Box 57, Folders 1-2). Sub-Series C: Organizations and Groups includes correspondence regarding the legislative concerns of private organizations between 1977 and 1980. Sub-Series D: Trip Files contains correspondence regarding legislative proposals discussed at conferences outside of Washington, D.C. from 1977 to 1986.

Series II: Publicity and Public Presentations contains articles, speeches, correspondence, and printed matter dating from 1977 to 1986. It is divided into four subseries. Sub-Series A: Articles houses Eldon Rudd's constituent mailers, which were dispatched from 1980 to 1983. Sub-Series B and Sub-Series C contain addresses given by Rudd and statements prepared for inclusion in the Congressional Record between 1977 and 1986. Sub-Series D: News Releases and Reports is composed of press releases and related printed matter dating from 1977 to 1980. Sub-Series E: Speeches, Articles, and News Reports houses persuasive writings dating from 1983 to 1986. Materials in Box 78, Folders 13-24 address the issue of mandatory metrication of American weights and measures.

Series III: Legislation Files houses materials documenting legislation proposed between 1977 and 1986. It is divided into seven subseries. Sub-Series A: Bill Files houses reprints of bills and associated correspondence dating from 1979 and 1980. Sub-Series B: Budget Committee Files contains correspondence documenting the Budget Committee's activities between 1979 and 1981. Sub-Series C: Science and Technology Committee Files includes bill reprints and hearing transcripts dating from 1977 to 1981. Of particular interest are a study report addressing metrication (Box 95, Folders 6-6a) and minutes and transcripts documenting the impact of metrication on retail fuel sales (Box 96, Folders 1-11; Box 97, Folders 1-9; and Box 98, Folders 1-2). Sub-Series D: Co-Sponsored Bills houses correspondence and printed materials documenting occasions when Rudd joined with other members of Congress to campaign for the passage of particular pieces of legislation. Of particular interest are the materials calling for the repeal of metrication (Box 107, Folder 2 and Box 112, Folder 28). Sub-Series E: National Science Foundation includes correspondence and transcripts concerning the appropriations for, expenditures by, and the grant awarding process of the National Science Foundation between 1977 and 1979. Sub-Series F: Panama Canal contains correspondence, speeches, research reports, and printed matter dating from 1971 to 1982. The bulk of this material falls between 1977 and 1982 and concerns the disposition of the canal. Sub-Series G: Members' Personal Voting Records houses printed matter dating from 1977 to 1986.

Series IV: Case Files houses correspondence files regarding the particular legislative concerns of various executive branch departments that arose between 1977 and 1986. It is divided into three subseries: Sub-Series A: Departments, Sub-Series B: Special Projects, and Sub-Series C: Miscellaneous Cases.

Series V: Resource and Subject Files contains printed matter collected for background study and related correspondence and hearing transcripts dating from 1962 to 1987 (bulk 1977-1986). It is divided into eight subseries: Sub-Series A: Arizona: Grants, Sub-Series B: Arizona: Miscellaneous Subjects, Sub-Series C: Energy and Water, Sub-Series D: Indians, Sub-Series E: Metric, Sub-Series F: Information, Sub-Series G: Resource Files: Defense, Sub-Series H: Resource Files: Latin America, Sub-Series I: Resource Files: Miscellaneous, Sub-Series J: Miscellaneous Subjects, and Sub-Series K: News Clippings.

Series VI: Correspondence Regarding Issues contains incoming and outgoing constituent mail documenting a number of specific issues and/or subjects and hardcopy indexes generated by an automated document tracking system used by Congressman Rudd's office staff. Subjects addressed in the correspondence include Arizona Water Issues, Food Stamps, Central Arizona Project, Orme Dam, National Homeownership Bonds, Solar Energy, Central America Involvement, El Salvador, and Copper Petition to International Trade Commission.

The Issues Index (Box 177, Folder 8) is a list of category codes assigned to correspondence subjects or issues. By looking under the category code for a particular issue in the Correspondence Number List (Box 177, Folder 9) it is possible to identify Document Numbers for individual letters relating to the desired issue. Correspondence Number Lists are available for approximately 16% of the topics listed in the Issues Index. Inclusive document numbers for each box in this series are listed in the Box and Folder List below. An incomplete data dictionary for the document tracking system is also included in this series. The Issues Index noted above is an updated section from the data dictionary.