Series 1: Numeric Subject Files, 1971-1988

"Series 1: Numeric Subject Files, 1971-1988" is the largest series in the Lawton Chiles Senate Collection. It was conceived as an all- purpose filing system for the Senate office. The bulk of the existing series consists of constituent issue mail, but there are also legislative and agency reference files. Record types found in the series include correspondence, petitions, agency reports, studies from the Congressional Research Service, publications sent to Senator Chiles, and congressional prints. The series provides insights to popular opinion on the major national issues of the day - Vietnam, Watergate, the economic crisis of the 1970s, the fuel shortage of the late 1970s, and Iran/Contra in the 1980s. It also documents the development of numerous federal programs in the 1970s and 1980s. The most significant files, though, are those related to Florida. Foremost among them are the many files related to Florida's rapid population growth and its impact on the state's economy and environment. Particularly noteworthy are the Interior Department files related to the protection of the Everglades and the Defense Department files on the Army Corps of Engineers. The latter document the tremendous impact Corps projects played in the development of Florida's coastlines and waterways.

The series covers the entire span of Chiles's Senate career, but was used less frequently in the later years of his tenure. The principal components of the series are the files related to specific federal departments and independent agencies, the legislative files (file 60), and constituent issue mail (file 61). But the series was used, initially at least, for every conceivable purpose. For example, records of staff interns were filed under 53 and records related to the Democratic Party appear in 41. The number 44 was retained for state administrative records and consisted largely of case work involving state social service agencies. The case files were removed and only the files related to state issues were retained.

The legislative files tracked specific bills as they passed through Congress. The file was used infrequently after 1975. It contains staff notes, congressional prints, correspondence from colleagues in the Senate and House, studies from the Congressional Research Service, and constituent mail. Of particular note in 60 are the records related to legislation proposed or supported by Senator Chiles. Records related to the Government in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C 552b, 1976), Chiles's signature legislation, dominate the legislative files. The legislative files cease with the 97th Congress, 1981-1983. In subsequent years, subject file 60 was used for constituent mail related to animal welfare and wildlife conservation.

The largest numerical file is 61, constituent issue mail. It contains 86 cartons covering the years 1971-1978 and includes both letters received and responses from Senator Chiles. Since constituent mail is found elsewhere in the series, the purpose of a separate file for constituent mail is unclear. However, so-called "robo" mail does not appear in 61. For example, all of the mass mailings related to the plight of Soviet Jews are located in the Department of State files (2) while individual appeals appear in both 2 and 61. But there was little consistency as to where an individual letter might be filed. A letter related to the Big Cypress National Preserve might appear under file 7 or file 61 or both. Overall, the 61's constitute an impressive record of the vox populi for an eight year period.

The series also contained files that are not normally retained in congressional collections. These would include case work files (found throughout the series), files related to interns (53), recommendations for office seekers (55), and copies of the Congressional Record (38) and the Congressional Directory (39). These files and others were removed during processing.

Additional files from Series 1 can be found in "Series 3: Staff files." Most noticeable are the 61-Appropriations files found in George Patten's records and the 4-Corp of Engineers files discovered in Lynda Goodgame's records.