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William V. Chappell, Jr. Congressional Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 0329

Scope and Content

The collection documents William Chappell's tenure in Congress beginning with the 91st Congress and running through the 100th Congress. Chappell represented the Florida 4th District which then comprised Flagler, St. Johns, Clay, Putnam, Volusia, and Marion counties, as well as parts of Duval, Lake, and Seminole counties. The collection consists of files on pending legislation, committee records, constituent mail, press releases and public statements, speeches and remarks, photographs, and biographical materials. There is also a small amount of audiovisual material.

Dates

  • Creation: 1969-1988

Creator

Access

The collection is open for research. The presence of constituent mail in this collection requires mediated access and researchers must consult with Special Collections staff before using the collection.

Biographical/Historical Note

William Venroe Chappell, Jr. was a Democratic politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Florida's 4th congressional district from 1969 to 1989. He was defeated in his 1988 reelection campaign and died in Bethesda, Maryland on March 30, 1989.

Chappell was born in Kendrick, Florida, on February 3, 1922. During World War II he served in the United States Navy as an aviator from 1942 to 1946. He then attended the University of Florida (UF) receiving a B.A. in 1947, an LL.B. in 1949, and his J.D. in 1967. He practiced law in Marion County as a prosecuting attorney from 1950 to 1954.

He first entered politics in 1954 as a Representative in the Florida state legislature, serving as speaker from 1961 to 1963. He did not seek re-election in 1964, but was elected again in 1966. Chappell then went on to practice law as a member of the Chappell and Rowland law firm in Ocala, Florida.

Chappell entered national politics in 1969 when he was elected as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Florida's 4th congressional district. He was a moderate-to-conservative Democrat and served on the United States House Appropriations Committee and later as the chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. He was defeated in 1988 and succumbed to bone cancer in Bethesda, Maryland, on March 30, 1989.

Extent

25 Linear feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

William V. Chappell, Jr. served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Florida's 4th congressional district from 1969 to 1989. He was defeated in his 1988 reelection campaign and died in Bethesda, Maryland on March 30, 1989. This collection documents Chappell's congressional tenure.

Arrangement

The collection is divided into four series: "Series 1: Central files," "Series 2: Media files," "Series 3: Speeches and statements," and "Series 4: Miscellany."

Physical Location

Please note that this collection is housed in the Auxiliary Library Facility off campus and will require advance notice for timely retrieval. Please contact the Special and Area Studies Collections department prior to your visit.

Other Finding Aids

In the 1990s, a few files were pulled from the collection and made available to researchers. These dealt primarily with the Cross Florida Barge Canal and may be cited as part of "Series 2" in publications prior to 2015. In 2015, the files were returned to "Series 1: Central files," and are clearly indicated in the contents list. The previous finding aid also included speeches and statements, and most of the materials now in "Series 4: Miscellany."

Processing Notes

While effort was made to define acronyms and abbreviations within the finding aid, a separate list of known acronyms and abbreviations is available here.

Title
A Guide to the William V. Chappell, Jr. Congressional Papers
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid created by Carl Van Ness
Date
June 2015
Description rules
Finding Aid Prepared Using Dacs
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida Repository

Contact:
George A. Smathers Libraries
PO Box 117005
Gainesville Florida 32611-7005 United States of America
352-273-2755