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Collection Guide

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Inventory of the John Doolittle Papers

LP401

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Table of contents

Series Descriptions

LP401:1-161

Series 1. Bill Files 1981-1990

Physical Description: 161 file folders

Arrangement

Bill files are arranged chronologically by legislative session and then numerically by bill number.

Scope and Content Note

Bill files were created by John T. Doolittle while he served as a senator, 1981-1990. The files may include bill analyses, amendments and resolutions, author's statements, testimony, press releases, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and committee statements.

1981-1982: SB108-SB2063; SCA44; SJR63 (18ff) LP401:1-18.

1983-1984: SB53-SB2573; SCA42-SCA53; SCR72-SCR79;SJR3-SJR56 (25ff) LP401:19-43.

1985-1986: SB216-SB2620; SCA30; SCR46-SCR102;SJR12-SJR55 (34ff) LP401:44-77.

1987-1988: SB1-SB2863; SCA27-SCA28; SJR1-SJR37 (48ff) LP401:78-125.

1989-1990: SB7-SB2887; SCA17-SCA28; SCR25-SCR82;SJR14-SJR52 (36ff) LP401:126-161.

LP401:162-252

Series 2. News Summaries 1985-1990

Physical Description: 91 file folders

Arrangement

News Summaries are arranged chronologically by year and month.

Scope and Content Note

News Summaries are groups of news articles assembled by Doolittle staffers. There is a cover sheet for each News Summary with the date range of the articles in it. The cover sheet also has the titles and dates of the articles organized by subject. The date range of each group is variable, so news summaries are organized by the latest date in the range. For example if the date range is 4/14/86 - 6/20/86, it can be found with the June 1986 news summaries.

LP401:253-260

Series 3. Rose Bird Files 1985-1986

Physical Description: 8 file folders

Arrangement

Rose Bird Files are in their original order.

Scope and Content Note

Rose Bird Files consists of news articles, petitions, reports, and speeches relating to the 1986 confirmation election of then California Supreme Court Chief Justice Rose Bird. Doolittle was an outspoken critic of the Bird Court and the series reflects Doolittle's interest in preventing Bird's confirmation.

LP401:261-298

Series 4. AIDS Articles 1984-1987

Physical Description: 38 file folders

Arrangement

The AIDS Articles are in their original order, which is generally chronological.

Scope and Content Note

The AIDS articles are a large collection of newspaper, magazine, and newsletter articles relating to all aspects of the AIDS virus and its social ramifications. Topics included in these articles are the ways in which AIDS can be spread, total number of deaths attributed to AIDS, the growing fear of people who lead alternative sexual lifestyles, Rock Hudson's death and lawsuit brought against his estate by a former sexual partner, and ways in which other states and countries are addressing the AIDS crisis.

LP401:299-343

Series 5. News Clipping Files 1984-1987

Physical Description: 45 file folders

Arrangement

The News Clipping Files are arranged chronologically by year and month.

Scope and Content Note

The News Clipping Files are copies of newspaper articles that mention Doolittle in the text of the article. Doolittle is generally referenced in articles about pending legislation, events he participated in, and more general issues about which he had taken a side such as tax reductions, AIDS, and blood donation.

LP401:344-345

Series 6. Weekly News Columns 1981-1984

Physical Description: 2 file folders

Arrangement

The Weekly News Columns are arranged chronologically by legislative session.

Scope and Content Note

The Weekly News Columns were written by Doolittle and distributed to his supporters. Topics include legislation currently being written or voted on by Doolittle and more general subjects that are of interest to conservatives such as abortion and taxation. This series appears to have been abandoned after Doolittle's second session.

LP401:346-348

Series 7. Press Releases 1981-1987

Physical Description: 3 file folders

Arrangement

The Press Releases are arranged chronologically by year and month.

Scope and Content Note

Press Releases are articles written about topics that Doolittle wanted advertised. They were written in a way that they could be picked up by media outlets and reprinted verbatim and seem like legitimate news stories. Some of the topics included in this series are sales and use taxes, federal parole, court reform, "Jerry Brown: California's Cosmic Crime Fighting Charlatan," AIDS, awards Doolittle received, and legislation Doolittle was pushing.

LP401:349-350

Series 8. Postcards 1986-1988

Physical Description: 2 file folders

Arrangement

The Postcards are arranged alphabetically by subject.

Scope and Content Note

The postcards represent a sample of preprinted form postcards sent from Doolittle's constituents to his offices. Their subject matter ranges from mobile home parks to abortion and reflect the concerns and opinions of his constituency.

LP401:351-363

Series 9. Correspondence Files 1986-1990

Physical Description: 13 file folders

Arrangement

The Correspondence Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.

Scope and Content Note

The Correspondence Files contain a sampling of letters sent to Doolittle on specific subjects. Doolittle's staff organized the letters by topics in order to facilitate form letter responses. Most files contain this form letter response and relate to such subjects as hunting, home buying, Medi-Cal B, the Office of Family Planning support, home to school transportation, pro-life support, and employee benefits.

A list of subject headings is available in Appendix A in the Master Finding Aid at the California State Archives.

LP401:364-371

Series 10. Legislative Counsel Opinions 1982-1989

Physical Description: 8 file folders

Arrangement

The Legislative Counsel Opinions are arranged chronologically by year.

Scope and Content Note

The Legislative Counsel Opinions are letters drafted by the office of Legislative Counsel in response to a request by Doolittle. While Legislative Counsel Opinions can be found in a particular Bill File when they pertain to that bill, this series contains opinions that do not necessarily reference a particular bill authored by Doolittle. These opinions can include draft legislative language, potential legal problems with pending legislation, or any other matter on which a legislator might require legal advice.

LP401:372-373

Series 11. Hearing Files 1987

Physical Description: 2 audiocassettes

Arrangement

The Hearing Files are arranged chronologically by hearing date.

Scope and Content Note

The Hearing Files are audiocassettes of the two public informational hearings of the Select Committee on the Sierra/Cascade/Klamath Watershed. The first hearing took place on 3/27/1987 and was about commercial timber harvest within the watershed. The second hearing took place on 5/15/1987 and related to water use.

Series Descriptions

Bill Files

News Summaries

Rose Bird Files

AIDS Articles

News Clipping Files

Weekly News Columns

Press Releases

Postcards

Correspondence Files

Legislative Counsel Opinions

Hearing Files