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Hale Boggs and Lindy Boggs papers

 Collection
Identifier: LaRC-1000

Scope and Contents

Researchers are advised to only load one series at a time, or to perform a keyword search in the search box. Loading the entire finding aid ('Detailed description') will result in significant delays. The collection contains the congressional correspondence, legislative papers, speeches, photographs, selected personal papers and scrapbooks of Hale and Lindy Boggs. Hale Boggs was Democratic House Majority Whip and Majority Leader prior to his death in 1972, when his wife, Lindy, took over his seat, which she held until 1991. Lindy would later go on to become the first female US ambassador to the Holy See, from 1997-2001. The papers in the Hale Boggs series are arranged into topical sub-series. These include bills, correspondence, Majority Whip materials, Warren Commission papers, House Majority materials, Civil Rights materials, Congressional District Reapportionment materials, New Orleans office files, legislation, early career papers, personal correspondence, awards, memorials related to his death, AV materials and other assorted oversize items. The papers in the Lindy Boggs series are arranged into topical sub-series. These include bills, speeches, legislative files, subject files, photographs, AV materials, political reapportionment, special events, public relations, meetings, phone calls, office files, speaking engagements, 1984 World Expo, voting records, scrapbooks and other papers. The ambassadorial and post-ambassadorial series contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, transcripts and photographs of Lindy Boggs’ activities as US Ambassador to the Holy See (1997-2001), and papers related to Boggs’ activities following the end of her post. Boxes 1 through 9 contain the ambassadorial papers; Box 10 contains Boggs’ post-ambassadorial papers. Found in her correspondence are letters from prominent figures in the Catholic Church (including a note from Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI), as well as from various churches and dioceses across Louisiana. Boggs received large volumes of correspondence from friends and family, former constituents, and politicians. Many prominent politicians are featured in the incoming correspondence, including President Clinton; Vice President Al Gore; First Lady Hillary Clinton; Senators Joe Biden, John Breaux, Jesse Helms, Arlen Specter, Patrick Leahy, Dick Lugar and Mary Landrieu; Representatives Bob Livingston and Jim McCrery; Governors George W. Bush and Mike Foster; Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Blanco; Ambassador to the UN and Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson; General Wesley Clark; and Mayor Richard Daley.

Dates

  • 1914-2006 (bulk: 1947-1990)

Creator

OFFSITE LOCATION

The collection is stored offsite. Researchers must contact specialcollections@tulane.edu at least two business days (48 business hours) in advance for access to these materials.

Conditions Governing Access

Access is unrestricted.

Conditions Governing Use

Physical rights are retained by the Louisiana Research Collection. Copyright is retained in accordance with U.S. copyright laws.

Biographical / Historical

Thomas Hale Boggs was born in 1914 in Long Beach, Miss. He received his B.A. degree in journalism from Tulane University in 1935, and graduated from Tulane Law School in 1937. In 1938, he married Corinne ("Lindy") Morrison Claiborne and had three children; Barbara Boggs Sigmund (1939-1990, former mayor of Princeton, New Jersey), Thomas Hale Boggs, Jr. (1941-, a Washington DC-based lawyer and lobbyist), and Cokie Roberts (1943-, a journalist who often appears on ABC and NPR). In 1940 he successfully ran as a Democratic candidate for Congress from the Second Louisiana District, which included most of New Orleans and four adjacent parishes. He was defeated in his bid for reelection in 1942 and returned to private practice, and enlisted in the naval reserve. Returning to politics after World War II, Boggs won back his congressional seat. He rose steadily in the ranks of House leadership, becoming Majority Whip in 1962 and House Majority Leader in 1971.

Boggs' positions on civil rights issues evolved during his career. Although an early opponent of civil rights legislation, he later voted in favor of the Voting Rights Act (1965) and the Fair Housing Act (1968). He was a member of the Warren Commission, which investigated President Kennedy's assassination. He also served on the Boggs chaired the 1968 Platform Committee at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Boggs publicly denounced J. Edgar Hoover (FBI director) and called for his resignation in a short speech to Congress in 1971. While flying from Anchorage to Juneau, Alaska, his plane disappeared on Oct. 16, 1972. The plane was never found, and Boggs and three others were presumed dead. His wife, Lindy, was elected to succeed him and held his seat until 1991.

Boggs' positions on civil rights issues evolved during his career. Although an early opponent of civil rights legislation, he later voted in favor of the Voting Rights Act (1965) and the Fair Housing Act (1968). He was a member of the Warren Commission, which investigated President Kennedy's assassination. He also served on the Boggs chaired the 1968 Platform Committee at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Boggs publicly denounced J. Edgar Hoover (FBI director) and called for his resignation in a short speech to Congress in 1971. While flying from Anchorage to Juneau, Alaska, his plane disappeared on Oct. 16, 1972. The plane was never found, and Boggs and three others were presumed dead. His wife, Lindy, was elected to succeed him and held his seat until 1991.

Extent

1569 Linear Feet (3,108 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement Note

The collection is arranged into three series 1. Hale Boggs, 2. Lindy Boggs, and 3. Lindy Boggs ambassadorial and post-ambassadorial papers. The contents of each series and subseries are chronological. The collection consists of 3,108 boxes and 15 volumes. It is 1,569 linear feet.

Source of Acquisition

Original collection and a series of continuing accretions to her papers acquired from Lindy Boggs.  The latest accretion (1997-2006) covers her ambassadorial and post-ambassadorial papers.

Related Materials

For more information about Thomas Hale Boggs, Sr. click on the link https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=b000594.

For more information about Corrine Claiborne (Lindy) Boggs click on the link https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=b000592.

Processing Information

Collection Processed in 2010 by LAC Group.

Title
Hale Boggs and Lindy Boggs papers
Author
LAC Group
Date
06/07/2013
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
eng

Revision Statements

  • 2012: Finding aid information entered in Archon in 2010. Finding aid updated in July 2012 by Eira Tansey.

Repository Details

Part of the Tulane University Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Jones Hall Room 202
6801 Freret Street
New Orleans 70118 US