E.L. Forrester Papers, 1918-1970 (with gaps)
81 boxes and 28 scrapbooks, 42.75 linear feet
3 LP recordings

Administrative Information

- Access Restrictions
- User Restrictions
- Processing Notes
- Copyright Information
- Preferred Citation

Biographical Note

Scope and Content

Home

Organization and Arrangement

Related Collections

- In Russell Library
- In other repositories


Series Descriptions


Access Points

Folder List

 

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Access Restrictions: None.

User Restrictions: Library acts as “fair use” reproduction agent.

Processing Notes: Original order of the collection was maintained when possible. News clippings have been copied on bond paper for preservaton of content. Photos were removed from manuscripts and placed in the photograph file for preservation. Books and phonograph records have been inventoried. Early files in I. Law Practice were in poor condition when received, not having had proper storage. Folders were brittle, labels sometimes missing, folders missing for quite a few papers. Those have been labelled miscellaneous and arranged by date as well as possible. Three LP recordings were transferred to the Russell Media unit.


Copyright Information: Before material from collections at the Richard B. Russell Library may be quoted in print, or otherwise reproduced, in whole or in part, in any publication, permission must be obtained from (1) the owner of the physical property, and (2) the holder of the copyright. It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain both sets of permission. Persons wishing to quote from materials in the Russell Library collection should consult the Director. Reproduction of any item must contain a complete citation to the original.

Preferred Citation: E.L. Forrester Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia.


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BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE:

Representative from Georgia; born on a farm near Leesburg, Lee County, Ga., August 16, 1896; attended the Leesburg public schools; studied law and passed the State bar examination in 1917; during the First World War served as a private in the United States Army; commenced the practice of law in 1919 in Leesburg, Ga.; solicitor, City Court, Leesburg, Ga., 1920-1933; mayor of Leesburg 1922-1931; county attorney of Lee County 1928-1937; solicitor general, southwestern judicial circuit, 1937-1950; delegate to Democratic National Conventions in 1948 and 1952; elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-second and to the six succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1951-January 3, 1965); was not a candidate for renomination in 1964 to the Eighty-ninth Congress; returned to Leesburg and resumed the practice of law; died in Albany, Ga., March 19, 1970; interment in Leesburg Cemetery, Leesburg, Ga.



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SCOPE AND CONTENT:


The papers of E. L. Forrester document his law practice in Leesburg, Georgia, from 1920 through 1969 and his service in the U.S. Congress from 1950 through 1964. Personal papers begin with military training in 1918 and extend to 1970, including accounts of his death and tributes following. The speech file is dated 1926-1970.

Types of material are legal files, correspondence, speeches, news clippings, printed material, notebooks, and photographs, Scrapbooks supplement information found in the manuscripts; they consist mainly of news clippings. In addition, there are plaques, "commissions", and other honors. Also included are campaign memorabilia and three LP recordings.


 

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ORGANIZATION AND ARRANGEMENT

The collection is organized into eight series: I. Law Practice, II. Political, III. Speeches, IV. House of Representatives, V. Personal, VI. Post Office, VII. Photographs, and VIII. Audiovisual Materials.

 

 

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RELATED COLLECTIONS IN THIS REPOSITORY:

Richard B. Russell, Jr. Collection
John L. Pilcher Papers
Henderson Lanham Papers
Erwin Mitchell Papers
Prince Preston Papers

 

 

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RELATED COLLECTIONS IN OTHER REPOSITORIES:

Not available at this time. Please contact Russell Library for more information.



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SERIES DESCRIPTIONS:

 

I. Law Practice, 1920-1969
49 boxes, 24.5 linear feet
The Law Practice files are divided into early practice and the period following retirement from U.S. Congress. Although biographical notes indicate that Mr. Forrester began law practice in 1919, earliest files received were dated 1920. However, some documents included were dated before 1900--brought over for use in cases after 1920. Cases were filed by client's name, alphabetically. Some files in the 1965-1969 period include cases from the early period.

Handwritten and self-composed notebooks on points of law are included.

II. Political
1 box, 0.5 linear foot
The Political series is relatively small, explained in part by the fact that Mr. Forrester had very little opposition when he ran for office. He was elected Solicitor General, Southwestern Judicial Circuit, in 1936, and re-elected every two years until he resigned to run for U.S. House of Representatives, Third District. His acceptance speech as Democratic Party nominee in 1950 is in the Speech file. The 1956 campaign is covered in Scrapbook no. 10.

III. Speeches, 1926-1970
6 boxes, 3.25 linear feet
The Speech file was maintained in chronological order. However, many speeches do not have a date. A file marked "Undated" also contains incomplete manuscripts and fragments. Notes and rough drafts and a box of typed cards containing outlines, reminders, and some complete drafts are included. Mr. Forrester's philosophy is expressed in his speeches.


IV. House of Representatives 1950-1964
20 boxes, 10 linear feet
Through the years in Congress, Mr. Forrester kept a suject/name file arranged alphabetically. Of note is the Dawson Peanut Laboratory, legislation for which Congressman Forrester spent a great deal of time and energy. Another major topic is Civil Rights legislation and his work on the House Judiciary Committee as a forceful member of the opposition.

 

V. Personal, 1918-1970
5 boxes, 2.5 linear feet
E. L. Forrester attended Officer Training School in 1918 and served in the U.S. Army. Some papers from this experience are included. Correspondence with persons in public life and papers concerning politics are headed Personal Political. Sunday School lessons taught by Mr. Forrester and activities in civic clubs make up one sub-series. Civil War research was a hobby of Mr. Forrester and the collection includes lists of Georgia Confederate soldiers, mementos from battlefields, magazines, booklets, maps.

VI. Post Office
4 boxes, 2 linear feet

VII. Photographs, 1941-1965
150 images, 87 sets
This series contains 150 unframed photographs dating from approximately 1941 until the mid 1960s. Photographs are loosely arranged chronologically with pictures from Forrester's law practice during the 1940s and 1950s beginning the collection followed by t hose from his congressional years, 1950 to 1965. Many of these photos had been framed and left undated without information about the place or persons pictured. Identified photographs include those from Georgia's 1950 and 1956 3rd District Congressional Convention, autographed portraits of Forrester's fellow Congressmen, as well as pictures of Forrester at various functions and award ceremonies.

VIII. Audiovisual Materials
3 transcription phonodiscs


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ACCESS POINTS

Ingram, Rosa Lee.
Dawson Peanut Laboratory (Ga.)
United States. Congress. House.
Legislators --United States.
Civil rights --United States.
United States --History --Civil War, 1861-1865.
Georgia --Politics and government --1865-1950.
Georgia --Politics and government --1951-
Congressional records.

 


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FOLDER LIST

Not available at this time. Please contact Russell Library for more information.



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