Willamette University Archives and Special Collections has received a grant from the State Library of Oregon to process and begin digitization of the Mark O. Hatfield Congressional Legislative Series — a regionally and nationally significant collection of materials from U.S. Senator and Oregon Governor Mark O. Hatfield (R-OR).
These collections highlight Hatfield's transformative 30-year tenure in the U.S. Senate (1967–1997), shedding light on his distinctive service to Oregon, on an era marked by a unique brand of moderate Oregon republicanism, and on a number of enduring themes relevant for Oregonians and Americans seeking to better understanding regional and national politics from the mid-20th Century to the present day. These papers also represent an evolution in American political thought and values around themes such as war, humanitarianism and environmental preservation — and congressional responses to these changes — across seven presidencies (Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, H.W. Bush and Clinton).
In order to meet demand for Hatfield's political papers and to ensure the opening of the Hatfield collection in 2022 (the 100th anniversary of Hatfield's birth), Willamette will hire a processing archivist to process the Mark O. Hatfield Legislative Series, select and digitize a portion of these materials, promote this collection's use and identify materials from this collection to be integrated into public programming.
Senator Hatfield's papers are housed in Willamette University's Archives and Special Collections (WUASC), a department within our Mark O. Hatfield Library that collects, preserves and makes available university records and primary source materials focusing on the Northwest. WUASC's 8,410 linear feet of holdings include university archives and records (25%), personal collections (5%), the Pacific Northwest Artists Archive (10%) and the Political Papers Archive (60%).
This project is supported in whole or part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon.
