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Bill Bradley Papers
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Held at: Princeton University Library: Public Policy Papers [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Public Policy Papers. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Bill Bradley (1943- ) was a United States Senator from New Jersey from 1979 to 1995, when he chose not to run for a fourth term. A Democrat, he became a leading spokesman for the "neoliberal" trend of that party. In the Senate, one of his major accomplishments was the 1986 restructuring of income tax law, and he was also regarded as an expert on energy-related issues and Soviet affairs. Bradley was also a candidate in the 2000 Democratic presidential primaries. Prior to his career in politics, Bradley was a basketball star, playing with the New York Knickerbockers for 10 years.
Bradley's papers document his career in the United States Senate and include project and issue files, copies of his speeches and testimony, press releases, his schedules and appointments, and awards he received. The papers also include the files of members of his legislative, administrative, and state office staff.
This collection has been arranged to reflect different records creators at different times in Bradley's career, and also by format. Photographs, A/V materials, electronic records, microfilm and memorabilia each have their own series. Records created during the course of Bradley's senate career are divided between legislative aids' records, administrative records, press relations records, state office records and Bradley's own records. Bradley's personal records, mostly from his time at Princeton and as a basketball player, also have their own series.
These records are on deposit from Bill Bradley. They bulk of these records (mostly Bradley's Senate records) arrived in 1997. A second shipment, from Bradley's home, arrived in 2000. This group contains his papers from Princeton University, correspondence, writings, and personal Senate records.
Access to audiovisual material follows the Mudd Manuscript Library policy for preservation and access to audiovisual materials .
This collection was processed from 1997-2000 by project archivist Kristen Turner, special collections assistant Stacey Peeples, and Meghan Glass '01, and in 2012 by Maureen Callahan.
During the first round of processing, from 1999-2001, each file was reviewed and the following record types were discarded: newspaper and magazine clippings without markings; widely-available publications from the federal government, senate, lobbying groups, and political action committees; copies of bills and senate resolutions, unless marked; position papers; empty envelopes; copies and duplicates of materials already in the collection; empty files; and congressional record statements or introductions to amendments and bills.
People
Organization
Subject
- Energy policy
- Legislation -- United States
- Legislators -- United States
- Taxation -- Law and legislation
Place
- Publisher
- Public Policy Papers
- Finding Aid Date
- Published in 2012.
- Access Restrictions
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The Senate Papers, which include series 2-9 and 12, are open for research. The remainder of the collection will open for research use on December 20, 2032.
- Use Restrictions
-
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. For quotations that are fair use as defined under U. S. Copyright Law , no permission to cite or publish is required. For those few instances beyond fair use, researchers are responsible for determining who may hold the copyright and obtaining approval from them. Researchers do not need anything further from the Mudd Library to move forward with their use.
Collection Inventory
These records, which document Bradley's life outside of his senate career, were kept in his personal possession before transfer to Princeton University and document his time as a Princeton University student, an athlete, a writer, and the liminal time between his senate career and his bid for the presidential nomination in 2000.
The order in which these records came to Princeton has been maintained.
Physical Description22 boxes
This subseries includes correspondence, schoolwork, memorabilia, and basketball fan mail from Bradley's time as a Princeton University student.
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These records document Bradley's basketball career, his time as an Olympian, and his personal correspondence from throughout his life.
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This group includes the records of a number of civic and professional organizations of which Bradley was a member.
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This series includes two parts -- "book blurbs" (endorsements from Bradley for others' writings) and drafts (and related research) for his memoir, Life on the Run .
The order in which these records came to Princeton has been maintained.
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While the records in Series 4 document the work of Bradley's senate office, this series includes files that were in the Senator's custody and were created or kept by him. They include memoranda, subject files, schedules, briefing books, and records regarding the appointment of persons to various offices.
A group of campaign records document Bradley's 1978 campaign for senator of New Jersey, and includes subject files, correspondence, and documentation of public appearances.
The order in which these records came to Princeton has been maintained.
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Includes a cassette with personal horoscope and an Oglala Lakota honorary degree from 1986.
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