Summary Information
Lewis T. Mittness, Jr., Papers
1964-1975
- Mittness, Lewis T., Jr., 1929-
Whitewater Mss AN; Tape 599A
6.4 c.f.(16 archives boxes) and 1 tape recording
UW-Whitewater Library / Whitewater Area Research Ctr. (Map)Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Papers of a former Democratic legislator best known for his advocacy of environmental issues who represented the Janesville area in the Wisconsin Assembly, 1965-1975. Included are chronological correspondence, press releases, subject files, newsletters, and biographical clippings.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-whit00an ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Former Democratic assemblyman, Lewis T. Mittness, Jr., was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin on July 29, 1929. After graduation from Tomah High School in 1946 he enrolled at UW-La Crosse, although he dropped out to work and to serve (1951-1953) in the Army during the Korean War. He returned to school after the war, graduating from UW-Stevens Point in 1954 with a major in history. In 1959 he received a master's degree in educational administration from UW-Madison.
In 1964 Mittness was a junior high school teacher of history and civics when he decided to put his teaching specialty into practice by running for elective office. In a tightly contested race he upset incumbent William Merriam to become the first Democrat to hold a seat from Janesville since the 1890's. Although his district was in a predominantly Republican area, Mittness won reelection five times by increasingly large margins. (In 1967, however, he was unsuccessful in a special election for the State Senate.) In several campaigns Mittness' hold on the district was considered so secure that his campaigns were very limited and inexpensive. In 1974 the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee designated his district as a top priority, but although this election was more closely contested than former races, Mittness was again victorious by a wide margin.
In the Assembly Mittness was best known for his strong support of environmental issues, and he was sometimes referred to in the media as “Clean Water Lew.” From the 1971 through the 1975 session he was chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, and he authored or co-authored legislation on air quality, water management, wetlands preservation, pesticides, snowmobile safety, billboard regulation, and regional planning. In recognition of his work on environmental protection, Mittness was honored by the Soil Conservation Society of America and UW-Stevens Point named him as their outstanding alumnus in 1973.
During his early years in the Assembly Mittness continued to hold his position at Marshall Junior High School, teaching during the years when the Legislature did not meet. His full time attention to legislative duties when the Assembly was in session was then unusual, and in 1971 John Wyngaard wrote that Mittness typified the small “new breed” of full-time professional legislators. However, his teaching was locally controversial, and Mittness eventually turned to real estate sales to supplement his legislative salary. The fact that legislative salaries failed to keep pace with the responsibilities of the job was at least partly responsible for his resignation in December 1975 to accept a position as executive secretary of the Public Service Commission. From 1981 to 1984 he served as Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms. Since his retirement Mittness has resided in Janesville and has been active in local civic affairs.
Scope and Content Note
The Lewis T. Mittness Papers consist entirely of documentation on his career as an assemblyman, 1965-1975. Included are general constituent correspondence, subject files, press releases, newsletters, and biographical clippings.
The GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, which makes up the largest part of the collection, is filed chronologically. It is comprised of letters from constituents, colleagues, state employees, and representatives of various advocacy groups. There are no name or subject indexes which makes the correspondence less useful for researchers interested in Mittness' record on environmental issues.
Five boxes arranged as an alphabetical SUBJECT FILE contain additional correspondence, material distributed by various advocacy groups and state agencies in order to influence legislation, and reference material. This file reflects Mittness' interest in environmental legislation and the Department of Natural Resources. There is also considerable documentation on his involvement with local Janesville issues. Also included are substantial files of Mittness' press releases, as well as some campaign memorabilia, newsletters, sample questionnaires, other mailings, and speeches. There is also a file of chronological BIOGRAPHICAL CLIPPINGS.
ADDITIONS, which were part of M67-209 found after the original processing had been completed, consist of chronologically-arranged correspondence. This material dates entirely from Mittness' 1964 election campaign and first term in the Assembly and is shelved in Box 16.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Lewis T. Mittness, Jr., Janesville, Wisconsin, 1967-1984. Accession Number: M67-209; M71-43; M72-488; M75-54, 605; M76-5, -335; M84-238; M76-113
Processed by Amy Peterson (intern) and Carolyn J. Mattern, 1985.
Contents List
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Whitewater Mss AN
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Series: General Correspondence
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Box
1
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1964-1969, June
: See also Box 16
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Box
2
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1969, July-1971, April
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Box
3
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1971, May-September 15
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Box
4
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1971, September 16-1972, February
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Box
5
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1972, March-1973, February
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Box
6
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1973, March-October 15
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Box
7
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1973, October 16-1974, June
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Box
8
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1974, July-1975, March
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Box
9
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1975, April-September
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Box
10
Folder
1-3
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1975, October-December
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Series: Subject Files
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Box
10
Folder
4
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Abortion, 1971-1975
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Box
10
Folder
5
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Agriculture, 1965-1973
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Box
10
Folder
6
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Animals, 1969
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Box
10
Folder
7
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Annexation, 1969
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Box
10
Folder
8
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Badfish Creek, 1974
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Box
10
Folder
9
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Bingo, 1973
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Box
10
Folder
10
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Budget, 1965-1975
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Box
10
Folder
11
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Campaign Materials, 1970
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Box
10
Folder
12
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Campus Unrest, 1967-1970
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Box
10
Folder
13
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Candidacy for State Senate, 1967
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Box
10
Folder
14
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Children, 1965-1967
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Box
10
Folder
15
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Collection Agencies, 1967-1969
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Box
10
Folder
16
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Congratulatory and Condolence letters, 1965
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Box
11
Folder
1
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Conservation (ORAP), 1965-1969
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Box
11
Folder
2-3
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Conservation and Natural Resources, 1970-1972
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Constituent Assistance and Requests
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Box
11
Folder
4
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List, 1973-1975
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Box
11
Folder
5
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Correspondence, 1974-1975
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Tape 599A
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Recorded Correspondence, 1974-1975
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Whitewater Mss AN
Box
11
Folder
6
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Courts, 1969
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Box
11
Folder
7
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Cosmetology and Beauticians, 1969-1970
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Box
11
Folder
8
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DDT, 1967-1970
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Box
11
Folder
9
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Daylight Saving Time, 1964-1974
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Box
11
Folder
10
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Democratic Party, 1965-1970
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Box
11
Folder
12-13
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Department of Natural Resources, 1973-1974
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Box
11
Folder
14
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Drinking Age, 1965-1970
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Box
11
Folder
15
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Drugs, 1970
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Box
11
Folder
16
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Education, 1965-1970
: See also Box 15, Folder 17
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Box
11
Folder
17
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Environment, 1970
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Box
11
Folder
18
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Equal Rights Amendment, 1973-1975
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Box
12
Folder
1
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Fair Housing, 1965
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Box
12
Folder
2
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Family Planning, 1967-1970
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Box
12
Folder
3
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Father Groppi, 1969-1970
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Box
12
Folder
4
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Firearms, 1968-1975
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Box
12
Folder
5
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Fish Hatchery (Bayfield), 1973
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Box
12
Folder
6-7
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Governer's Office, 1970, November-1974
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Box
12
Folder
8
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Guilliams, Glenda, 1972-1973
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Box
12
Folder
9
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Handicapped issues, 1965-1975
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Box
12
Folder
10
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Highway Safety and Implied Consent, 1965-1970
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Box
12
Folder
11
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Highways, 1969-1972
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Box
12
Folder
12
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Insurance, 1965-1969
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Box
12
Folder
13
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Janesville, 1967-1975
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Box
12
Folder
14
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Labor, 1965-1970
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Box
12
Folder
15
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Lake Koshkonong Nuclear Plant, 1974
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Box
12
Folder
16
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Licensing, 1965-1969
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Box
12
Folder
17
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Lottery, 1975
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Box
12
Folder
18
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Mental Health, 1966-1970
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Box
12
Folder
19
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Motorcycles, 1969-1973
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Box
12
Folder
19A
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Newsletters, Mailings, 1972-1974
: See also Box 16
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Box
12
Folder
20
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No Fault Insurance, 1973
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Box
12
Folder
21
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Oleo Ban, 1965
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Box
12
Folder
22
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Pollution, 1965-1970, 1973
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Box
12
Folder
23
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Parochial Aids, Correspondence against, 1971
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Box
12
Folder
24
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Parochial Aids, Correspondence for, 1971
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Box
12
Folder
25
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Pornography, 1965-1969
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Box
13
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Press Releases, 1965-1975, October
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Box
14
Folder
1
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Probate Reform, 1969-1973
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Box
14
Folder
2
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Property Tax, 1969
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Box
14
Folder
3
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Retirement, 1965-1973
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Box
14
Folder
4
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Rock Festivals, 1970
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Box
14
Folder
5
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Sales Tax, 1969-1970
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Box
14
Folder
6
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Sanguine, 1969-1970
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Box
14
Folder
7
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Schools, 1965-1973
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Box
14
Folder
8
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Sex Education, 1969
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Snowmobile Legislation
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Box
14
Folder
9
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For, 1971, August
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Box
14
Folder
10
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Against, 1971-1973
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Box
14
Folder
11
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Solar Energy, 1975
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Box
14
Folder
12
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Spearfishing, 1971
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Box
14
Folder
13
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Speeches and Articles, 1975
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Box
14
Folder
14
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Taxes, 1965-1975
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Box
14
Folder
15
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Teachers Unemployment Compensation, 1971
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Box
14
Folder
16
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Trading Stamps, 1965-1973
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Box
14
Folder
17
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Traffic Safety, 1966-1967
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Box
14
Folder
18
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Trucks and Trucking, 1965-1973
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Box
14
Folder
19
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Tuition Aid, 1969-1970
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Box
14
Folder
20
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University, 1967-1970
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Box
15
Folder
1
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Veterans, 1965-1974
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Box
15
Folder
2
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Vietnam War, 1969-1970
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Box
15
Folder
3
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Voting Age, 1969
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Box
15
Folder
4
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Wages, 1965-1970
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Box
15
Folder
5
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Water Pollution, 1973
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Box
15
Folder
6
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Welfare, 1969-1970
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Box
15
Folder
7
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Wetlands Bill (AB 729), 1971
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Box
15
Folder
8
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Wild Rivers Bill (AB 493), 1971
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Box
15
Folder
9-16
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Series: Biographical Clippings, 1968-1975
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Series: Additions
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Box
15
Folder
17
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Education, 1965-1970
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Box
16
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Miscellaneous additions, 1964-1966
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Box
16
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Newsletters, Form letters, 1975
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