Title: Common Cause in Wisconsin Records
Inclusive Dates: 1971-1977

Creator:

• Common Cause in Wisconsin

Call Number: Mss 415

Quantity: 2.0 c.f. (5 archives boxes)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Records of the Wisconsin chapter of Common Cause, a national nonpartisan association formed in 1968 to lobby in behalf of the general social welfare of the nation. Administrative records include financial, membership, and committee records and an incomplete file of minutes. Correspondence includes letters exchanged between Common Cause in Wisconsin and state and national legislators, members, and the national office in Washington, D.C.; and correspondence and reports relating to specific issues such as reform of campaign financing laws and conflict of interest arranged as subject files. The collection also includes national reports, memoranda, press releases, newsletters from state and national offices, and a folder of statements by John Gardner, the president of Common Cause.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00415

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

Common Cause in Wisconsin, a lobbying organization, was established in December 1973 to operate on a nonprofit, nonpartisan basis “for the promotion of the social welfare of the United States.” Common Cause as a national corporation had been established April 8, 1968, and its national office in Washington, D.C. had opened September 1, 1970. Until 1973, a group of Wisconsin Common Cause members had met informally to discuss legislative activity. On December 16, 1973, the State Governance Plan was approved by the Wisconsin members through the Program Action Committee (later called the State Governing Board); on January 12, 1974, the plan was accepted by the national Common Cause organization, thus allowing Common Cause in Wisconsin to share in funding and to receive administrative support from the national office. The state Common Cause office began operation April 14, 1975, and was officially opened by Governor Patrick J. Lucey on June 25, 1975.

The records are divided into three series: an Administrative File; Correspondence, Reports, and Public Relations; and a Subject File. There are several gaps in the records, notably the incomplete files of minutes of meetings, but coverage is generally quite complete, particularly in the extensive subject file. All folders not specifically labelled national office are limited to material generated by the state organization.

The ADMINISTRATIVE FILE contains organizational, financial, lobbying, membership, and committee records. Organizational material, including the Articles of Incorporation, details the purpose and structure of Common Cause in Wisconsin. Filed under financial and budget material are letters relating to financial matters, reports from the national office, as well as budget schedules and printouts. There are yearly membership lists from Wisconsin and a “State Activist Profile” of national membership. Files of Steering, Executive, and Program Action committees contain agenda, minutes, correspondence, and reports of the three governing committees of the organization. The last folder of this series holds minutes, agenda, and correspondence concerning a variety of meetings, including statewide meetings, legislative banquets, annual district meetings, and national governing board meetings.

Records in the CORRESPONDENCE, REPORTS, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS series were originally filed as a single unit by the office of Common Cause in Wisconsin. The general correspondence contains letters between government officials, Common Cause in Wisconsin members, and concerned citizens. These are letters which are not identifiable by subject or which do not warrant separate coverage in the subject file. They deal with issues related to the seniority system, highway trust fund, and the franking privilege, among others. Some correspondence is more administrative in content, concerning meetings, published articles of interest, and general information about Common Cause in Wisconsin activities. The correspondence from the national office of Common Cause is equally varied; it contains information about issues such as impeachment and legislative reform, and administrative matters such as nominations for the national governing board.

The reports from the national office include memoranda and cover a similar range of subjects including national membership reviews, legal advice, suggestions for state action, and information about such issues as the filibuster rule. The public relations segment consists of news releases, statements by the national president, and form letters to members. National office news releases deal with national subjects such as impeachment. Statements by Common Cause president John Gardner consist of speeches delivered to Congressional committees, Common Cause members and other groups on the general goals of Common Cause, issues such as the energy program, and elections. There are also some news releases specifically attributed to Gardner. Form letters to members contain fact sheets detailing information about current issues, and letters urging active support for Common Cause lobbying activities.

The SUBJECT FILE is alphabetically arranged and includes correspondence to and from state and national legislators, activists, and concerned citizens, and reports relating to the specific issues. The major files, Campaign Finance Reform and Conflict of Interest-Ethics, are particularly rich coverage describing these controversial issues and the development of state legislation on them.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Common Cause in Wisconsin via Carlyle H. Whipple, Madison, Wisconsin, February 17, 1977. Accession Number: M77-54

Processing Information

Processed by Donna E. Webber (Intern) and Joanne Hohler, December 6, 1977.

	Series: Administrative File
Box   1 Folder   1	Organizational Material, 1974-1976
Box   1 Folder   2	Financial and Budget Material, 1973-1976
Box   1 Folder   3	Membership, 1973-1976
Box   1 Folder   4	State Activist Profile, circa 1975-1976
	Lobbying Activities
Box   1 Folder   5	Correspondence, 1973-1976
Box   1 Folder   6	Reports, 1973-1976
	Steering Committee
Box   1 Folder   7	Minutes and Membership, 1972-1975
Box   1 Folder   8	Correspondence, 1972-1976
Box   1 Folder   9	Executive Committee, 1973-1977
	Program Action Committee
Box   1 Folder   10	Agenda and Minutes, 1973-1976
Box   1 Folder   11	Correspondence, 1973-1976
Box   1 Folder   12	Letters to Members, 1974-1975
Box   1 Folder   13-14	Reports, 1973-1976
Box   2 Folder   1	Meetings, 1973-1976
	Series: Correspondence, Reports, and Public Relations	⇧
	Correspondence
Box   2 Folder   2-3	General Correspondence, 1972-1976
Box   2 Folder   4	Correspondence from National Office, 1972-1976
	Reports
Box   2 Folder   5-8	Reports from National Office, 1973-1976
Box   2 Folder   9	Reports, Memoranda, and Releases, 1973-1976
	Public Relations
Box   3 Folder   1	Releases from National Office, 1973-1975
Box   3 Folder   2	Statements by John Gardner, National Office of Common Cause, 1972-1975
Box   3 Folder   3	Form Letters to Members, 1974-1976
	Series: Subject File	⇧
	Campaign Finance Reform
Box   3 Folder   4-6	Correspondence, 1973-1976
Box   3 Folder   7-9	Reports, Releases, 1971-1976
	Conflict of Interest-Ethics
	Correspondence
Box   3 Folder   10	1972-1975
Box   4 Folder   1	1975-1976
Box   4 Folder   2-3	Reports, Releases, 1972-1976
Box   4 Folder   4	Ethics Board, 1976
Box   4 Folder   5	Environment, 1975-1976
Box   4 Folder   6	Equal Rights Amendment, 1972-1973
	Executive Accountability
Box   4 Folder   7	Correspondence, 1975-1976
Box   4 Folder   8	Reports, 1974-1976
Box   4 Folder   9	Initiative and Referendum, 1976
Box   4 Folder   10	Legislative Reform, 1971-1973
	Lobbying Disclosures
Box   4 Folder   11	Correspondence, 1972-1976
Box   4 Folder   12	Reports, Releases, 1974-1976
Box   4 Folder   13	Circuit Court Briefs, 1975
Box   5 Folder   1	News Shield Legislation, 1973
Box   5 Folder   2	National Secretaries of State Meeting re: Election Laws, 1973
	Open Meetings
Box   5 Folder   3	Correspondence, 1973-1976
Box   5 Folder   4	Reports, Releases, 1972-1976
Box   5 Folder   5	State Accountability, 1976
Box   5 Folder   6	Violations of Wisconsin Campaign Finance Law, 1975
Box   5 Folder   7	Watergate, 1973-1974
Box   5 Folder   8	“We the People,” 1975-1976