The Gerald Flynn Papers are organized into four major series, reflecting Flynn's activities as Wisconsin State Senator (1950-54) and as First District Congressman (1959-60). There are no files from Flynn's law firm, and almost no incoming correspondence has survived.
State Senatorial Correspondence, although it covers the period from January, 1951 to February, 1953, is heavily concentrated in 1951. The files contain both incoming and outgoing correspondence with constituents dealing with legislative matters.
State Senatorial Subject Files cover both legislative sessions in 1951 and 1953, but are heaviest from 1953. Flynn apparently either changed filing systems or secretaries since there is virtually no chronological file for 1953 and almost no subject file for 1951. The subject matter is the same in both series, however.
Congressional Constituent Correspondence covers the period 1959-60 and is arranged topically by the subject matter of the letter. These files are only outgoing correspondence. The files are alphabetically arranged except for the first folder in the series which is of correspondence with the Flynn family. The correspondence is very routine and deals with naturalization, visa matters, Bong Air Force Base, veterans affairs, military academy appointments, pending legislation, and local matters within the district. Included are copies of letters to national leaders Hubert Humphrey, Richard Nixon, and Wilbur Mills; state leaders Patrick Lucey, Gaylord Nelson, William Proxmire, Henry Reuss, and George Molinaro; labor leaders Walter Reuther, Loren Norman, and Sam Rizzo; and Racine leaders Judge Francis Wendt, Fred Young (President of Young Radiator), and Howard Packard (President of S. C. Johnson).
Congressional Subject Files appear very incomplete but do include some information on subjects of special interest to Flynn such as agriculture, cheese and milk production, education, foreign affairs, labor, and veterans affairs.
