The Reuben La Fave Papers originally consisted of three cubic feet of material received from his Capitol office after the 1976 election. Despite his long and important tenure in the legislature, his office had apparently regularly disposed of inactive files. The remainder date primarily from the 1970's, most particularly from the 1975-1976 session. Subsequent correspondence with the donor indicated that La Fave may have retained some personal, campaign, and Retirement Research Committee files. Research material of a non-archival nature (six feet) collected by La Fave in his capacity as chairman of the Menominee Indian Study Committee has been presented directly to the Native American Center at UW-Green Bay.
The papers chiefly consist of an alphabetical subject file relating to committee work and to relations with various state agencies. Included are correspondence, memoranda, research materials and clippings, minutes, press releases and statements, photographs, and personal information. Except for a few incidental items there is little constituent correspondence in the collection. The majority of the subject files pertain to service on the Transportation Committee, especially to the question of whether double-bottom trucks would be permitted on Wisconsin highways, and to the Menominee Indian Study Committee. There are also good files of correspondence, memoranda, summary minutes and a tape recording of a February 19, 1973 Highway Advisory Committee hearing, and research materials on his support of lowering the water level of the Great Lakes. This issue which derived from his membership on the Highway Advisory Committee coincided with the interests of many of his constituents.
Also notable in the collection is a relatively complete collection of press releases and his Legislative Report newsletters, 1970-1976.
