The papers which Lester Johnson donated to the Historical Society in 1964 and 1968 consist solely of documentation from his eleven years in Congress. There are no private papers and virtually no information on his career prior to 1953. Information on politics and Johnson's electoral campaigns is also limited, and his nationally significant victory in 1953 is only documented through the clipping scrapbook made during the campaign.
It is likely that Johnson consciously intended only to save documents concerning his public career, for all file folders received by the Historical Society bore notations indicating they had been screened for personal materials in the Washington, D.C. office.
The papers consist largely of correspondence arranged into two alphabetical categories (Subject Files and General Correspondence); an incomplete file of public relations material and speeches; and a small number of photographs and one poster. The collection is therefore much less complex than most congressional collections of the same era, and some functions and activities of Johnson's office are undocumented as a result. However, despite its relatively simple composition, the papers are important for researchers interested in the areas in which Johnson developed a special reputation - the dairy industry, clean water, and wildlife conservation. Such topics are substantially documented and the material present not only concerns his relations with congressional colleagues, interest groups, and lobbyists, but also provides an extensive sample of the opinions of ordinary citizens in his district.
WRITINGS AND PUBLICITY files contain an incomplete record of the publicity generated by Johnson to maintain contact with his district, with the gaps most evident during the first years of his tenure in office. Included are several newsletters that were issued in several formats, press releases, form letters, and scripts for public information radio and television programs. This material is supplemented by microfilmed clippings about Johnson's career. The scrapbooks are made up of a general chronological series, as well as several special scrapbooks devoted to election campaigns, the weddings in 1954 of Johnson and his twin daughters, and other topics. These scrapbooks were microfilmed to preserve their contents and were destroyed after filming. Also here is a file of his speeches, statements, and testimony, together with a few draft copies. Because they are readily accessible in the Congressional Record floor remarks are not included. Several speeches are also available in recorded form. Also grouped with this category of material is a small file of photographs the originals of which are now housed in the Visual and Sound Archives of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
The SUBJECT FILES, which are comprised of correspondence and small quantities of memoranda, notes, bill drafts, and background information, were special files removed from the general correspondence when Johnson's legislative priorities or the volume of constituent letters warranted. Like the general correspondence, they are arranged in alphabetical order. Johnson's legislative interests and his district's economic interests combined to produce substantial quantities of important material concerning general agricultural issues and legislation, on dairy price supports and dairy marketing. The files are particularly extensive on the Milk Sanitation Bill, his long-term effort to nationalize milk sanitation standards in order to improve the sale of Wisconsin milk and dairy products in other states. Johnson's conservation concerns are manifest in extensive files on the Soil Bank, water pollution legislation, wildlife refuge and wetlands protection, and numerous watershed projects within the district. Like other legislators of the period Johnson has extensive files on medical care for the aged, federal aid to education, and taxes.
The GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE is chiefly made up of constituent case files. This material has been extensively weeded to remove non-essential letters, but sufficient letters remain to document the great attention that Johnson and his staff paid to this area of constituent representation. As a Democrat in a district that had never before elected a member of his party to Congress it is easy to see why this activity had a high priority. Typically, this correspondence concerns contacts with Social Security employees, local social welfare personnel, the military, or the Veterans Administration.
However, the researcher interested in general legislative issues or district matters should not dismiss these files as irrelevant. There is, for example, considerable information in the letters from district supporters, many of whom appear to have known Johnson personally, concerning politics and events. There are also occasional letters concerning legislative issues more substantially represented in the Subject Files. Finally, this section contains a quantity of letters bearing the pencilled notation “Personal” in the handwriting of Johnson's secretary. It is likely that these were letters intended for a separate Personal File that was not received by the Historical Society. While not personal in the strict sense, typical “personal file” letters in this collection include on-going correspondence with William C. Eckles of the Pure Milk Products Cooperative, lengthy exchanges with John D. Wuethrich of the Wuethrich Creamery, and letters to and from Les Woerple of the Wisconsin Federation of Conservation Clubs.
The VISUAL MATERIALS include photographs of Johnson and others, primarily used for publicity. They show Congressman Johnson with friends and associates including Lyndon Johnson. Many are autographed. Also included is a Lester Johnson for Congress campaign poster.
Also included are television spots Johnson created to update his constituents on his activities, as well as political ads from his 1961 campaign.
