The Collection: General
The Alexander Wiley papers, consisting of an estimated 936,000 items, relate almost exclusively to Wiley's twenty-four year career in the Senate. One folder of correspondence, two folders of speeches, and one scrapbook precede Wiley's Senate years and 10 folders of correspondence and one scrapbook cover the remaining five years of his life after leaving the Senate.
The vast bulk of the collection consists of constituent correspondence and copies of Wiley's replies. As such it provides an excellent reflection of the political thinking of a highly diversified political and economic representation of Wisconsin residents over a quarter of the twentieth century beginning with the last years of the depression, encompassing World War II, post-war prosperity, the Korean War and the “cold war” and culminating with the Cuban revolution and subsequent missile crisis.
Although Wiley, by virtue of seniority and circumstance, became chairman of two of the most powerful Senate committees--Foreign Relations and Judiciary--the papers do not especially illuminate either Wiley's role as a chairman or the functioning of the committees themselves. There is, however, extensive documentation in a number of areas of special concern to Wiley such as the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Chicago-Lake Michigan Water Diversion case, anti-communism, and the marketing of dairy products. On these issues Wiley held strong views, which he often expressed.
On most other issues, especially controversial ones, Wiley was extremely cautious about taking definitive stands. His correspondence, especially that with constituents, is particularly devoid of expressions of his views. In an apparent attempt to keep all of his constituents loyal and happy, most of his responses were bland, routine and non-committal. To call him a fence-sitter is perhaps too harsh a verdict, but the correspondence adequately documents his attempt to be all things to all people. He maintained a flexible neutrality, as it were, in replying to most constituents' questions and admonitions.
How the Collection was Organized
Senator Wiley's papers originally consisted of approximately 500 record center cartons each containing one cubic foot of materials. All but a small addition were transferred to the Society from the Federal Record Center in Alexandria, Virginia shortly after Wiley was defeated for re-election in 1962. Mrs. Wiley donated additional materials after the Senator's death in October 1967. During the process of transferring the papers from Wiley's office to the record center and subsequently to the Society, much of the original order was lost, hence the papers arrived at the Society in a state of disarray. An attempt was made to preserve whatever remained of the original order and to reconstruct it wherever possible. For many of the files it was impossible to do either due to the varied filing methods imposed by a succession of secretaries and filing clerks in Wiley's office over the twenty-five year period. In those cases, an order was imposed upon the files.
With the exception of the subject files, the fifteen series extant in the collection reflect the basic arrangement of the papers in Wiley's office and by extension reveal the functional organization and distribution of work in the office. The subject file is an artificially constructed series necessary for the arrangement of materials which did not readily fit into existing series.
Almost all the printed material was weeded from the papers and sent to the Historical Society library. All photographs were removed and transferred to the Visual Materials section. Duplicates and carbons were discarded. The personal correspondence was weeded on an individual letter basis and many of the routine letters were discarded. Due to time constraints, all other series were left intact with the exception of large quantities of routine requests for government publications, such as the USDA Yearbook.
Suggestions for the Researcher on the Use of the Collection
Each series has been numbered beginning with Box 1. Researchers therefore should indicate both the series number and the box number when requesting materials.
The four central series in the collection are personal correspondence, legislative correspondence, government agencies correspondence, and the subject file. The basic arrangement in the personal series is chronological. The other three series are arranged according to subject whether it is an area of legislation, a responsibility of a particular governmental agency or a specific subject. It is, however, possible to find correspondence relating to a specific subject in all four series. The legislative, governmental agencies and subject series are arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically thereunder.
Series 1: Personal Correspondence, 1914, 1938-1967 (78 Boxes)
The personal correspondence, arranged chronologically by day, is not "personal" in the strictest sense of the word. It includes exchanges with a great many prominent individuals both within and outside governmental circles which provide excellent insight into the social existence of a United States Senator and from which a picture of Wiley as an individual emerges: the portrait of a small-town, Midwestern, devout, Kiwanis member trying desperately though often futilely to apply what some would characterize as a homespun, nineteenth-century free enterprise philosophy to the problems of twentieth century America. Ample documentation exists to illustrate Wiley's close friendship with such notables as General Julius Klein and J. Edgar Hoover. Evident throughout the series is the presence of a certain "campaign consciousness." Wiley, quite naturally, was extremely concerned with re-election and much of the correspondence with friends in Wisconsin reflects that concern. In addition to correspondence with prominent individuals, the series contains a substantial amount of constituent correspondence, exchanges with political associates in Wisconsin regarding local political problems, with members of his family, and personal friends. A select list of prominent correspondents found in this series is in a card file in the Archives Research Room.
Series 2: General Correspondence, 1938-1966 (31 boxes)
Wiley's general correspondence file appears to differ very little from the personal correspondence file. The letters appear to be more pedestrian and the correspondents less prominent. The arrangement is chronological by month.
Series 3: Legislative Correspondence, 1939-1962 (61.2 c.f., 153 boxes)
The legislative correspondence consists almost exclusively of constituent correspondence concerning legislation before Congress or proposed legislation. This series, more than any other in the collection, reflects a wide variety of political opinions expressed by Wisconsin residents. There is extensive correspondence on almost every major legislative issue before Congress over the twenty-four year span of Wiley's career. Controversial issues, of course, provoked the most correspondence and the best letters. Correspondence pertaining to legislation may also be found in the subject file, the legislative bills series, and the judiciary series.
The legislative correspondence is arranged alphabetically by subject or area of legislation and chronologically by month thereunder. Prior to 1949-1950 correspondence relating to legislative matters was filed according to topic or subject of the legislation. After that, Wiley's staff filed correspondence by the Senate committee under whose jurisdiction the legislation fell. Hence, there are a multitude of folder headings prior to 1949-1950, while most correspondence following that period is arranged by committee area. Occasionally correspondence was filed by House committee headings.
Series 4: Judiciary Committee, 1940, 1947-1962 (8.4 c.f., 21 boxes)
This series is a mixture of Judiciary Committee working files and constituent correspondence concerning legislation under the jurisdiction of that committee. No clear original order was perceivable; hence, it is suggested that the researcher refer also to the legislative series and the subject files for material relating to the committee. Of note in this series is extensive correspondence relating to anti-trust legislation and to the Bricker Amendment. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically thereunder, with the exception of general correspondence relating to the committee and its affairs, which is filed in the first two boxes of the series.
Series 5: Legislative Bill File, 1939-1962 (4.8 c.f., 6 boxes)
This series includes information on bills introduced or co-sponsored by Wiley, correspondence pertaining to these bills, and other related documents. The series is arranged chronologically by congress and session number. Many are private bills for the relief of individuals; this was because, after World War II, Wiley introduced a substantial number of bills providing for waiver of immigration quotas for displaced relatives of Wisconsin constituents. Files which contained only printed copies of bills introduced or sponsored by Wiley have been discarded. Researchers are advised to consult Congressional Record indexes for a full list of his legislative record.
Series 6: Governmental Agencies, 1939-1962 (7.6 c.f., 19 boxes)
When originally processed, this series was the largest in the collection. However, many of the letters were merely requests, complaints, and problems which Wiley's staff handled in a routine fashion. In 1984, this series was extensively weeded and these routine files were discarded. Retained were those few files in which the correspondence was substantial or Wiley was known to be interested. It may be helpful for the researcher to know that this selection was made for the agencies in which the correspondence was extensive by reviewing a sample of the letters. If the sample was judged to be routine, the entire correspondence file of that agency was discarded; if letters of value were found, the entire agency file was weeded and such items retained.
Series 7: Subject File, 1939-1962 (25.6 c.f., 64 boxes)
This series is the most diversified in the collection. It consists, in part, of subject folders kept by Wiley as well as some created during the course of processing. This approach was necessary in order to control the great volume of disordered material in the collection. The subject file is thus the repository of those parts of the collection which did not readily fall into other more clearly discernable series. In 1984, this series was reduced by the removal of routine and ephemeral material.
Of special note are several boxes of correspondence between Wiley and his home secretary and with various members of his family which reveal more of Wiley as an individual than any other part of the collection. Also of note is correspondence and other material relating to Senator Joseph McCarthy, the attempt to censure McCarthy, and the Army-McCarthy hearings. This series also includes a great deal of correspondence on the St. Lawrence Seaway, a project which Wiley considered his greatest accomplishment.
Series 8: Job Requests : This series was discarded in 1984.
Series 9: Post Office Appointments : This series was discarded in 1984.
Series 10: Special Letters, 1951-1962 (2.4 c.f., 6 boxes)
Because this series was found segregated in Wiley's original office files, it was retained intact as a separate series. Despite the special treatment by the Wiley staff, it seems to include correspondence similar to that found in several other series.
Series 11: Publication File, 1916-1962 (9.2 c.f., 24 boxes)
This series consists of speeches, press releases, statements, form letters, and miscellaneous writings. Because Wiley was a prolific speechmaker, over half of the boxes in the series contain material of this type. This series is arranged by category and chronologically within these categories. There are incomplete indexes to the speeches and newsletters and a partial list of press releases. The senator's weekly newsletters are available on microfilm in the Society library. Indexes to the Congressional Record should be used as a guide to his floor remarks. Taken together, the Society's holdings provide a complete collection of Wiley's public utterances.
Series 12: Newspaper clippings : This series was discarded in 1984.
Series 13: Congressional Record, 1939-1962 : This series was discarded in 1984, as the Congressional Record is available in the Historical Society library.
Series 14: Miscellaneous Material (1 c.f., 2 boxes, 12 tapes, 22 discs and 2 films)
This series includes disc recordings and films, one file box, as well as awards and citations.
Series 15: Scrapbooks, 1936-1967 (5 reels of microfilm [35 mm])
This series provides an excellent reflection of Wiley's public and political career as portrayed in newspapers. Coverage begins with Wiley's unsuccessful campaign for governor of Wisconsin in 1936 and ends with clippings noting his death in 1967. This series was microfilmed in 1984 and the original scrapbooks discarded. Although each scrapbook covered a specific time period, clippings were not arranged in each volume. Because of great variations in the photographic quality of individual clippings, many pages have been filmed at several exposures.
