Harris Wofford Papers

The Harris Wofford papers contain extensive writings, research files, notes, correspondence, political papers, and audiovisual recordings documenting an impressive career of a citizen passionate about activism. While not entirely complete in its scope of Wofford’s life due to many key records from the 1960s being lost in a fire early in his career, the collection nonetheless provides an invaluable resource for those interested in politics, human rights, public service, education, and law. Furthermore, the collection is noteworthy in that researchers will be able to examine several themes developed throughout Wofford’s career, from his grassroots involvement in academia at Bryn Mawr College and SUNY at Old Westbury to federal politics and civil rights to global involvement in volunteerism. The papers are strongest in documenting Wofford as a writer and advocate on numerous public issues including volunteerism, public policy, education, civil rights, global issues, and civil disobedience.

The collection is divided into twelve series based on the trajectory of Wofford’s career: “I. Personal,” “II. State University of New York at Old Westbury,” “III. Bryn Mawr College,” “IV. Pennsylvania private legal career,” “V. Alan Cranston campaign for president,” “VI. Pennsylvania State Democratic Chairman,” “VII. Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor and Industry,” “VIII. United States Senate,” “IX. Public service and professional affiliations,” “X. Writings,” “XI. Subject files,” and “XII. Audiovisual and other media formats.”

The first series, “I. Personal,” is a small series that contains sporadic documentation of Harris Wofford’s personal life and family, early legal and political career, professional affiliations, and some student organization activity during his education. Materials include topical research files, clippings, correspondence, some photographs, and notes. While the series does not provide a comprehensive presentation of Wofford’s life, it does reveal political tendencies and passions that Wofford undoubtedly established at a young age and continued to cultivate throughout his adult life. As such, researchers may be interested in the files related to the Student Federalists which Wofford founded and led. Related world governance organizations also documented in this series include the Foundation for World Government and the World Federalists. Also included in this series are correspondence with his children and a few files related to Wofford’s early legal career in the 1950s. The series dates from 1944 to 1994[update] and is arranged alphabetically by subject.

Series “II. State University of New York at Old Westbury” documents Wofford’s time serving as president at the experimental college from 1966 to 1970. The series is comprised of topical files, extensive research notes, clippings, correspondence, and various reports and planning materials. The series would be particularly appealing to researchers interested in student self-governance, experimental college curricula, faculty-student collaboration, and protest movements of the 1960s. The student sit-in protest and occupation of Wofford’s presidential office is especially well-represented in this series with correspondence between Wofford and student protestors as well as related clippings, memoranda, meeting minutes, manifesto drafts, and even occasional posted lists of student “demands.” The series reveals the particular challenges in establishing an experimental college in the 1960s in the various reports, research notes, and documentation of Wofford’s eventual resignation. The series dates from 1966 to 1975[update] and is arranged alphabetically by subject.

Series “III. Bryn Mawr College” contains records related to Wofford’s term as the President of Bryn Mawr College from 1970 to 1978. The series is comprised of topical files, articles and clippings, notes, correspondence, and various reports and planning materials. The series documents several of the initiatives supported by Wofford during his administration, including the development of Bryn Mawr College’s international programs, various on-campus curricula and academics (including an inaugural program on the study of law), the celebration of the Bicentennial of the United States in 1976, and major fundraising efforts such as the Campaign for the Tenth Decade. Also of interest in this series are the records detailing Bryn Mawr’s partnership with nearby Haverford College and related discussion of corporate responsibility in academic institutions, student admission policies based on gender, and women in higher education. The materials in this series also reveal some of Bryn Mawr’s history with the records related to convocation and commencement ceremonies as well as research on previous college president M. Carey Thomas. The materials date from 1970 to 1978[update] and are arranged alphabetically by subject.

Series “IV. Pennsylvania private legal career” contains newspaper clippings, notes, some case files, and correspondence related to Wofford’s career as an attorney, primarily at the Philadelphia law firm Schnader, Harrison, Segal and Lewis. Of particular note are the files related to the 1980 assassination of Democratic politician and Wofford’s friend, Allard K. Lowenstein, which include notes, clippings, correspondence, and written statements created during Wofford’s research to refute claims stated in Richard Cummings’ biography, The Pied Piper – Allard Lowenstein and the Liberal Dream that Lowenstein worked for the Central Intelligence Agency. Several files include personal correspondence with and other materials concerning the artist Georgia O’Keeffe, who was a friend of Wofford’s during this period and to whom he provided legal advice. Researchers should note that files related to Wofford’s writing of the law firm’s history are located in the “Writings” series. The series dates from 1980 to 1986[update] and is arranged in alphabetical order.

Series “V. Alan Cranston campaign for president” consists of materials documenting Wofford’s involvement as co-chairman of long-time friend and colleague Alan Cranston’s unsuccessful campaign in the 1984 presidential election. Cranston’s campaign was based heavily on his “Peace Platform” with support for ending the nuclear arms race; as such, the materials in this series include anti-nuclear campaign messages, arms control reports and research, and related press kits and clippings, as well as various planning materials, notes, correspondence, and financial records. Wofford’s interest in arms control can also be found documented in series “VIII. United States Senate” and series “XI. Subject files.” The series dates from 1982 to 1984 and is arranged alphabetically.

Series “VI. Pennsylvania State Democratic Chairman” documents Wofford’s one year term as Chairman of the Pennsylvania State Democratic Party in 1986, during which Robert Casey successfully campaigned for Pennsylvania Governor. As such, many clippings, reports, and correspondence directly relate to Casey’s campaign. Additionally, Casey partnered with United States Senate candidate Bob Edgar to gain mutual support within the Democratic party; many of the Democratic State Committee files also document this partnership and support through various reports, research files, clippings, notes, and correspondence. The records in this series directly relate to many of the materials located in series “VII. Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor and Industry” because of the successful election of Bob Casey and his subsequent appointment of Wofford as Secretary of Labor and Industry. The records in this series date from 1986 to 1987 and are arranged alphabetically according to subject.

Series “VII. Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor and Industry” details Wofford’s appointment as Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor and Industry under Governor Bob Casey from 1987 until 1991. Wofford’s term focused on issues such as education, public service, unemployment, and job training, all of which are documented in this series with correspondence, topical research files, and clippings. Many of the records relating to youth public service and job training found in this series directly relate to similar files found in the “VIII. United States Senate” series, further revealing Wofford’s consistent dedication to these issues throughout his career. The series dates from 1987 to 1991 and is arranged alphabetically by subject.

Series “VIII. United States Senate” is the largest series in this collection and contains three subseries: “Congressional files,” “1991 campaign,” and “1994 campaign.” The materials in this series date from 1991 to 1995 and are arranged and described at the box level.

The “Congressional files” subseries includes correspondence, press releases, constituent communications and mailings, topical reference materials, notes, articles, and reports about Senate speeches and floor actions involving Wofford. The files document his work on all the Senate committees on which he served: Labor and Human Resources, Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works, and Small Business. Among this subseries are extensive topical research files on pertinent political issues examined by Wofford during his entire Senate career, most notably “abortion,” “budget and economy,” “health care,” “[Martin Luther] King Holiday and Service Act,” and “North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).” Substantial material relates to Wofford’s involvement with the drafting and creation of the National and Community Service Trust Act under President Bill Clinton. Of note in this subseries are materials related to the 1992 presidential election, during which Wofford was a finalist for the vice-presidential nomination. Researchers may also be interested in the records concerning the economic impact of naval shipyard closures and conversions, especially the Philadelphia Navy Yard and Wofford’s campaigning for federal aid for its conversion in order to sustain jobs for local employees and civilians.

Subseries “1991 campaign” consists of records relating to Wofford’s campaign against Dick Thornburgh. The materials include extensive opposition research on Thornburgh, press releases, political consultant files, fundraising information, and research on issues such as health care. Much of the fundraising activities documented here reveal Governor Bob Casey’s staunch support of Wofford during his campaign. Audiovisual recordings of campaign appearances and advertisements can be found in Series XII. The subseries is organized alphabetically by subject.

The “1994 campaign” subseries contains files relating to Wofford’s reelection campaign against Rick Santorum. The materials include endorsements and local outreach to organizations and Pennsylvania counties, press strategy, polling results, research on issues such as gun control and abortion, fundraising information, and detailed opposition research on Santorum. Audiovisual recordings of campaign appearances and advertisements can be found in Series XII. The subseries is organized alphabetically by subject.

Series “IX. Public service and professional affiliations” most prominently documents Wofford’s passion for national service and civil rights throughout his career. While the materials in this series date from circa 1960s to 2000s, the bulk of the records are from the 1980s to early 1990s. The records are arranged alphabetically by subject or organization name and contain notes, research files, pamphlets, clippings, essays and articles, reports, and correspondence documenting Wofford’s direct participation or continued interest in the Peace Corps and various national service-related organizations. His involvement with and travel for the United States South Africa Leadership Exchange Program (USSALEP) and the United States Information Agency in Africa echo his initial work with Africa and the Peace Corps in the 1960s. The files for the Edward Kennedy and Barack Obama campaigns in 1980 and 2008 reflect his support for the more liberal Democratic candidates for President of the United States as do the records in Series V.

Series “X. Writings” contains numerous examples of Wofford’s prolific writing talent in the form of extensive notes, drafts, research, and typescripts for his various speeches, articles, essays, and monographs prepared throughout his career. Most notably in this series are the many notes and drafts created during various stages of the writing process for his published book, Of Kennedys and Kings: Making Sense of the Sixties. A manuscript draft for the published Embers of the World: Conversations with Scott Buchanan as well as drafts and research for A Higher Calling: The life and time of two Philadelphia lawyers and the firm they founded Schnader, Harrison, Segal, and Lewis, a history of the law firm, can be found in this series. Also of interest are speeches given during his time as president of both Bryn Mawr College and the State University of New York at Old Westbury as well as various speeches and essays written earlier in his career, all of which demonstrate a sustained passion for and deep commitment to education, civil and human rights, and volunteerism throughout his lifetime. Researchers are advised that writings and speeches associated with Wofford’s career in the Senate are housed in the “VIII. United States Senate” series. The series is arranged by type of writing and title and dates from [update].

Series “XI. Subject files” contains several research and reference files on topics of long-standing interest to Wofford that do not specifically relate to his public service or professional affiliations. The materials concerning India include a variety of English language periodicals from India. The series is arranged alphabetically by subject and dates from circa 1970s to 1980s[update].

The final series, “XII. Audiovisual and other media formats,” presents a rather substantial resource of political videos, advertisements, interviews, and speeches from Wofford’s later political career, particularly from his time in the Senate from 1991 to 1994. While the video and audio tapes remain unplayed by archivists, these materials will likely well complement the rest of the collection, especially the research files and papers related to Wofford’s 1991 and 1994 Senate races. Currently, these materials are restricted awaiting potential digitization. Also included in this series are photographs from Wofford’s term as a senator and some plaques and awards presented to him throughout his career.