Erwin Mitchell Papers, 1958-1960
48 boxes, 28 linear feet

Administrative Information

- Access Restrictions
- User Restrictions
- Processing Notes
- Copyright Information
- Preferred Citation

Biographical Note

Scope and Content

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Organization and Arrangement

Related Collections

- In Russell Library
- In other repositories

Series Descriptions

Access Points

Folder List

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Access Restrictions: Case mail and carbon copy series are closed.

User Restrictions: Library acts as “fair use” reproduction agent.

Processing Notes: Newspaper clippings and select telegrams have been copied onto bond paper for preservation. Photographs were separated for preservation.

Copyright Information: Before material from collections at the Richard B. Russell Library may be quoted in print, or otherwise reproduced, in whole or in part, in any publication, permission must be obtained from (1) the owner of the physical property, and (2) the holder of the copyright. It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain both sets of permission. Persons wishing to quote from materials in the Russell Library collection should consult the Director. Reproduction of any item must contain a complete citation to the original.

Preferred Citation: Erwin Mitchell Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia.

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BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE:

Harlan Erwin Mitchell was born in Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia, on August 17, 1924. He attended public schools in Dalton, Georgia, and attended The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. He received a LL.B. from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1948. During college, Mitchell was a member of the Gridiron Honorary Society, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, and Delta Theta Phi Legal Fraternity.

During World War II, he served as first lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps from 1943 to 1946 and again in the United States Air Force in 1951 and 1952. Mitchell received the Air Medal with two stars and Pacific Ribbon with two battle stars. He was admitted to the bar on April 17, 1948, and commenced law practice in Dalton, Georgia. He served as solicitor general for the Cherokee Judicial Circuit from January 1, 1953 to December 31, 1956, and from January 1, 1957 to January 8, 1958, he served as a Superior Court judge in the Cherokee Judicial Circuit.

In early 1958, Erwin Mitchell was elected as a Democrat to the 85th Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Henderson L. Lanham (7th District) in November 1957. In 1958, Mitchell was re-elected to the 86th Congress. In total, he served from January 8, 1958 to January 3, 1961. Mitchell served as the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Patents and Scientific Inventions, with the Committee on Science and Astronautics, and as a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Although Mitchell was not a candidate for renomination to the U.S. House in 1960, he was elected State Senator (Forty-Third District: Whitfield, Gordon, and Murray counties) to the Georgia General Assembly, serving from 1960 to 1961. He did not seek re-election, however, and resumed practicing law in Dalton. In 1996, Mitchell founded the Georgia Project, a teacher exchange program for Spanish-speaking teachers in Mexico and teachers from Dalton, Georgia. In 2001, Mitchell received the National Education Association's George I. Sánchez Memorial Award for his work with the Georgia Project. Currently, he is a resident of Dalton, Georgia.

Memberships include the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and AMVETS.

In September 1943, Mitchell married Helen Jones of Dalton, and they have three children: Harlan Erwin, Jr., Marilyn Helen, and Leslie Lee.

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SCOPE AND CONTENT:

The collection documents Mitchell's term as a U.S. Representative for Georgia's Seventh District (Bartow, Catoosa, Cobb, Dade, Douglas, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Polk, Walker, and Whitfield counties), from 1958 to 1960. The papers include subject files, correspondence, magazine and newspaper clippings, reports, receipts, press releases, and photographs reflecting Mitchell's work on the House of Representatives' Science and Astronautics and Veteran Affairs committees during his one term in office. Of particular interest are his files related to space and labor issues in Series I. General. Noted correspondents throughout the collection include Iris F. Blitch, James C. Davis, S. Marvin Griffin, and S. Ernest Vandiver.

During his term in the House, Mitchell introduced several bills related to veterans, filed in Series III. Bills and Legislation. Significant votes include supporting Hawaii statehood and opposition to fellow Georgia representative Phil Landrum's Landrum-Griffin Act of 1959, which provided for the regulation of internal union affairs.

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ORGANIZATION AND ARRANGEMENT

The collection is organized in eight series, five of which are open for research: I. General, III. Bills and Legislation, VII. Post Office, VIII. Congratulations, and X. Photographs. Closed series are II. Yellow Sheets, IV. Veterans, V. Armed Forces and IX. Service Academies, Appointments. Series VI. Miscellaneous has been eliminated and now interfiled with Series I. General.

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RELATED COLLECTIONS IN THIS REPOSITORY:

Henderson L. Lanham Papers
S. Ernest Vandiver, Jr., Papers
Iris F. Blitch Papers
Harold Paulk Henderson, Sr. Oral History Collection, Series II: Samuel Ernest Vandiver
Prince Preston Papers
Richard B. Russell, Jr. Collection

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RELATED COLLECTIONS IN OTHER REPOSITORIES:

James C. Davis Papers, Emory University
S. Marvin Griffin Papers, Bainbridge College Library

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SERIES DESCRIPTIONS:

I. General, 1958-1960
16 boxes, 8 linear feet

This series is organized in two subseries: A. 1958-1959 and B. 1958-1960 per Mitchell's original order. Subseries are arranged alphabetically by subject. Topics include agriculture, highways and roads, labor, requests, space, and teacher's salaries. Series VI, Miscellaneous, has been interfiled in this series. Series strengths include labor (Subseries A, 1958-1959) and Committee on Science and Astronautics files (filed as "Space Committee" in Subseries B, 1958-1960).

II. Yellow Sheets, 1958-1960
8 boxes, 4 linear feet

Carbon copy series. Restricted.

III. Bills and Legislation, 1958-1960
11 boxes, 5.5 linear feet

This series is organized in two subseries: A. 1958-1959 and B. 1958-1960 per Mitchell's original order. Arrangement is mainly alphabetical by subject, but also includes general files at the beginning and bills in numerical order at the end of each subseries. This series consists of releases, correspondence, news clippings, bills, reports and other printed materials relating to legislation pending before Congress. Topics include armed forces, civil rights, education, and housing.

IV. Veterans, ca. 1958-1960
5 boxes, 2.5 linear feet

Restricted.

V. Armed Forces, ca. 1958-1960
2 boxes, 1 linear foot

Restricted.

VI. Miscellaneous

Series eliminated. See Series I. General, "Miscellaneous" files.

VII. Post Office, 1958-1960
2 boxes, 1 linear foot

Arrangement is alphabetical by name of city. A general post office file is located at the beginning of the series. This series primarily consists of requests for appointment as postmaster to offices in Georgia's Seventh District. Additional subjects include requests for improved postal facilities.

VIII. Congratulations, 1958-1960
1 box, 0.5 linear foot

Arrangement is reverse chronological order. Series includes newspaper clippings and related letters from Mitchell to constituents. The primary subject is Mitchell congratulating constituents on their wedding anniversaries.

IX. Service Academies, Appointments, ca. 1958-1960
3 boxes, 1.5 linear feet

Restricted.

X. Photographs, 1956-1959, undated
9 images

This series contains images related to Mitchell's work on the House of Representatives' Science and Astronautics and Veteran Affairs committees. Most of the images are of geographical places including Antartica, Ohio, and Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta, Georgia.

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ACCESS POINTS

Blitch, Iris, 1912-1993.
Griffin, Marvin, 1907-1982.
Vandiver, S. Ernest (Samuel Ernest), 1918-2005.
Davis, John C.
United States. Congress. House.
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Veterans Affairs.
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Astronautics.
Legislators --United States.
United States --Politics and government --1958-1961.
Georgia --Politics and government --1961-
Congressional records.

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FOLDER LIST

Not available at this time. Please contact Russell Library for more information.

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