Edwin E. Willis Papers
Collection 46
Willis, Edwin E. (1904-1972). Papers, 1949-1969
186 feet, 2 inches
Edwin Edward Willis was born 2 October 1904 in Arnaudville, Louisiana. He was the eleventh child of Olanda Willis and Julia Harding. In 1929, he married Estelle Bulliard, and they had one son. In 1926, Willis received his law degree from Loyola University in New Orleans. He practiced law in St. Martinville, and was a strong supporter of the Long Party.
In 1948 Willis was elected to Congress from the 3rd Louisiana Congressional District as a
Democrat. He remained in the House of Representatives until 1969. He served as a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) from 1955-1963, and was chairman from 1963-1969. He was a strong supporter of HUAC and a rigid anti-communist. He felt that the Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War movements of the 1960s were communist inspired. However, he also opposed the anti-civil rights activities of the Ku Klux Klan and consistently endorsed Democratic candidates for president. While in Congress, Willis sought subsidies for sugar planters, federal funding for the Morganza Spillway, and federal royalty payments to Louisiana from the tidelands oil.
Willis suffered a series of strokes in 1966, and his poor health contributed to his defeat by Patrick Caffery in the 1968 Democratic primary. He died 16 October 1972.
This collection contains extensive Congressional office records including correspondence, photographs, press releases, reports, scrapbooks and other materials. Almost all series contain constituent correspondence.
Series:
A. | General Congressional Correspondence | 1-01 through 88-07; 128-01 and 128-02; 245-01 through 245-05 | ||
1. | Out-going letters arranged chronologically, 1959-1968 | Box 261 through Box 282 | ||
B. | Federal and State Agencies | 88-08 through 137-05 | ||
C | Committees | 137-06 through 151-07 | ||
1. |
Committee reports submitted by Willis [bound items] Louisiana Room: range 19b 8:1-4 |
245-06 and 245-07 | ||
D. | Legislation | 151-08 through 174-12 | ||
E. | Cases | |||
1. | Military | 74-13 through 205-09 | ||
2. | Special | 205-10 through 212-04 | ||
3. | Color of Title/Land Patents | 258-04 through 259-09 | ||
F. | General | |||
1. | Post Offices | 212-05 through 218-06; 284-01 through 286-05 | ||
2. | Press Releases and Speeches | 218-07 through 220-57 | ||
3. | Academies | 221-01 through 225-03 | ||
4. | Agriculture | 225-04 through 233-07 | ||
5. | Redistricting/reapportionment | 245-08 through 245-10 | ||
6. | Tidelands [See also: general correspondence] | 250-21 through 255-02 | ||
G. | Bills Introduced | 234-01 through 235-10 | ||
H. | Campaigns [See also: general correspondence] | 235-11 through 239-07 | ||
I. | Aid | |||
1. | Schools | 240-01 through 241-04 | ||
2. | Cities | 242-05 through 243-06 | ||
J. |
Floods, flood control, and Corps of Engineers [See also: general correspondence] |
243-07 through 244-08 | ||
K. | Hurricane Planning/Recovery | 245-11 through 247-03 | ||
L. | Congressional Record pages | 247-04 through 250-20 | ||
M. | Political Material | |||
1. | Local political activities, 1949-1950 | 255-03 through 255-08; 257-07 through 258-03 | ||
2. | Other | 255-09 | ||
N. | Miscellaneous | |||
1. | St. Martin Parish History | 256-01 | ||
2. | Speeches of Others | 256-02 | ||
3. | Bob Angers, Jr. Editorials | 256-03 and 256-04 | ||
4. | Kennedy Assassination Newspapers | 256-05 and 256-06 | ||
5. | Copyright Law | 259-10 | ||
6. | Miscellaneous: Reports | Box 259A | ||
O. | Photographs | 257-01 through 257-06; Boxes 287 through 311; 314-315; v. 24; Map Case 11-02; Oversized; Box 318 | ||
P. | Films and Tapes | Box 260; Box 314 and 315 | ||
Q. | Artifacts | Box 283 | ||
R. | Scrapbooks, 1949-1967 | Box 319-342 |