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Sam Nunn papers

 Collection
Identifier: Manuscript Collection No. 800

Scope and Content Note

The collection consists of the papers of Sam Nunn from 1861-2010 (bulk 1973-1996), including materials relating to his family and childhood, his pre-Senate career, campaign files, files from his Senate offices, oral histories, photographs, audiovisual materials, awards and memorabilia, and born digital materials.

Materials in the collection primarily document the work conducted by Nunn and his staff during his time as United States Senator (1973-1996). The collection includes files relating to Nunn's campaigns for the United States Senate, including printed materials, financial records, and working files. Legislative files include bill files containing legislation sponsored and cosponsored by Nunn, various voting records and reports, and working files created by Nunn's staff who assisted in the development of policy positions and legislative initiatives. Committee files document Nunn's service on three United States Senate committees: the Iran-Contra Select Committee, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and Senate Armed Services Committee. Press relations files consist of speech and event files, press releases, communication with constitutents, press coverage transcripts, political cartoons, and working files created by Nunn's press staff. Constituent services files document the work of Nunn's Washington, D.C. and Atlanta offices who responded to constituent mail and inquiries and include constituent project files, correspondence management files, and constituent correspondence (issue mail). Administrative files include administrative staff working files, Field Representative reports, scheduling and trip files, correspondence (including VIP correspodence), guest books, and records management and archives files. Subject files from Nunn's Washington, D.C. office, Atlanta office, and Savannah office contain constituent correspondence about legislative issues (issue mail), administrative records, public relations files, research materials, and county reference files.

The collection also contains oral histories conducted with Nunn, his staff, and his family, the bulk of which were conducted in 1996 and cover the full range of Nunn's Senate career.

Additional series are arranged by format. The bulk of the photographs document Nunn’s Senate career, including campaigns, committee work, events, trips, and press appearances. In addition, there are photographs of Nunn’s family, childhood, and early career. Audiovisual materials created and collected by Nunn’s staff consists of programs created by Nunn, including The Sam Nunn Report to Georgia and A Dialogue with Sam Nunn; speeches; events; campaign advertisements and statements; Senate hearings; interviews and other appearances on radio and television shows; press conferences; press coverage of subjects of interest to Nunn; other public statements; office dictation; and oral history interviews. Born digital materials contain photographs, speeches, correspondence, schedules, floor votes, oral history transcripts, and inventories of office files, as well as the Sam Nunn Constituent Correspondence Dataverse, which consists of coded data from constituent issue mail and casework correspondence received by Nunn’s office. The collection also contains awards and memorabilia.

Dates

  • 1861-2010
  • Majority of material found within ( 1973-1996)

Language of Materials

Materials entirely in English.

Restrictions on Access

Special restrictions apply: Collection stored off-site. Researchers must contact the Rose Library in advance to access this collection.

Portions of the collection are restricted by the donor.

Series 1: Family and childhood papers: Due to preservation concerns, Wilbur Vinson's Masonic certificate is closed to researchers.

Series 2: Pre-Senate career papers: No restrictions.

Series 3: United States Senate campaign files: The entire series is restricted by the donor.

Series 4: United States Senate legislative files: Investigation files and nomination files containing confidential materials are restricted for 50 years, in accordance with Senate Resolution 474 (96th Congress). Nomination files in the Rief files are restricted until 2046, 50 years from the latest date of creation in the file set. Nomination files in Subseries 4.4: Legislative Assistant files are restricted until 2046, 50 years from the latest date of creation. Nomination files in Subseries 4.7: In-House Counsel files are restricted until 2040, 50 years from the latest date of creation. In addition, personnel files containing confidential materials are restricted by the donor until 2047.

Series 5: United States Senate committee files: The entire series is restricted by the donor. In addition, selected committee files containing confidential materials are restricted for 50 years in accordance with Senate Resolution 474 (96th Congress). Selected Senate Armed Services Committee files (including notes, correspondence, memoranda, and foreign trip files) are restricted by the donor until 2047. Personnel files containing confidential materials are restricted by the donor until 2047.

Series 6: United States Senate press relations files: Preservation copies of microfilm are restricted.

Series 7: United States Senate constituent services files: All paper and microfilm files in the series are restricted by the donor. File on Keith Waldmann containing personally identifiable information is restricted for 75 years until 2070. Preservation copies of microfilm are restricted.

Series 8: United States Senate administrative files: The entire series is restricted by the donor. Personnel files containing confidential materials are restricted by the donor until 2047. Recommendation letters containing personally identifiable information are restricted until 2071.

Series 9: United States Senate office subject files: Constituent casework files with personally identifiable information in the Washington, D.C. office subject files are restricted until 2053. Constituent casework files with personally identifiable information in the Atlanta office subject files are restricted until 2055. Constituent casework files with personally identifiable information in the Savannah office subject files are restricted until 2061.

Series 10: Oral histories: Selected portions of oral history transcripts, supplemental materials, and transcription notes are restricted by the donor until 2042. Audio recordings of oral histories (located in Subseries 12.1: Audio recordings) are restricted by the donor until 2042.

Series 11: Photographs: No restrictions.

Series 12: Audiovisual materials: Audio recordings of select meetings are restricted until 2032. Audio recordings of oral histories are restricted until 2042. Audio recordings pertaining to investigations are restricted for 50 years, in accordance with Senate Resolution 474 (96th Congress). Use copies have not been made for all video recordings in this collection. Researchers must contact the Rose Library at least two weeks in advance for access to these items. Collection restrictions, copyright limitations, or technical complications may hinder the Rose Library's ability to provide access to audiovisual material.

Series 13: Awards and memorabilia: The series is closed for processing.

Series 14: Born digital materials: Researchers must contact the Rose Library in advance for access to unprocessed born digital materials in this collection. Collection restrictions, copyright limitations, or technical complications may hinder the Rose Library's ability to provide access to unprocessed born digital materials. Use of the original digital media is restricted.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

All requests subject to limitations noted in departmental policies on reproduction.

Biographical Note

Samuel Augustus Nunn, Jr. was born on September 8, 1938, in Perry, Georgia, to Samuel Augustus Nunn, Sr. (1888-1965) and Mary Elizabeth Cannon (1903-2000). Nunn attended the Georgia Institute of Technology (1956-1959) and Emory University (1960-1962), and he served in active duty in the United States Coast Guard from 1959-1960. Nunn served two terms in the Georgia House of Representatives (1968-1972).

In 1972 Nunn was elected to the United States Senate, where he served until his retirement in 1996. Nunn was a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (1972-1996; chair 1987-1995); the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (1974-1996; chair 1979-1980 and 1987-1994); and the Senate Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition (1987).

In 1985, Nunn helped to found the Democratic Leadership Council. He debated entering the Democratic primary in the presidential election of 1988 but ultimately decided against a presidential bid.

After retiring from the Senate, Nunn co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative in 2001.

Nunn married Colleen O'Brien (1937-) in 1965. They have two children, Mary Michelle (1966-) and Samuel Brian (1969-).

Extent

1487.875 linear feet (1728 boxes) (1 oversized papers folder and 1 oversized rolled item (OP); 2 linear feet (4 boxes) and 32.5 GB of born digital materials; AV Masters: 77 linear feet (80 boxes and 3 LPs))

Additional Description

Abstract

Papers of United States Senator Sam Nunn, including materials relating to his family and childhood, his pre-Senate career, campaign files, files from his Senate offices, oral histories, photographs, audiovisual materials, awards and memorabilia, and born digital materials.

Arrangement Note

Organized into 14 series: (1) Family and childhood papers, (2) Pre-Senate career papers, (3) United States Senate campaign files, (4) United States Senate legislative files, (5) United States Senate committee files, (6) United States Senate press relations files, (7) United States Senate constituent services files, (8) United States Senate administrative files, (9) United States Senate office subject files, (10) Oral histories, (11) Photographs, (12) Audiovisual materials, (13) Awards and memorabilia, and (14) Born digital materials.

Custodial History

The Rose Library received the collection in multiple acquisitions from Sam Nunn between 1981-2022. Materials had been stored in Nunn’s Senate office, in Senate storage, in the Federal Records Center, in Nunn’s offices in Georgia, and in Nunn's home prior to their transfer to Rose Library.

Source

Gift of Sam Nunn, 1981, with subsequent additions.

Appraisal Note

The collection was acquired by David Estes, Head of Special Collections, as part of the Rose Library’s holdings in modern politics. Rose Library staff removed and shredded approximately 900 linear feet of constituent casework files (in 1997 and 2018) that contained personally identifiable information and were maintained by Nunn’s office as a separate series of records. Rebecca Sherman also removed and shredded a small amount of additional constituent casework files found in other series. Rose Library staff removed and shredded 53 linear feet of military service academy applications in 1997. Rebecca Sherman removed and shredded 18 linear feet of personnel files containing personally identifiable information, bound Senate hearings transcripts and reports, and books that were duplicates of items already owned by Emory Libraries. Duplicates found throughout the collection were removed and shredded. See each series for more detailed information about appraisal decisions. All appraisal decisions made during processing from 2016-2022 were made by Rebecca Sherman in consultation with Sam Nunn and Randy Gue, Assistant Director for Collection Development and Curator of Political, Cultural, and Social Movements Collection.

Related Materials in Other Repositories

Richard B. Ray papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia

Reflections on Georgia Politics Oral History Collection, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia

Two-Party Georgia Oral History Project, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia

Separated Material

The Rose Library holds books and periodicals formerly owned by Sam Nunn. These materials may be located in the Emory University online catalog by searching for: Nunn, Sam, former owner.

Related Materials in This Repository

Sam Nunn oral history collection

Nuclear Threat Initiative records

Processing

Processed by Rebecca Sherman, Elizabeth Miller, Miriam Kilimo, Jane Nichols, Davis Roberts, Janine Warrington, Chadwick Smith, Noah Ward, and Zoe Coblin beginning in 2016.

This finding aid may include language that is offensive or harmful. Please refer to the Rose Library's harmful language statement for more information about why such language may appear and ongoing efforts to remediate racist, ableist, sexist, homophobic, euphemistic and other oppressive language. If you are concerned about language used in this finding aid, please contact us at rose.library@emory.edu.

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Sam Nunn papers, 1861-2010 (bulk 1972-1996)
Author
Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University
Date
July 2, 2013
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Revision Statements

  • April 25, 2019: Finding aid revised following processing.

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library Repository

https://libraries.emory.edu/rose
Contact:
540 Asbury Circle
Atlanta Georgia 30322 United States
404-727-6887