Collections for College of Liberal Arts

COLL 1-B 04 j – University Archives: Political Science

COLL 2 – Voorhies Family Papers

Papers of a southern Louisiana family. Chiefly the papers of Albert Voorhies (1829-1913) who served as state Lieutenant Governor (1865-1867) among other elected positions, and longtime member of the State Bar. The papers reflect his interest in state politics, his involvement in the court system especially of Orleans Parish, and his writings on legal theory and state legal practices. Also material on other members of the Voorhies family. Donated by the George Voorhies Family, St. Martinville, Louisiana.

COLL 6 – John Mills Collection

This collection contains legal documents from the Attakapas Post at Opelousas, Louisiana (1772-1812) and clippings, broadsides and circulars on Louisiana politics, especially the 1932 election. Donated by John Mills of Opelousas, Louisiana.

COLL 19 – J. Emile Verret Papers

Businessman, politician and lieutenant governor of Louisiana. Chiefly correspondence (1944-1948) relating to Verret's official business as lieutenant governor, and other papers.

COLL 22 – DeClouet Family Papers

Planter, politician, delegate to the secession convention in Montgomery, Alabama, and member of the Confederate Congress, of St. Martinville, Louisiana. Chiefly correspondence (1850-1865) of DeClouet in the Civil War era. Includes correspondence with his son Paul, a student at the University of Virginia and a Confederate officer.

COLL 25 – John M. Caffery Papers

Businessman, politician and state senator from Franklin, Louisiana. Business correspondence relating to petroleum production, correspondence and other papers of U. S. Senator Donelson Caffery (1825-1906), and Caffery family papers.

COLL 28 – Walter J. Burke Papers

Attorney, politician, Louisiana state legislator, and educator. Papers relating to Burke's activities in the Louisiana State Senate and Board of Education. Includes records of the Burke family dating from the Civil War period and material (ca. 1835) relating to the Texas Revolution.

COLL 44 – John M. Parker Papers

Planter, businessman, politician, and Governor of Louisiana from 1920 to 1924. Includes photocopies of Theodore Roosevelt letters in the possession of the John M. Parker family; papers relating to the Ku Klux Klan in Louisiana in the 1920s, especially the Mer Rouge and the Dallas Calmes affairs; Huey Long; farming and conservation in Louisiana; and national and Louisiana politics.

COLL 45 – Jefferson Caffery Papers

Diplomat and Assistant Secretary of State. Correspondence, daybooks, newsletters, taped interviews, memoirs, clippings, photos, awards, and certificates relating to Caffery's career from his college years through his foreign service. Includes information related to his service in El Salvador, Colombia, Brazil, Cuba, Japan, Germany, Sweden, France, Persia, and Egypt. Donated by Ambassador and Mrs. Jefferson Caffery.

COLL 46 – Edwin E. Willis Papers

Edwin Willis was a U.S. Representative from Louisiana, member of the House Judiciary Committee, and chairman of the House Un-American Activities Committee. This collection contains extensive Congressional office records including correspondence, photographs, press releases, reports, scrapbooks, and other materials. Almost all series contain constituent correspondence.

COLL 69 – American Association of University Women (Lafayette, LA Branch) Records

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) started in 1881. The purpose of the Association is to unite the alumnae of different institutions of higher education to advance the economic, political, and educational opportunities for women. This collection is divided into three groups: national, state, and local. It contains organizational records, correspondence, bylaws, conference and convention materials, minutes, reports, and other miscellaneous materials. This collection was initially donated by Laura C. Edwards. Subsequent donations have come from other AAUW members.

COLL 95 – Elaine S. Edwards Collection

Elaine Edwards was an interim U.S. Senator and wife of Governor Edwin Edwards. This collection consists of newspaper clippings, correspondence, speeches, and other miscellaneous materials. These materials include such subjects as her Senate term, the New Orleans Children's Hospital, and the International Year of the Child.

COLL 124 – League of Women Voters of Lafayette (Louisiana) Records

The League of Women Voters of Lafayette was organized in 1945. The main objective of the League is to work for a better city and parish government, better schools, and the participation of all citizens in the democratic system. This collection contains incomplete internal records of the Lafayette League from its founding. There are also items which show the connectional relationship among local, state and national leagues. The subject series reflects the range of issues addressed by the League and shows the sort of information gathered to study these concerns. Kay Bates, a charter member of the Lafayette organization, initially donated this collection. Other members have made additional donations.

COLL 125 – Alexander Sas-Jaworsky Papers

Dr. Alexander Sas-Jaworsky was born on June 11, 1916, in Ukraine. He attended the Academy of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Lwiw (Lemburg). In June 1939 he began his veterinary practice. During World War II he lived under first Soviet and then Nazi control. The end of the war found Sas in Austria. He met his wife, Natalie Kulchycky, in a Bavarian displaced person camp. On September 19, 1949, Dr. Sas and his wife immigrated to the United States. By 1951 they had settled in Abbeville, where they established a veterinary practice and raised their five children. Dr. Sas is best known for his outspoken political views as a staunch anti-communist. He has made a career of spreading that viewpoint in frequent speeches, numerous published opinion-editorial essays, a newspaper column and in two books. He died on the morning of April 7, 1989. This collection reflects Dr. Sas' political activism and his dedication to his chosen cause. It also indicates his continuing and underlying concern in Ukrainian nationalism. The collection was donated by Dr. Sas-Jaworsky and his family.

COLL 134 – Frank Charles Triay Scrapbook

Frank Charles Triay was a resident of Lafayette who was an active worker in the Socialist Party (US) and the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen. The scrapbook reflects those interests. It contains newspaper clippings on socialism; politics; political cartoons; and scattered topics including the Triay family, the labor union, parapsychology, and World War II. Triay collected political campaign items for the Socialist Party (US) and the LaFollett Progressive Party (1924). Clippings about Eugene V. Debs and letters from Debs and his brother, Theodore, are in the scrapbook. There are photographs, certificates, tickets and the charter for the Socialist Party Club of Lafayette, Louisiana (1904). There are poems, prayers, and radio dialogue which are either humorous or satirical. The scrapbook is donated by Mr. & Mrs. E. B. McDaniel through Coleen McDaniel.

COLL 136 – Audrey Chandler Birdhill Scrapbooks

Newspaper clippings, mainly from New Orleans papers concerning Louisiana and New Orleans politics. The compiler, who emphasized corruption, entitled her scrapbooks, "Louisiana Political Corruption." There were originally 13 volumes in the series of which only seven were microfilmed. Mrs. Birdhill was a resident of Houma, La. Microfilmed by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette University Libraries Microfilm Department in 1974.

COLL 161 – J. Carlton James Oral History Collection

This collection is the result of a project sponsored by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and funded by The Louisiana Council in Human Relations and the Acadiana Committee for the Humanities. The project directors were Dr. Patricia Rickels and Matthew Schott with assistance from Barry Ancelet, Elemore Morgan, Jr., and Doris White. The collection contains taped interviews with several participants in Louisiana's civil rights movement. The final product of the project, a slide-tape presentation, "No Gains Without Pains: An Oral History of the Civil Rights Movement in Louisiana," is also included. Carlton James, a long-time Lafayette educator, and civil rights leader, is one of the people interviewed. The collection was donated to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette by the Project Directors in 1984. Tapes are recorded on one side only.

COLL 180 – Charles “Chuck” Hamsa Collection

This collection contains political memorabilia collected by Hamsa from local, state and national election campaigns, including buttons, bumper stickers, and other materials. Hamsa was particularly interested in third-party and fringe group candidates.

COLL 219 – Dudley J. LeBlanc Collection

Dudley LeBlanc was a businessman and politician. He served as Louisiana Representative in 1924, Public Service Commissioner in 1926, and Louisiana Senator in 1948-52, 1964, 1968. He owned many businesses, inventing and promoting the famous HADACOL, which was a vitamin/mineral supplement. He claimed it cured many illnesses. This collection consists of genealogy material, photographs, correspondence, business records, etc.

COLL 275 – Ronald J. “Ron” Gomez, Sr. Papers

Ron Gomez was a broadcast journalist and politician. He served in the Louisiana House of Representatives (1980-1989) and was Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources under Governor Buddy Roemer (1990-1992). This collection contains political documents, newspaper clippings, and typed and recorded interviews that reflect his leadership throughout his career. It also contains banners, posters, and stickers for voting purposes when he was running for mayor of Lafayette against Kenny Bowen. Ron Gomez donated the collection.

COLL 305 – Louis J. Michot Collection

Michot was a businessman, philanthropist, and politician. His business enterprises included the Burger Chef restaurant chain, transportation, oil drilling, insurance, banking, and international trade. He served as a Democrat in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1960 to 1964 and was elected to the Louisiana State Board of Education from 1968-1972. He was then elected State Superintendent of Education and served from 1972-1976. During his term, he championed vocational-technical education and brought educational television to the state. This collection consists of Michot’s working and personal, photographs, and several oversize certificates.

COLL 307 – Milton Henry and Patricia Kennedy Rickels Papers

Milton and Patricia Rickels taught English at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette from the 1950s until retirement. They were active scholars and published numerous books and articles. The couple received the Louisiana Humanist of the Year Award from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities in 1990. They were also active in the civil rights movement. This collection consists of their personal and professional files, including correspondence, diaries, photographs, certificates, research files, and other papers. Donated by James Wilson, Jr.

COLL 411 – John L. “Jay” Dardenne Collection

Jay Dardenne is a Louisiana politician, having served as a state senator, secretary of state, and lieutenant governor. This collection contains correspondence, diplomas, news clippings, and a wide array of programs such as the Lafayette Centennial celebration and a Commencement program from 1935. The collection also contains phone directories, framed photographs, a Monopoly-like game, a medal and a Southwestern Louisiana Institute hat (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette). Jay Dardenne donated the collection.

COLL 422 – Joseph G. St. Julien Collection

Joseph Gilbert St. Julien was a politician who served as a representative of Lafayette Parish in the State Legislature, Parish Clerk of Court, and mayor of Lafayette from 1927-1931. This collection consists of a journal containing his handwritten notes in 1931.

COLL 433 – National Organization for Women (Acadiana Chapter) Collection

The National Organization for Women is dedicated to its multi-issue and multi-strategy approach to women’s rights; it is the largest organization of feminist grassroots activists in the United States. This collection consists of the Acadiana Chapter which has newsletters from 1970s-1980s.

COLL 479 – Michael S. Martin Papers

Dr. Michael S. Martin is a Professor of History at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. His research and teaching interests focus on Louisiana history, public history, and the history of the U.S. South. He also served as the director for the Center for Louisiana Studies. This collection contains mostly research materials for Dr. Martin's book Russell Long: A Life in Politics (2014). Donated by Dr. Michael Martin.

COLL 498 – Rodney C. Hamilton Collection

Rodney Hamilton is a Korean War veteran who has been very active in veterans organizations, including the Marine Corps League Acadiana Detachment and the Veteran’s Action Coalition of Southwest Louisiana. Under his leadership, the coalition helped establish the Lafayette Community Based Outpatient Clinic, which offers primary care, physical therapy, and laboratory services for veterans. This collection contains materials related to Hamilton’s military and political careers. These include photographs, articles, programs, a scrapbook, and recognitions. Much of the collection also highlights his work with the Marine Corps League and Veteran’s Action Coalition of Southwest Louisiana. Rodney Hamilton donated the collection.

COLL 528 – City of Opelousas (Louisiana) Oral History Collection

Opelousas is a city located in St. Landry Parish. Established in 1720, it is the third oldest city in Louisiana and prides itself as the Zydeco capital of the world. This collection contains oral histories from residents of Opelousas. Topics include life in Opelousas during the 1940s and 1950s, experiences as educators, the Civil Rights Movement, Cajun and Creole cultures, Zydeco music, and the Louisiana Orphan Train Riders. Melanie Lee-Lebouef of the City of Opelousas Tourism donated this collection.

MSS 10 – State’s Rights Party of Louisiana Platform

Gubernatorial Campaign Platform. General Election, April 19, 1960.

MSS 11 – Republican Party (Lafayette, LA) Newsletter

Newsletter for the Republican Party in Lafayette, Louisiana.

MSS 20 – Democratic Party (Lafayette, LA) Platforms

Platforms for the Democratic Party of Louisiana and the Democratic Party of Lafayette. Both are published. Donated by Walter Landry.

MSS 55 – Handbills Collection

Contains political handbills. Donated by Mrs. L. O. Broussard.

MSS 67 – W. S. Posey Papers

Letter to and a speech by W. S. Posey dealing with politics (Republican Party) and education. Photocopies. Donated by Mrs. G. E. Fox.

MSS 152 – Victor Bussie Papers

Bussie was the only president of the Louisiana AFL-CIO ever had until he retired in 1997. He was president for 41 years. He was on the front lines of Louisiana politics. This collection contains a list of personal information, civic activities, personal memberships, Louisiana state governmental services, and labor services. There are also handwritten notes on his awards and recognitions, correspondence from 1997, a nomination form "Human and Civil Rights Awards Nomination Form" in 1998, and photocopies of newspaper clippings.

MSS 191 – T. J. Labbe, Sr. News Clippings

Mr. T.J. Labbe, Sr. was a druggist and was also interested in farming and politics. He served as mayor of St. Martinville for two terms, elected in 1896 and 1898. In 1900, he was elected to the State Senate and served for eight years. This collection consists of news clippings related to T.J. Labbe.

MSS 213 – Huey P. Long Congressional Record

Huey P. Long was born in 1893. He was an American politician who acted as Governor of Louisiana and then as a United States Senator from 1932-1935. He was assassinated in 1935. This collection contains a congressional record, Seventy-Second Congress, Second Session, July 21, 1933 (includes Long’s speech), and correspondence, 1933.

MSS 268 – Edwin W. Edwards Court Document

Edwin Edwards is an American politician who served as the U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 7th congressional district from 1965 to 1972 and as the 50th Governor of Louisiana for four terms. Due to corruption charges, Edwards has served eight years in prison and is currently ineligible to run for governor. This collection contains a court document for Governor Edwards's indictment.