Scope and Content Note
The papers of Patricia Roberts Harris (1924-1985) span the years 1950-1983, with the majority of the papers concentrated from 1977 through 1980. The bulk of the collection documents Harris's career as secretary of housing and urban development, 1977-1979, and secretary of health and human services, 1979-1981. Smaller amounts of material relate to her tenure as ambassador to Luxembourg, her work as a member of the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention of Violence, and her unsuccessful campaign in 1982 for mayor of Washington, D.C. The papers consist of five series: Correspondence ; Department of Housing and Urban Development ; Department of Health and Human Services ; Speeches; Statements, and Writings ; and Miscellany. Files related to Harris's service in President Jimmy Carter's administration consist mainly of photocopied duplicates rather than original items.
The Correspondence series (1967-1983) consists chiefly of incoming correspondence relating to Harris's personal and professional interests. Most of the correspondence focuses on the years 1982-1983 and pertains to speaking engagements, appearances, and board and committee work. Also included in this period are a few letters and cards from Harris's husband, William Beasley Harris; and her mother, Hildren Brodie Roberts.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) series (1976-1981) is divided into three subseries: Correspondence , Chronological File , and Subject File . The Correspondence subseries contains letters congratulating Harris on her appointment as secretary of HUD Also included are logs and summaries documenting some of her incoming and outgoing correspondence during her tenure at the department. The Chronological File contains chiefly outgoing correspondence from Harris to the president, members of Congress, government officials, HUD staff, and the public. Much of the correspondence pertains to transition matters of the Carter administration and legislative affairs. Topics include the budget, the energy crisis, housing costs, and the reorganization of HUD. These files provide insight into Harris's plans and objectives for the agency and reflect her management style.
Papers in the Subject File subseries constitute the majority of the HUD series. They document Harris's efforts to transform HUD from an extension of the housing industry to an advocate for refurbishing the nation's inner cities. They reflect her initiatives in community development, consumer affairs, and fair housing and equal opportunity, as well as her efforts to develop a national urban policy and grapple with budget problems, housing costs, and energy legislation. Files worthy of note are those labelled the "Harris, Patricia, personal" containing correspondence, notes, printed matter, and other material, and those marked "Cabinet--Meetings-General," which contain Harris's handwritten notes taken during cabinet meetings. Also interfiled in this subseries are a few Department of Health and Human Services files.
The Department of Health and Human Services (formerly the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare) series (1979-1981) constitutes over half of this collection. Papers in this series are divided into the following subseries: Correspondence , Reading File , Memoranda , Briefing File , Reports , Scheduling File , and Miscellany . Notable among the Correspondence subseries are congratulatory letters in which correspondents state their views about abortion. Also worthy of mention is the chronological correspondence which provides some insight about Harris's ideas for HHS and indicates how she handled management and budgetary problems.
The most substantive of the HHS materials are in the Memoranda and Briefing File subseries. These files document Harris's role in the agency's operation and decisions. Among some of the subjects covered are civil rights, drug and alcohol abuse, the environment, hospital cost containment, mental health, national disease prevention strategies, national health plans, immigration and refugees, radiation problems, social security, and welfare reform. Material pertaining to the Carter/ Mondale 1980 presidential campaign appears in the Scheduling File and the Miscellany subseries. Harris's handwritten notes of cabinet meetings and other official gatherings may also be found in the Miscellany subseries. Among the topics mentioned in her notes are inflation, the Iranian hostage crisis, the presidential campaign, and the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks II (SALT II).
Papers in the Speeches, Statements, and Writings File (1963-1982) pertain primarily to Harris's service in the Carter administration. The bulk of the items are final copies of speeches and statements, although there are some draft items. Notable among these files are Harris's "talking points" or outlines which she used for various meetings, talks, and some speeches. Included in the Writings File are notes and the beginning of an apparent article or book relating to Harris's experiences in the Carter administration. The documents convey her frustration in dealing with the White House staff over policy matters and her thoughts on the use and misuse of power. Information about speeches may also be found in the Scheduling File of the Department of Health and Human Services series.
The final series in the papers, Miscellany (1950-1983) pertains primarily to Harris's unsuccessful campaign in 1982 for mayor of Washington, D.C. The majority of the other files in this series focus on Harris's career as ambassador to Luxembourg in 1965-1967 and her service on various committees and corporate boards, notably the National Committee on the Causes and Prevention of Violence.
Among the most significant and frequent of Harris's correspondents are Geno C. Baroni, Robert C. Byrd, Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter, Carolyn Sue Chin, Stephen F. Coyle, Stuart Eizenstat, Robert Campbell Embry, Jr., Henry A. Hubschman, Jay Janis, Vernon E. Jordan, Randolph S. Kinder, Albert J. Kliman, Ed Koch, William Antonio Medina, Walter F. Mondale, Pauli Murray, Thomas P. (Tip) O'Neill, William Proxmire, Donna E. Shalala, Nathan J. Stark, Cyrus R. Vance, William B. Welsh, Bill M. Wise, and Jim Wright.