Scope and Content Note
The papers of Joseph Charles Swidler (1907-1997) span the years 1931-1997 with the bulk of the items concentrated in the period 1958-1977. Swidler's career, much of which is reflected in his papers, coincided with the birth and development of the modern public power system and the creation of a continental power grid. As chief energy regulator for the federal government and later head of the New York Public Service Commission, Swidler played a pivotal role during the crises regarding infrastructure in the 1960s and energy supply in the 1970s.
The collection consists of six series and an addition. The first four series are arranged by agency name in an order reflecting the chronology of Swidler's career in public service. A Law Practice series, representing material from his private practice, is divided into sections and arranged alphabetically by name of law firm. A Miscellany series is placed at the end.
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) series consists chiefly of printed matter, including congressional testimony, legal opinions, and reports. Correspondence deals largely with Swidler's termination from the authority.
The Federal Power Commission series consists of correspondence, memoranda, and reports chronicling the rapid growth of the energy industry during the 1960s, including the planning and creation of the first regional and national power grids, the disruptive power outages of November 1965 in the northeastern United States, power generating, power supply and reliability, and energy prices and pricing. Included in the commission's travel files is an unpublished report regarding the Soviet Union's state energy system in 1962.
The New York Public Service Commission under Swidler's leadership was one of the foremost state utility authorities. Correspondence, memoranda, reports, and speeches in the series record his administration of the commission. Subjects include the environmental movement, energy policies of the city of New York, proposed power utility sites and activities, and the state government's position on energy conservation. Swidler's activities with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners are also reflected in the series.
In 1974, at the invitation of Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, Swidler left the Public Service Commission to become head of the Institute of Public Policy Alternatives. The institute was intended to be a think tank for the State University of New York system. One year later, however, the plan was canceled by a new governor. Files in the series reflect the start-up of the institute and the research it initiated.
The Law Practice series reflects Swidler's tenure with the private firms of Denney, Leftwich & Osborn; Leva, Hawes, Symington, Martin & Oppenheimer; Swidler & Belnap; and Swidler & Freeman.
The Miscellany series contains biographical and family material as well as papers from Swidler's service on the Atomic Energy Commission, International Conference on Water for Peace, the United Nations Inter-regional Seminar on International Utilization of Water Resources, and other conferences and commissions.
An Addition reflects aspects of Swidler's tenure with the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Federal Power Commission, and the New York Public Service Commission as well as with his various law firms. The Tennessee Valley Authority section consists primarily of material relating to loyalty hearings regarding accusations of membership in the Communist party during the 1930s through 1950s with Swidler as both witness and defendant. The Federal Power Commission section contains material relating to congressional hearings, speeches, newspaper clippings on the November 1965 electric power failure in the Northeast United States, and Swidler's appointment, efforts at reappointment, and resignation from the commission. The New York Public Service Commission section consists of material relating to congressional hearings and speeches. The Law Practice section contains material from several private firms including Leva, Hawes, Symington, Martin & Oppenheimer and Swidler & Berlin. A miscellany section contains autobiographical material, an oral history transcript, and personal correspondence.