Scope and Content Note
The records of the Bull Elephants, an association of male senior staff of Republican members of Congress and male Republican staff of congressional committees, span the years 1967-1974 and chronicle the activities of an unofficial group that provided party cohesiveness in Congress. Founded in the early 1950s as an informal social gathering of Republicans, the Bull Elephants provided a casual setting for talks by prominent political figures and a forum for the discussion of political and congressional matters. The group flourished in the late 1960s and early 1970s but was moribund by the late 1980s. Several Bull Elephants went on to serve as members of Congress.
The collection includes material relating to funding problems and monthly programs featuring speakers and social activities. Significant speakers included Spiro T. Agnew, Joseph Alsop, George Bush, Gerald R. Ford, Barry M. Goldwater, Clarence M. Kelley, Ronald Reagan, William E. Simon, and Caspar W. Weinberger. The records of the Bull Elephants include correspondence, minutes, reports, bylaws, programs for speakers and social activities, membership files, photographs, notes, and miscellany. The material is grouped chronologically by congressional term and arranged alphabetically by topic or type of material therein. Items within folders are arranged chronologically or alphabetically.