Scope and Content Note
The papers of Jack French Kemp (1935-2009) span the years 1924-2009 with the majority concentrated between 1963-1996. The bulk of the collection documents Kemp's tenure as a congressional representative for Buffalo and western New York from 1971-1989. Also featured in the collection are files relating to Kemp's career as a professional football player from 1957-1969, his unsuccessful campaigns for president in 1988 and as the Republican Party's candidate for vice president in 1996, and his post-congressional activities as chairman of the National Commission on Economic Growth and Tax Reform from 1995-1996 and his endeavors as codirector of the free market advocacy group Empower America from 1993-2002. The collection has only a small amount of material chronicling Kemp's service as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1989-1993. The papers are in English and are organized into the following series: Pre-congressional File , Congressional File , Political File , Post-congressional File , Speeches, Statements, and Writings File , Scrapbooks , Miscellany , Classified , Oversize , and Digital Files .
The Pre-congressional File , 1950-1970, pertains primarily to Kemp's career before his election to the United States House of Representatives. The file is divided into four groups: appointment book, correspondence, football file, and subject file. The majority of the football file chronicles Kemp's years as a quarterback in the American Football League (AFL) and as union president of the American Football League Players Association. The bulk of the files relates to Kemp's seasons with the Buffalo Bills from 1962-1969. Kemp helped lead the Bills to the American Football League championship in 1964 and 1965 and was named the league's most valuable player for 1965. The AFL Players Association files document Kemp's activities as union president in which he participated in negotiations related to compensation and benefits for AFL players. Letters, telegrams, photographs, newspaper clippings, and other items chronicling Kemp's football career are also filed in the Scrapbook series.
The subject files in the Pre-Congressional File relate primarily to Kemp's interest in political, national, and international issues, and his work as a special assistant in 1967 to Governor Ronald Reagan of California. Topics featured in the subject file are Communism, arms control, Vietnam, education, and civil rights.
The Congressional File , 1947-1989, comprises the largest portion of the Kemp Papers and documents Kemp's eighteen years in the House of Representatives. While serving in Congress, Kemp was an advocate of supply-side economics, suggesting that tax cuts would increase economic growth and bring in more revenue for the federal government. The majority of the Congressional File dates from 1983-1988 and is arranged in four subseries: Personal Office File , Legislative File , Constituent Services , and Press File .
The Personal Office File documents Kemp's activities and interests as a congressman and is organized into four groups: correspondence, miscellany, scheduling file, and staff file. The correspondence contains incoming and outgoing letters between Kemp and congressional representatives, senators, presidents, government officials, foreign leaders, business leaders, religious leaders and sports figures, journalists, friends, and the public. The letters, dating primarily from 1983-1988, are brief and of a general nature; more substantive correspondence pertaining to legislation is filed in the Legislative File and in the staff files of the Personal Office File . Topics featured in the correspondence are economics, taxes and tax policy, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the Strategic Defense Initiative, the conservative movement, prayer in schools, abortion, support for Israel, and aid to the contras of Central America. The correspondence also contains some letters relating to fund-raising for Kemp's political campaigns and those of other Republican candidates. Additional correspondence relating to Kemp's congressional career is filed in the Scrapbook series.
The staff file is comprised of the papers of Kemp's economic council and speechwriter, John D. Mueller, and Kemp's executive assistant, Sharon Zelaska. The files include correspondence, memoranda, speeches and statements, talking points, and background information. They document Kemp's interest in economics, monetary policy, taxes and taxation, foreign policy and defense. Both staff files contain material relating to the Kemp-Roth tax legislation that became part of President Reagan's economic policies in the 1980s. The staff files also include items relating to Kemp's unsuccessful presidential campaign in 1988. Mueller also maintained a special file for Kemp that included correspondence, memoranda, and background material of particular interest to Kemp.
The Legislative File is organized into five groups: bill file, correspondence, legislative assistant's file of Mary Shannon Brunette, subject file, and voting record. The bill file documents legislation sponsored and cosponsored by Kemp. The majority of the correspondence in the Legislative File consists of dear colleague letters in which Kemp solicited support for legislation or occasionally sent information about an issue. The correspondence also contains copies of letters to presidents, government officials, and foreign leaders concerning issues of interest to Kemp.
The bulk of the Legislative File is comprised of assistant Mary Shannon Brunette's file and subject files. Brunette's chronological and press files contain copies of Kemp's correspondence, memoranda, press material, and other staff documents relating to Kemp's tax reduction legislation during President Ronald Reagan's first term. The majority of Brunette's files relate to abortion issues and reflect Kemp's pro-life position. Many of the subject files in the Legislative File pertain to Central America, particularly Kemp's work as a member of the National Bipartisan Commission on Central America; the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; the Soviet Union; and human rights. Also featured in the subject files are documents relating to Kemp's tax-cut legislation and his advocacy of enterprise zones, which encouraged the development of urban neighborhoods by offering entrepreneurs and business owners tax and regulatory breaks.
The Constituent Services subseries of the Congressional File is organized into four groups: form replies, grants and projects, issue mail, and miscellany. The grants and projects files document the efforts of Kemp and his staff in assisting local governments, businesses and organizations, and community groups of western New York in obtaining federal funds and grants. Issue mail, letters from constituents, pro and con, concerning Richard M. Nixon and the Watergate Affair are also filed in the Constituent Services subseries.
The Press File , constituting almost one third of the Congressional File , is arranged into six groups: chronological file, guest book, newsletters, press releases, staff files, and television and radio. The majority of the Press File contains newspaper clippings, wire reports, speeches and statements, and other material documenting Kemp's congressional activities and political campaigns. The chronological file also contains material pertaining to issues in Kemp's district as well as items about New York state and national politics.
The Political File , 1961-1998, is arranged in two subseries: Campaigns by Kemp and Miscellany . The campaign files are not comprehensive; the bulk of the items documents Kemp's unsuccessful presidential and vice-presidential campaigns. Most of the presidential files for 1988 consist of fund-raising material, questionnaires and issue position papers, and press files. The vice-presidential campaign files pertain mostly to briefing material for the debate between Kemp and Albert Gore and trip files, consisting mostly of press material, that chronicle Kemp's campaign appearances across the country.
The Miscellany subseries in the Political File includes material relating to several presidential campaigns. The 1964 presidential files document Kemp's support for Barry M. Goldwater and contain notes and writings of Kemp stating why he supported Goldwater. The presidential campaign files for 1996 consist chiefly of press accounts speculating on a possible candidacy by Kemp and his ultimate decision not to run. Also included in Miscellany are files relating to the Republican Party's national conventions. There is little material relating to Kemp's tenure as chairman of the House Republican Conference. Correspondence, photographs, speeches, and press material relating to Kemp's political activities are also filed in the Scrapbooks.
The Post-congressional File , 1924-2009, documents Kemp's activities and interests after leaving the House of Representatives and is arranged into five subseries: Correspondence , Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) , the National Commission on Economic Growth and Tax Reform , Scheduling File , and Subject File . The Correspondence contains incoming and outgoing letters between Kemp and congressional representatives, senators, presidents, friends, and the public. Dating mainly from 1996-2001, it reflects his political and charitable work after serving as a cabinet official. Topics featured are economics, education, youth development, political endorsements by Kemp, commentary on legislation and politics, and discussions relating to Kemp's possible presidential candidacy in 1996. The collection contains only a small amount of material chronicling his service as secretary of HUD. For a more comprehensive account of Kemp's activities at HUD, consult the official records of the agency at the National Archives and Records Administration.
A large portion of the Post-congressional File is comprised of papers relating to the National Commission on Economic Growth and Tax Reform. Kemp served as chairman of the commission from 1995-1996. All of the files are those of director Grace-Marie Arnett. They document the commission's hearings, correspondence with the public, and final report recommending major reform and a simpler tax code to promote economic growth and entrepreneurship.
The Scheduling File subseries documents Kemp's schedule as a speaker on economic issues to business groups and organizations and his activities campaigning for other politicians. The Subject File pertains mostly to Kemp's work as codirector of the free market advocacy group Empower America. It consists mainly of speeches, statements, and writings, and relates also to media appearances by its board members and staff. Kemp's speeches for Empower America are filed in the Speeches, Statements, and Writings File series.
The Speeches, Statements, and Writings File , 1961-2008, consists mainly of Kemp's speeches and statements. There are several lists and indexes that provide an alphabetical list by name of organization or institution where Kemp spoke, and some speeches are indexed according to subject. Also included in the writings are articles written by Kemp in the early 1960s as a columnist for the San Diego Union.
The Scrapbooks , 1936-2007, include correspondence, telegrams, speeches, statements, photographs, campaign memorabilia, football memorabilia, cartoons, programs, certificates, newspaper clippings, and other material relating to Kemp's college football years, his professional football career, his service as a congressman and cabinet official, and his political campaigns, and the Republican Party.
The Miscellany series, 1947-2009, contains family papers, a school and childhood file, football files, and material relating to Kemp's death in 2009. The bulk of the family papers relate to the death of Kemp's brother, Thomas, and files of Kemp's father, Paul. The Paul Kemp files consist of material that relates to Jack Kemp's congressional activities and items that he thought would be of interest to his father. The school and childhood files document Kemp's youth and college days, particularly his football prowess in high school and at Occidental College in California. Other football files in the Miscellany series pertain mainly to Kemp's post-career football honors and awards and some National Football League activities in which he participated. Also represented in the Miscellany are files about Kemp's death; they include press clippings and Internet blogs, programs and clippings about his memorial service, and congressional tributes.
The Digital Files , 1995-1996, contain additional material relating to Kemp's vice-presidential campaign in 1996 and the National Commission on Economic Growth and Tax Reform. The campaign files pertain primarily to press, scheduling, and campaign events for Joanne Kemp and other members of the Kemp family. The bulk of the digital files consists of background material and drafts relating to the commission's report. Also included are tables documenting letters written to financial contributors and the media.
Correspondents include James P. Backlin, James Addison Baker, Nicholas Anthony Buoniconti, George Bush, Richard B. Cheney, Bill Clinton, James C. Dobson, William Clark Durant, Frank J. Fahrenkoph, Jerry Falwell, Irving Kristol, Trent Lott, Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Pete Rozelle, Peter F. Secchia, Don Shula, George Pratt Shultz, Jude Wanniski, Vin Weber, and Ralph C. Wilson.