WILLIAM JAMES CONNELL:
An Inventory of His Papers at the Minnesota Historical
Society
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| Creator: | Connell, William James, 1925-.
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| Title: | William James Connell papers. |
| Date: | 1959-1972. |
| Abstract: | Correspondence, memoranda, newspaper
clippings, and other material compiled by William Connell, executive assistant
to Hubert Humphrey (1959- 1972). |
| Quantity: | 7.0 cu. ft. (7 boxes). |
| Location: | See Detailed Description section for shelf
locations. |
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William James Connell was born in Chicago on September 2, 1925, the
son of Lowell M. and Bernadette (Tuff) Connell, and spent his youth in
California, Kentucky, and Texas. He received a B.A. degree from the University
of Texas, Austin, in 1945, a M.A. degree from the University of Minnesota in
1947, and was a teaching assistant at the University of Texas, 1946-1947.
Connell served in World War II, receiving his commission as an ensign
in the U.S. Navy in February 1945, and remaining on active duty until May 1946.
He also served during the Korean War, 1950-1952. He continues to hold the rank
of commander, USNR (Ret.).
From 1948 through 1950, and in 1952, Connell was employed by the
University of Minnesota, first as script editor in the University's radio
station, then as assistant director of university relations.
Connell joined the staff of United States Senator (Minn.) Hubert H.
Humphrey in 1955 as executive assistant. From 1961 to 1965 he was Humphrey's
administrative assistant, and his executive assistant from 1965 to 1968. He
also assisted in the Humphrey senatorial campaign of 1970. At the end of
Humphrey's vice presidential term Connell became president of Concepts
Associates of Washington, D.C., a documentary film-making company. The firm
also engages in public relations and political consulting.
Connell married Phyllis Batson on March 3, 1945. They have three
children: William V., Cary A., and Thomas.
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The papers consist of correspondence, memoranda, subject files,
extensive newspaper clippings, and other related material all pertaining to the
period when William Connell was an assistant to Hubert H. Humphrey (1955-1972).
During this time span Humphrey's career burgeoned from United States Senator to
his election (1969) as Vice President of the United States and, from there, to
receiving the Democratic Party's nomination for the presidency in 1968. This
period also covers Humphrey's successful run for the senate in 1970 and his bid
for the democratic presidential nomination in 1972. Although some items in the
Connell papers cover the periods 1959-1964 and 1971-1972, the majority of the
collection relates to the period 1965-1970.
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| An inventory that provides additional information about this
collection is available in the repository; filed in ALPHA notebooks under the
heading: Connell, William James. |
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| This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog
of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about
related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these
headings. |
| Topics: |
| | Civil rights--United States. |
| | Mass media--United States. |
| | New Left. |
| | Political conventions. |
| | Presidents--United States--Elections--1968. |
| | Presidents--United States--Elections--1972. |
| | Public opinion polls. |
| | Student movements. |
| | Television in Politics--United States. |
| | Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975--Campaigns. |
| | Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975--Mass media and the
conflict. |
| Places: |
| | Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (Cuba). |
| | Minnesota--Politics and Government--1948-1980. |
| | United States--Politics and Government--1961-1963. |
| | United States--Politics and Government--1963-1969. |
| Persons: |
| | Daley, Richard J., 1902-1976. |
| | Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973. |
| | Kennedy, Edward Moore, 1932-. |
| | Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963. |
| | Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968. |
| | McCarthy, Eugene J., 1916-. |
| | McGovern, George S. (George Stanley), 1922-. |
| | Muskie, Edmund S., 1914-. |
| | Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-. |
| | Sinatra, Frank, 1915-. |
| Organizations: |
| | Democratic National Committee (U.S.). |
| | Democratic Party (U.S.). |
| | Students for a Democratic Society. |
| | Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. |
| | United States. Congress. Senate. |
| | United States. Food and Drug Administration. |
| | Youth Conservation Corps (U.S.). |
| Authors: |
| | Humphrey, Hubert H. (Hubert Horatio), 1911-1978. |
| | O'Brien, Lawrence F. |
| | Paulucci, Jeno F., 1918-. |
| Occupations: |
| | Politicians. |
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| Preferred Citation: |
| | [Indicate the cited item and/or series
here]. William James Connell Papers. Minnesota Historical Society. |
| | See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional
examples. |
| Accession Information: |
| | Accession numbers: 11,584 |
| Processing Information: |
| | Processed by: Bill Tessman, August 1994 |
| | PALS ID number: 09-00038840 |
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Note to Researchers: To request materials, please note both the
location and box numbers shown below.
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Trip Files
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| The trips files, which span the period 1957 through 1960, contain
correspondence and memoranda relating to trips by both Humphrey and Connell.
The files include trips to Minnesota, a trip by Humphrey to inspect the U.S.
naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and a trip to the Midwestern States
Conference in Des Moines, Iowa (1964). Also included in these files is an
unedited copy of the minutes from a meeting held at the Conference on
Anti-Trust Issues (1962). |
| Location | Box |
| 144.F.5.10F | 1 |
1959-1962. 2 folders.
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Memoranda
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| This section contains memoranda, some correspondence, form
letters, speech schedules, copies of a few speeches, and newsletters. Also
included is a copy of President Johnson's 1965 State of the Union Message. The
majority of the memoranda were sent to and from William Connell, Hubert
Humphrey, Ronald Stinnett (who worked in intelligence for Humphrey), Ted Van
Dyk (who worked public relations for Humphrey), and other members of Humphrey's
staff including Neil Peterson, Win Griffith, Julie Cahn, and Vi Williams. The
large bulk of material found in this section can be broken down into three
periods: Humphrey's endeavors as a U.S. senator (1960-1964), as Vice President
of the United States (1965-1969), and as a presidential candidate (1968). Two
separate files, one labeled "William G. Phillips" and the other labeled
"Connell: Confidential and Secret," are also included. |
| The material dealing with Humphrey's activities as a U.S. senator
covers local Minnesota problems, national issues, and international politics
and problems. Humphrey served on the Committee on Government Operations and as
chairman of the Sub-committee on Reorganization and International
Organizations. The memoranda outline Humphrey's attempts to remedy local
Minnesota problems through these committees, including the economic
difficulties of northern Minnesota's taconite and iron ore industries, which
Humphrey tried to remedy through the efforts of the Area Redevelopment
Administration. Connell's papers also reveal Humphrey's efforts on such
national issues as his attempt to pass a civil rights bill under President John
F. Kennedy and his work on the Youth Conservation Corps. The papers also show
that Humphrey confronted issues of diet and health leading, for example, an
investigation of the Food and Drug Administration which had approved a drug
called "MER/29" that was later found to cause cataracts and skin disease.
Similarly, Connell's papers reveal Humphrey's involvement in international
issues, including America's endeavors into oceanography, Humphrey's support of
disarmament and prohibiting nuclear testing, Humphrey's support for the Food
for Peace program, and his efforts to set up a World Food Congress. The papers
also include itineraries for Humphrey's trips to Latin America to inspect
housing conditions and agricultural practices, and to suggest improvements. |
| The assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 vacated the
vice presidency, leaving the more influential members of the Democratic Party,
including Humphrey, to vie for the position. The Connell papers reveal the
internal party rivalries, especially between Humphrey and Robert Kennedy, that
resulted. Connell's papers include many newspaper clippings on Robert Kennedy,
the most common of which are from the pro-Kennedy columnists Evans and Novak of
the Washington Post. This rivalry continued even
after Humphrey received the nomination and would later be renewed when the two
vied for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968. |
| Some of the material in the memoranda section from Humphrey's vice
presidential years deals with the election campaign of 1964 (which the
Johnson-Humphrey ticket won), but the majority of it relates to events during
Humphrey's term as vice president. During this period Connell kept close tabs
on the kind and amount of press that Humphrey received, evidenced by the lists
that Connell kept concerning magazines that contained anything to do with
Humphrey. There is also a transcript from a television program put on by The
National Educational Television Network in which Vice President Humphrey took
questions from around the country. Another item found frequently in this
section is the weekly legislation update sent from Ronald Stinnett. Stinnett
also kept Humphrey updated on meetings held by the Democratic National
Committee (DNC). Great concern was also placed on the election of 1966 and some
of the memoranda provide good analyses of election results in such states as
California, New York, and Texas. |
| Another major concern in the Connell papers was the growing rift
within the Democratic Party over the issue of Vietnam. Many of the memoranda
deal with topics like the rise of the New Left movement, anti-war groups like
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating
Committee (SNCC), and such peace Democrats as Eugene McCarthy and Robert
Kennedy. The papers also show a great concern over rising student violence on
college campuses. |
| The material dealing with Humphrey's presidential campaign also
provides insight into the growing split within the Democratic Party as seen in
the primary campaign for the Democratic nomination. Humphrey received moderate
competition for the nomination from a variety of Democratic peace candidates,
such as George McGovern and Eugene McCarthy, but his greatest threat came from
Robert Kennedy. Numerous memoranda have opinion polls attached to them showing
people's preference. However, after Robert Kennedy's assassination in Los
Angeles on June 6, Humphrey was able to receive the Democratic nomination at
the Democratic National Convention in Chicago with little problem. From that
point on, the memoranda section concentrates on the chances of Hubert Humphrey
and his running mate, Senator Edmund Muskie, being elected over the Republican
tandem of Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew. Some concern was also placed on third
party candidate George Wallace, then governor of Alabama. The material in this
part of the section contains campaign strategies, information on states to
concentrate on and their electoral votes, and opinion polls. |
| The file on William G. Phillips consists of memoranda and other
papers pertaining to William Phillips, who reported to the Humphrey staff on
New Left groups and members of the dissenting Democrats who met at the National
Conference for New Politics. |
| The file labeled "Confidential and Secret" consists of memoranda
and reports on topics like Vietnam, the gubernatorial race in Minnesota, and
the chances for a Robert Kennedy victory in 1968, which were strategically
sensitive at the time they were written. |
| Location | Box |
| 144.F.5.10F | 1 |
1960-June 1965. 20 folders.
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| Location | Box |
| 144.F.6.1B | 2 |
July 1965-May 1967.18 folders.
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| Location | Box |
| 144.F.6.2F | 3 |
June 1967-Dec. 1967.10 folders.
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William G. Phillips,
1965, 1967.
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Connell: Confidential and Secret,
1967-1968.
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Correspondence
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| The section labeled Correspondence By Date
consists of correspondence, memoranda, and form letters. It begins in
1963, when Humphrey was a U.S. senator, and carries through Humphrey's campaign
for re-election to the Senate in 1970 and his campaign for the Democratic
Nomination for president in 1972. The correspondence is with a variety of
people and concerns topics like the nomination of Clement Haynsworth to the
Supreme Court (Sept. 1969) and the creation of the Hubert H. Humphrey
Foundation (Nov. 1968). Also included is a compilation of critical opinions
from the Humphrey staff on the presidential campaign of 1968. |
| The section labeled Correspondence By State
consists of correspondence, memoranda, and condolences over the loss of
the presidential race, charts of states and their constituent counties, and
thank-you letters. This section is organized alphabetically by state and
chronologically within each state. The majority of the section deals with the
political situation within each state and how it affected that state's
congressional, senatorial, and gubernatorial races, as well as the presidential
election. Also included are charts of electoral votes for each state and a
campaign strategy for winning the necessary votes to become president. The
Illinois file of 1969 contains numerous newspaper clippings about the dispute
between Humphrey and Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago, each of whom blamed the
other for Nixon's victory. Humphrey claimed that Daley didn't campaign hard
enough for him, while Daley claimed that Humphrey wasn't the best choice for
president. |
| The section labeled Correspondence By Name
ranges from letters of condolence over the loss of the presidential race
to letters offering donations to the Democratic National Committee. The
correspondence is with a variety of people, perhaps the most prominent being
Frank Sinatra. The letters to Sinatra were mainly requests asking him if he
could schedule benefit concerts to raise money for the Democratic Party. |
| Location | Box |
| 144.F.6.2F | 3 |
By date,
1963-March 1969.9 folders.
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| Location | Box |
| 144.F.6.3B | 4 |
By date,
April 1969-1972.5 folders.
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By state, Alabama,
1967-Minnesota, June 1969.17 folders.
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| Location | Box |
| 144.F.6.4F | 5 |
By state, Minnesota,
July 1969-Texas, 1970.16 folders.
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By name, Abood,
1967-Nikoloric, 1967.4 folders.
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| Location | Box |
| 144.F.6.5B | 6 |
By name, NW Airlines - Zeidman,
1967.3 folders.
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Subject Files
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| Correspondence, memoranda, and newspaper clippings covering 25
subjects, with most of the information in the section found within five of
them: businessmen, the Democratic National Committee, Robert F. Kennedy,
political polls, and staff meetings. Most of the information in the Democratic
National Committee files deals with the post-1968 election period. As titular
head of the party, Humphrey had the leverage to influence the choice of people
for the top committee positions, including that of DNC chair. Humphrey had to
choose a DNC chair who was completely loyal to him to get a chance at receiving
the Democratic nomination for president in 1972, and there is much information
on the process that finally resulted in the selection of Lawrence O'Brien. The
political polls file deals with both statewide and national polls, largely
concerning the presidential campaign of 1968. Other polls dealt with opinions
on President Nixon's decision to enter Cambodia during the Vietnam War. |
| Location | Box |
| 144.F.6.5B | 6 |
Advancement and area coordinators,
1964, 1966.
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Agriculture,
1967.
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Anti-ballistic missile,
1969.
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Businessmen,
1966.
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Cable television,
1967-1968.
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Computers and politics,
1969.
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Contributions and contributors,
1966-1967.
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Democratic National Committee,
1965-1970. 8 folders.
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Delegate Count,
1968.
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Fund raisers, dinners, etc.,
1966.
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Humphrey newspaper columns,
1969.
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Kennedy, Edward M.,
1969.
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Kennedy, Robert F,
1964-1966.
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McCarthy, Eugene J.,
1969.
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Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor caucuses,
1968.
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| Location | Box |
| 144.F.6.6F | 7 |
Miscellaneous correspondence,
1965.
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Personal: Invitations,
1964-1966.
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Petty cash expenditures,
1967-1968.
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Political,
1964-1966.
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Political planning,
1963-1964.
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Political polls,
1963-1970. 10 folders.
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Staff meetings,
1965-1966.
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"Winning in '68,"
Dec. 15-16, 1966.
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Staff and personnel,
1964-1966.
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Vietnam,
1964-1967.
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