Personal Papers of Members of Congress
Personal paper collections of Members of Congress are not actually held by the National Archives—although we are happy to help you find them!
Unlike the official records of congressional committees, which we do hold, personal papers remain the property of the Member. Many choose to donate their personal papers to an archival repository when they leave office, often in a home state.
What Are Personal Paper Collections?
Personal paper collections have record of a Member's work while in office, and can include the following types of material:
- campaign files
- constituent correspondence
- briefing books
- voting records
- appointment calendars
- speeches
- press releases
- district files
Personal paper collections can also include records from a Member's pre- and post-congressional careers.
For more background on what may be found in a personal paper collection, as well as the differences between personal and committee papers, we recommend the following:
- Researching Former Members of Congress from the U.S. House of Representatives
- Senators' Papers and Archives from the U.S. Senate
How to Find a Personal Paper Collection
As these collections are geographically dispersed around the country, the best way to locate them is through the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress—often referred to as the BioGuide. Each entry in the BioGuide will include a short biography, information on years of service, a bibliography, and information on which archival repositories have related papers.
The Center also maintains an index of archival repositories and congressional collections. However, please note that the BioGuide will be a more comprehensive list. The Center's index is arranged by state, then by name of the holding institution, and then by the name of the Member of Congress.
Another resource is the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress, a group of repositories that promote the preservation and use of congressional personal paper collections and related research materials.