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INSPIRE Records

 Collection 0025-MMC

The Institute for Public Representation (INSPIRE, now IPR) is a public interest law firm and clinical education program founded by Georgetown University Law Center in 1971. In 1976, INSPIRE published a study on the history of commissioners' appointments to the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission, examining regulatory appointments over 25 years and five administrations.

One part of the collection includes materials copied from the files of the Senate Committee on Commerce at the National Archives, the House Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee, the Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy Presidential Libraries, the papers of columnist Drew Pearson, and the papers of Senator Estes Kefauver.

Records documenting the efforts by INSPIRE to produce their report make up the other part of the collection. The collection contains published and unpublished information on the men and women appointed to the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission from 1949 to 1974, including Joseph Califano, Benjamin Hooks, Nicholas Johnson, Newton Minow, and Caspar Weinberger.

Inclusive dates for the INSPIRE Records span from 1935 to 1976, although the bulk of the material dates from 1973 to 1976. Types of documents include correspondence, manuscript notes, written interviews, maps, graphs, photographs, charts, and transcripts of 39 oral interviews. 53 audio tape cassettes make up part of the collection but are stored separately with the Library of American Broadcasting Audio Tape Collection.

Dates

  • Creation: 1935 to 1976 and undated
  • Creation: Majority of material found in 1973 to 1976

Use and Access to Collection

There are no restricted files in this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

Photocopies or digital surrogates may be provided in accordance with Special Collections and University Archives duplication policy.

Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs unless otherwise specified. It is the researcher's responsibility to secure permission to publish materials from the appropriate copyright holder.

Archival materials may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal and/or state right to privacy laws or other regulations. While we make a good faith effort to identify and remove such materials, some may be missed during our processing. If a researcher finds sensitive personal information in a collection, please bring it to the attention of the reading room staff.

Extent

10.50 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Scope and Content of Collection

The INSPIRE Records are papers of the Institute for Public Interest Representation of the Georgetown University Law Center that pertain to the study, Appointments to the Regulatory Agencies: The Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission (1949 -1974). Inclusive dates for the material span from 1935 to 1976, although the bulk of the material dates from 1973 to 1976.

The collection contains published information and unpublished information on the men and women appointed to the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission from 1949 to 1974 including among others, Joseph Califano, Benjamin Hooks, Nicholas Johnson, Newton Minow and Caspar Weinberger. One part of the collection includes materials copied from the files of the Senate Committee on Commerce at the National Archives, the House Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee, the Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy Presidential Libraries, the papers of columnist Drew Pearson, and the papers of Senator Estes Kefauver. Records documenting the efforts by INSPIRE to produce their report make up the other part of the collection. Types of documents include correspondence, manuscript notes, written interviews, maps, graphs, photographs, charts and transcripts of 39 oral interviews. 53 audio tape cassettes make up part of the Collection but are stored separately with the Audio Tape Collection of the Library of American Broadcasting.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in two series:

Series 1
Interviews
Series 2
Background Research for the Study

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

This collection contains audiovisual materials. Items that cannot be used in the Special Collections reading room or are too fragile for researchers require that a digital copy be made prior to use. If you would like to access these materials, please contact us prior to your visit.

Custodial History

The materials in this collection were donated to the Broadcast Pioneers Library in May 1976 by James H. Graham, co-author of the study. They became part of the Library of American Broadcasting in 1994 when the collection transferred to the Univeristy of Maryland Libraries.

Processing Information

Materials were placed into acid-free folders and put into acid-free boxes.

Title
Guide to the INSPIRE records
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by Karen Fishman
Date
1996-03
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English

Revision Statements

  • 2019-01-16: Minor updates and revisions made post ArchivesSpace migration by Joanne Archer
  • 2021-07-23: Jim Baxter re-wrote the collection abstract.

Library Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives

Contact:
University of Maryland Libraries
Hornbake Library
4130 Campus Drive
College Park Maryland 20742
301-405-9212