Rowland Collection Now Open!

The Richard Russell Library is pleased to announce that the J. Roy Rowland Papers are now open for research. The collection consists of the congressional papers of U.S. House Representative J. Roy Rowland who served twelve years as a Democrat from Georgia, 1983-1994. Rowland represented Georgia’s 8th District, which included the cities of Macon (1983-1994), Albany, Valdosta, and Warner Robins (added to district in 1992).

He served on the Energy and Commerce Committee, the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, the Public Works and Transportation Committee, and the Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families. He was also significantly involved in the National Commission on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), the National Commission to Prevent Infant Mortality, and the Congressional Sunbelt Caucus in addition to other memberships on boards, task forces, and caucuses. As a trained medical doctor, Rowland’s primary legislative interests focused on health issues. He also authored or supported legislation in the areas of transportation, agriculture, education, defense, the environment, and foreign affairs. The papers primarily document the activities of Rowland’s Washington, D.C., office and include legislative research files, bill files, legislative mail, speeches and statements, project and grant files, casework, press releases, photographs, and audiovisual materials.

A sample from the collection (below), a letter written to Rowland by President Bill Clinton, June 25, 1993. Clinton discusses Rowland's role on the National Commission on AIDS.

The Russell Library is open for research from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. For further information on the J. Roy Rowland Papers, please contact russlib@uga.edu or (706) 542-5788. Or, visit us online at http://www.libs.uga.edu/russell/.

Post by Katherine Shirley, Head of Processing, Russell Library