William Henry Avery Collection

Congressional Papers, 1955-1965
Manuscript Collection No. 137

Biographical Sketch

William Avery was born on August 11, 1911, near Wakefield in Clay County, Kansas. After attending Wakefield High School, he graduated from the University of Kansas in 1934. He returned to farming and ranching in Wakefield and married Hazel Bowles in 1940. He has four children.

A Republican, Avery was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1950 and served to 1955. In 1954, he campaigned for the Republican nomination for the U. S. House of Representatives on an “anti-big-dam” platform, opposing the Tuttle Creek Dam project on the Blue River. He won both the nomination and election, beginning a congressional career which would span the next 10 years. In 1964 Avery left the U. S. House and was elected 37th governor of Kansas. He served one term as governor, losing a re-election bid to Robert Docking in 1966. In 1968 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination to the U. S. Senate. Avery returned to private life and settled in Wichita, Kansas. He was with Garvey Enterprises (1967-1968), the Clinton Oil Company (1969-1971), and later served as president of the Real Oil Company.

Highlights of Congressman Avery’s legislative activities include membership on the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee (1957-1960), House Committee on Rules (1961-1964), Select Committee on Small Business (1959-1965), Republican Policy Committee (1955-1957, 1961-1965), and was ranking Republican on the Private Calendar Committee (1955-1965). In addition, Avery chaired the Missouri River States Committee and was a member of the President’s Civil Defense Advisory Council.

Scope and Content

This collection contains the congressional papers of William Avery’s career in the House from 1955-1965. It should be noted that the limited chronological scope of the material is a weakness of the collection. Much of the material falls between the years 1960-1962. There is very little material documenting the very early and last few years of Avery’s tenure in office. This limitation could potentially hinder research in the broadest examination of Avery’s career.

The William Avery gubernatorial papers (1965-1967) are part of the Kansas State Historical Society's State Archives holdings.

Series Description

The William H. Avery papers have been arranged in the following series:

General Files

In as much as constituent correspondence contains valid insights into understanding a public official’s position or policy development process, Avery’s papers are of value to researchers. In most subject areas the researcher is generally limited to gleaning information on Avery from his correspondence (often form letters) to constituents. There are very few memoranda or official papers in the collection. Major subjects in this series are: Air Force; Army; Federal Communications Commission; Health, Education and Welfare Department; Social Security Administration; State Department; watersheds; and Ways and Means.

Legislative Files

The files contain constituent correspondence and various reports concerning proposed legislation and resolutions. Each file also contains a printed copy of the bill. These are arranged in a chronological order by Congress, congressional session, and numerical order by bill number. These files are limited to the proceedings of the 85th, 86th and 87th Congresses with the bulk of material reflecting activity in the years 1960-1962.

Veterans’ Files

These files represent constituent and veteran inquiries into a variety of problems. They are arranged alphabetically by name.

Oversized Materials

Those materials too large for storage in boxes were placed in a separate folder. These are comprised of maps, blueprints and broadsides. Each item removed has been noted and cross referenced to the appropriate materials in the collection guide.

William Henry Avery Collection

General Files

Box 1 Agriculture 1960 - 1961
    1962
  Air Force 1958 - 1959
    January - April, 1960
    May - December, 1960
    January - June, 1961
    July - September, 1961
Box 2 Air Force October - December, 1961
    January - March, 1962
    April - July, 1962
    August - December, 1962
    Ed Murray Case
    ICBM Base
  Appropriations Committee:  
  Agriculture (1962)  
    Federal Budget (1959, 1961 - 1962)
    Federal Spending (1962)
    H. E. W. Appropriation (1962)
Box 3 Appropriations Committee:  
  Military Construction  
    Miscellaneous, 1961 - 1962
    Mutual Security Program,1958-1960
    1961 - 1962
    Public Work Appropriations, 1961-1962
  Armed Services Committee Miscellaneous, 1961 - 1962
  Army  1957
    1958
    January - March, 1959
Box 4 Army April - December, 1959
    January - February, 1960
    March, 1960
    April, 1960
    May - September, 1960
    October - December, 1960
    January - April, 1961
Box 5 Army May - July, 1961
    August, 1961
    September, 1961
    October, 1961
    November - December, 1961
    January, 1962
    February, 1962
Box 6 Army March - April, 1962
    May - June, 1962
    July - October, 1962
    September - December, 1962
  Atchison Ordnance Cave  
  Atomic Energy  
  Banking and Currency, 1961
  Miscellaneous Civil Air Patrol  
Box 7 Civil Defense  
 
[Oversized material removed]
  
  Civil Service 1958 - 1959
    1960 - 1961
    1962
  Civil Service Classification 1955 - 1960
  Civil Works: Prairie National Park  
  Civil Works: Tuttle Creek & H.B. 13152  
  [Oversized materials removed]  
Box 8 Commemorative Stamps: Post Office File  
  Commerce, Department of  
  Congressional Record: Extension  
 
of Remarks,
  
  84th Cong., 1st Session  
  84th Cong., 2nd Session  
  85th Cong., 1st Session  
  85th Cong., 2nd Session  
  86th Cong., 2nd Session  
  District of Columbia Committee  
  Education and Labor Committee 1960 - 1962
  Educational Television  
  Employees' Compensation, Bureau of 1951 - 1957
Box 9 Employees' Compensation, Bureau of 1958 - 1959
  Federal Aviation Agency  
  Federal Communications Commission 1957 - 1958
    1959
    1960
    January - June, 1961
    July - December, 1961
    January - June, 1962
    July - December, 1962
Box 10 Federal Housing Administration 1961
    1962
  Federal Trade Commission:  
  Airport Service Station (Clay Center, KS)  
  Chapell Creamery & John's Creamery  
  Golden Krust Bakery (Manhattan, KS)  
  Jordan and Alexander Baking Co.  
 
(Topeka, KS)
  
  Shawnee Creamery & Dairy  
  Foreign Affairs: Miscellaneous  
  General Accounting Office  
  General Services Administration 1958 - 1959
    1960 - 1961
    1962
  [Oversized material removed]  
Box 11 General Services Administration:  
  V.A. Hospital Surplus Property  
  Government Operations  
  Health, Education & Welfare  
  Department of 1960
    1961
    January-May, 1962
    June-December, 1962
    1963
     
  Application Announcement-  
 
P.L. 815 & 874
  
Box 12 Health, Education & Welfare  
  Department of:  
  Food & Drug Administration Housing &  
  Home Finance Agency  
  Interior & Insular Affairs  
  Interior, Department of  
  Fish & Wildlife Service  
  Grasslands (Prairie) National Park  
  Proposed True Prairie National Park  
  Internal Revenue Service 1958 - 1959
    1960
Box 13 Internal Revenue Service 1961
    1962
  Interstate and Foreign Commerce  
  Committee:  
  Broadcast Licensing (S. 1898)
  Interstate and Foreign Commerce  
  Committee:  
  Educational T. V.  
  Upstream Benefits  
  Interstate Commerce Commission 1958
    1959
    1960 - 1962
  Atchison-Leavenworth Rate Case 1957 - 1958
  Interstate Commerce Commission,  
  Atchison-Leavenworth Rate Case 1959-1961
  Invitations  
Box 14 Jobs January - July, 1962
    August - December, 1962
  Judiciary Committee  
  Electoral College  
  Justice, Department of  
  Immigration & Naturalization Service  
  Prisons, Bureau of  
  Kansas: State Government December, 1960 - July, 1961
    August - December, 1961
Box 15 Kansas: State Government January - July, 1962
    August - December, 1962
  Labor, Department of 1956 - 1960
    1961 (Oversized material removed)
    1962
  Employees Compensation, Bureau of  
  Library of Congress  
  Merchant Marine & Fisheries  
  Milford Lake  
  Miscellaneous  
Box 16 National Aeronautics & Space  
  Administration  
  Navy, Department of 1958 - 1962
    1962
  Post Office and Civil Service  
  Public Relations Office January - June, 1962
    July, 1962 - 1963
  Barber & Beauty Shops  
  Lincoln Coins  
  Military Pictures  
  Pony Express Centennial  
 
Scouts
  
  Public Works Committee: Miscellaneous  
Box 17 Republican - 1st District Convention  
  Requests: For copies of Hearings,  
  Public Laws & Bills  
  Rules Committee: Miscellaneous 1961
    1962
  Selective Service  
  Small Business Administration 1961
    1962
  Small Business, Select Committee on 1960
    January-September, 1961
    October-December, 1961
    1962
Box 18 Social Security Administration 1958
    1959
    1960
    January - June, 1961
    July - September, 1961
     
    October - December, 1961
    January - July, 1962
    August - December, 1962
Box 19 State, Department of 1959 - 1960
    January - August, 1961
    September - December, 1961
    January - March, 1962
    April - September, 1962
    October - December, 1962
  Entertainment Allowance  
  Peace Corps  
 
R.B. 47, McKone & Olmstead
  
Box 20 State, Department of: Visas  
  Topeka Air Force Depot  
  Treasury, Department of 1958 - 1960
    1961 - 1962
  Un-American Activities Committee 1960 [Oversized material removed]
  Un-American Activities Committee January - May, 1961
    June - December, 1961
    1962
Box 21 Veterans Affairs Committee  
  [Oversized material removed]  
  Watershed: Delaware River  
  Kansas Watersheds  
  Miscellaneous Clippings  
  Otter Creek  
  Straugen Creek  
  Tuttle Creek: Newspaper Clippings July, 1955
  Tuttle Creek: Newspaper Clippings Aug.-Sept. 1955
  Walnut Creek  
  Ways & Means Committee 1961
    1962
  Highway Program  
Box 22 Ways & Means Committee:  
  Reciprocal Trade Tax Hearings, May-Sept., 1961
    Oct.-Dec., 1961
    1962

Legislative Files
Box 22 (cont.)  
  85th Congress, 1st and 2nd Sessions (H.R. 4181, H.R. 12384)
  86th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 323, H.R. 4987, H.R. 5565,
  H.R. 6231)
  86th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 6382, H.R. 6503, H.R. 7175,
  H.R. 7253, H.R. 7502)
Box 23 86th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 7937, H.R. 8933, H.R. 9044,
  H. Res. 385, H.J. Res. 252)
  86th Congress, 2nd Session (H.R. 9448)
  86th Congress, 2nd Session (H.R. 9303, H.R. 10744, H.R. 11012,
  H.R. 11582)
  86th Congress, 2nd Session (H.R. 12103, H.R. 12580, H.R. 12583)
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 10, H.R. 17, H.R. 45, H.R. 70)
Box 24 87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 71, H.R. 84, H.R. 116, H.R. 127,
  H.R. 159, H.R. 225, H.R. 291, H.R. 302, H.R. 405)
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 417, H.R. 424, H.R. 514, H.R. 613,
  H.R. 640)
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 667, #1
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 667, #2
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 667, #3
  (See: 87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 4970)
Box 25 87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 667, #4
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 667, #5
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 667, #6
  (See: 87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 4970)
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 701, H.R. 800, H.R. 814/522/241,
  H.R. 822, H.R. 825, H.R. 879/880, H.R. 886, H.R. 893/90)
Box 25 (cont.)  
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 965/132, H.R. 988, H.R. 1085/1024,
  H.R. 1098/271, H.R. 1129, H.R. 1159, H.R. 1163, H.R. 1174,
  H.R. 1197, H.R. 1233, H.R. 1267)
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 1612, H.R. 1820, H.R. 1949/1141,
  H.R. 1966/803, H.R. 1986, H.R. 2030, H.R. 2033, H.R. 2049)
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 2070, H.R. 2206, H.R. 2226,
  H.R. 2240)
Box 26 87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 2244, H.R. 2302, H.R. 2402,
  H.R. 2451, H.R. 2483, H.R. 2488, H.R. 2731/1267,
  H.R. 2732, H.R. 2745)
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 2757, H.R. 2775, H.R. 2781/2751,
  H.R. 2900/2899)
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 2900, H.R. 2919, H.R. 2967/2966,
  H.R. 3001/3000, H.R. 3024, H.R. 3258/2794, H.R. 3267,
  H.R. 3279, H.R. 3316)
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 3359, H.R. 3452, H.R. 3556,
  H.R. 3569/16, H.R. 3690)
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 3745, #1
Box 27 87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 3745, #2
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 3778, H.R. 3795, H.R. 3867,
  H.R. 4131, H.R. 4172)
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 4222, #1
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 4222, #2
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 4222, #3
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 4331, H.R. 4345/108, H.R. 4386,
  H.R. 4392, H.R. 4413, H.R. 4510)
Box 28 87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 4537, H.R. 4549, H.R. 4603,
  H.R. 4688, H.R. 4735, H.R. 4742, H.R. 4749, H.R. 4752,
  H.R. 4884, H.R. 4944, H.R. 4994, H.R. 4998, H.R. 4999)
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 5000, H.R. 5017, H.R. 5023)
Box 28 (cont.)  
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 5127/5114, H.R. 5213, H.R. 5266/
  4253, H.R. 5288, H.R. 5403/4061/923, H.R. 5442)
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 5560, H.R. 3935, H.R. 1263,
  H.R. 3, S. 1457 #1
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 5560, H.R. 3935, H.R. 1263,
  H.R. 3, S. 1457 #2
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 5563, H.R. 5596, H.R. 5682,
  H.R. 5902)
Box 29 87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 5937
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 5966, H.R. 5978, H.R. 6006,
  H.R. 6011, H.R. 6027, H.R. 6028)
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 6069, H.R. 6164, H.R. 6185,
  H.R. 6245, H.R. 6300, H.R. 6355, H.R. 6358, H.R. 6371,
  H.R. 6376, H.R. 6386)
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 6400 #1
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 6400 #2
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 6418, H.R. 6436, H.R. 6441)
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 6466
Box 30 87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 6483, H.R. 6518, H.R. 6660/6659,
  H.R. 6687, H.R. 6713, H.R. 6900, H.R. 6984)
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 7035
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 7150, 7057, H.R. 7177/7176,
  H.R. 7178, H.R. 7283)
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 7300, H.R. 4970
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 7333, H.R. 7379, H.R. 7391,
  H.R. 7446, H.R. 7543, 7542)
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 7576
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 7596, H.R. 7685, H.R. 7692,
Box 30 (cont.) H.R. 7871, H.R. 7904/6774/4253)
Box 31 87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 7927
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 7983/7936, H.R. 7985/7918,
  H.R. 8031, H.R. 8102, H.R. 8147, H.R. 8155, H.R. 8182)
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 8190, H.R. 8210, H.R. 8300,
  H.R. 8399, H.R. 8540, H.R. 8520, H.R. 8597/5027,
  H.R. 8617/1129, H.R. 8617)
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 8723, H.R. 8732, H.R. 8810,
  H.R. 8830)
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 8840
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 8849, H.R. 8962, H.R. 9076,
  H.R. 9096, H.R. 9101, H.R. 9180, H.R. 9217, H.R. 9267,
  H.R. 9443, H.R. 9657/9656, H.R. 9803)
Box 32 87th Congress, 1st Session (H. Res. 56, H. Res. 135, H. Res. 211,
  H. Res. 261, H. Res. 163, H. J. Res. 211, H. J. Res. 261,
  H. J. Res. 447, H. Con. Res. 322)
  87th Congress, 1st Session (S. Res. 39, S. J. Res. 26/12/1,
  S. 70/71, S. 121, S. 174, S. 179)
  87th Congress, 1st Session (S. 196, S. 457, S. 723, S. 893,
  S. 986, S. 1027, S. 1070, S. 1225)
  87th Congress, 1st Session - S. 1633
  87th Congress, 1st Session (S. 1635, S. 1713, S. 1722, S. 1850,
  S. 1983, S. 2134, S. 2180, S. 2361, S. 2573, S. 2640)
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 2003/2/S. 2, H.R. 2544/S. 1410,
  H.R. 2765/S. 676, H.R. 2955/S. 640, H.R. 3061/S. 189,
  H.R. 3451/S. 610, H.R. 4104/S. 278)
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 4569/H.R. 5/S. 1, H.R. 4930,
  S. 1072, H.R. 5937/S. 1197)
Box 33 87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 6092/S. 1459, H.R. 6242/S. 1488,
  H.R. 6575/S. 681, H.R. 6725/S. 1740, H.R. 6949/S. 1595)
  87th Congress, 1st Session - H.R. 7640/S. 2084
Box 33 (cont.)  
  87th Congress, 1st Session (H.R. 8050/S. 2158, H.R. 8646/S. 2409,
  H.R. 8900/S. 585)
  87th Congress, 2nd Session (H.R. 3, H.R. 207, H.R. 4094, H.R. 4999,
  H.R. 6984, H.R. 8845, H.R. 9524)
  87th Congress, 2nd Session - H.R. 9531, #1
  87th Congress 2nd Session - H.R. 9531, #2
  87th Congress, 2nd Session (H.R. 9567, H.R. 9817, H.R. 9847,
  H.R. 9882)
Box 34 87th Congress, 2nd Session - H.R. 9900
  87th Congress, 2nd Session (H.R. 9917, H.R. 10010 #1)
  87th Congress, 2nd Session - H.R. 10010 #2
  87th Congress, 2nd Session - H.R. 10032, H.R. 10058, H.R. 10113,
  H.R. 10125, H.R. 10145, H.R. 10180, H.R. 10205)
  87th Congress, 2nd Session (H.R. 10335, H.R. 10390, H.R. 10396,
  H.R. 10474, H.R. 10480, H.R. 10606)
  87th Congress, 2nd Session - H.R. 10650 #1
Box 35 87th Congress, 2nd Session - H.R. 10650 #2
  87th Congress, 2nd Session - H.R. 10650 #3
  87th Congress, 2nd Session (H.R. 10670, H.R. 10682, H.R. 10786,
  H.R. 10815, H.R. 10864, H.R. 10896, H.R. 10946,
  H.R. 10981)
  87th Congress, 2nd Session (H.R. 11022, H.R. 11050, H.R. 11113,
  H.R. 11158, H.R. 11172, H.R. 11199/9725, H.R. 11221)
  87th Congress, 2nd Session - H.R. 11222, #1
  87th Congress, 2nd Session - H.R. 11222, #2
Box 36 87th Congress, 2nd Session (H.R. 11268, H.R. 11340, H.R. 11581,
  H.R. 11582, H.R. 11583/H.R. 11584)
Box 36 (cont.)  
  87th Congress, 2nd Session (H.R. 11677, H.R. 11711, H.R. 11721,
  H.R. 11784, H.R. 11823)
  87th Congress, 2nd Session (H.R. 11864, H.R. 11888, H.R. 11921,
  H.R.