Merrill Trust Company

unspecified — Box: 756

Identifier: MC105.05

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Series:

This sub-subseries includes the following types of files from the 91st Congressional Session: correspondence/resource/case files; legislative resource files; political files; press files; resource files; scheduling files; and personal files belonging to Muskie, Eliot Cutler, John Whitelaw, and Charles Micoleau.

Researchers may note that the records for 1970 include two different sets of correspondence files, one organized similarly to the office's correspondence files in the 1960s, and the other organized similarly to those from the 1970s. The major difference between the two is that the former incorporated case file correspondence along with the rest of the correspondence, while the latter maintained generally distinct case and correspondence files.

The records from the 91st Congress are particularly rich in their documentation of Muskie's work on air and water quality legislation, developing the sugar beet industry in Maine, and the HUD Model Cities Program; Muskie's stands on a range of foreign policy issues; and his responses to the policies of the administration of Richard M. Nixon.

Dates

1969 - 1970

Access Restrictions

Five categories of materials are restricted in the Muskie papers, all of which are noted in container lists, internal database records and physically on the affected boxes and folders. In many cases, restricted material comprises only a portion of a restricted folder. Researchers may request access to a restricted folder, in which case archives staff may review the folder and provide access to any materials that should not be restricted.

1. Student academic records: Restricted for 75 years from date of creation. Contained in Series I; will be open without restriction in 2011 (box 11) and 2064 (box 13). Information about a particular student may be released to that student.

2. Materials restricted to protect personal privacy: Restricted for 75 years from date of creation. Occurs in Series II, V.A.1, V.A.3-V.A.12, V.B and V.C; will be open without restriction on a rolling basis from 2032-2055. Includes case files, personnel files and items bearing Social Security Numbers. Case files and personnel files may be released to the individuals about whom the files were created, or to others if the individual about whom the file was created is deceased and releasing the file is unlikely to significantly impinge upon the personal privacy of a living individual. Redacted copies of items bearing Social Security Numbers may be released upon request.

3. Confidential Congressional committee reports: Restricted for 50 years from date of creation. Occurs in Series V.C; will be open without restriction around 2018. Reports restricted per consultation with NARA Center for Legislative Archives.

4. Susan Harrigan’s diaries: Restricted per donor agreement; access requires written permission of donor until April 5, 2024 or death of donor. Occurs in Series VI.F and XVII.A.

5. Potentially attorney-client privileged and/or proprietary materials: Closed until further notice. Occurs in Series VII, Boxes 120-141 and several unprocessed boxes of materials received from Jane Muskie’s estate. Includes records from Chadbourne, Parke, Whiteside & Wolf that likely contain attorney-client privileged and/or proprietary information intermingled with non-attorney-client-privileged material documenting Muskie’s professional work from 1980-1996.