James Joseph Delaney papers,
- Author:
- Delaney, James Joseph.
- Call Number:
- MSS APAP-241 local
- Abstract:
- The James Joseph Delaney Collection documents more than thirty years of Delaney's career as a U.S. Congressman from New York State. The collection is arranged into two series. Series 1: Legislative Files is divided into three Sub-series. Sub-series 1: Chemical Additives in Food and Drug contains legislative files, news clippings and correspondence from Delaney's campaign to have cancer-causing agents banned from food, drugs and cosmetics. Sub-series 2: Education Files focuses on Delaney's support of Federal Aid for public and private education including the tuition voucher system and consists of news clippings, House Resolution (H.R.) jackets, and correspondence; and Sub-series 3: Subject Files consist of statements, releases, H.R. jackets and correspondence that relate to various political issues of interest to Delaney. Series 2: Communications includes speeches, statements and press releases given by Delaney and others on a variety of topics.
- Historical Note:
- James Joseph Delaney was born in New York City on March 19, 1901. Between 1936 and 1944, Delaney served as an assistant to the Queens District Attorney's office. Elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-ninth Congress in November 1944, not elected in 1946, but was elcted in 1948 and served in the U.S. Congress until 1978. Delaney is noted for his campaign to have cancer-causing agents banned from food, drugs and cosmetics. Passed in 1958, the Delaney Amendment was a clause in the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that outlawed cancer-causing additives in food and commenced the federal government's role in protecting the public from cancer. His amendment required the Food and Drug Administration to monitor for any chemical additives in food that were found to induce cancer in man or animals. Delaney became involved with this issue as chairman of the Select House Committee that conducted an investigation and study of the use of chemicals, pesticides, and insecticides in and with respect to food products in January 1949 and again in January 1951.[2] In 1996 Congress amended the Delaney Clause with the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) that changed the "zero risk" standard, which made no allowances, to one of "reasonable certainty." As chairman of the New York City Congressional delegation in the mid-1970's, he played a key role in shaping the federal legislation that helped rescue the city from its financial crisis by securing a 2.4 billion dollar low-interest loan. His three decades in Washington catapulted him into the chairmanship of the powerful Committee on Rules in January 1977. Following his retirement in 1978 James Joseph Delaney was a resident of Key Biscayne, Florida until his death at his son's home in Tenafly, New Jersey on May 24, 1987.
- Physical Description:
- 11.65 cu. ft
- Access Terms:
- Access to the collection is unrestricted.
- Notes:
- James Joseph Delaney papers. M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York.
- Subjects:
- Legislators New York (State), Politicians United States, Environmental health Political aspects United States, Environmental policy United States, Carcinogens History, Food additives History, Consumer protection, Carcinogens, Consumer protection, Environmental health Political aspects, Environmental policy, Food additives, Legislators, Politicians, and Politics and government
- Genres/Forms:
- Black-and-white photographs. aat, Correspondence. aat, Manuscripts. aat, Notes. aat, Minutes. aat, Press clippings. aat, Sound recordings. aat, Reports. aat, Speeches. aat, Press releases. aat, Bills (legislative records) aat, and History
- Names:
- Delaney, James Joseph
- Corporate Names:
- United States. Congress, Democratic Party (U.S.), Democratic Party (U.S.), and United States. Congress
- Chronological Terms:
- Since 1945 fast
- Geographic Terms:
- New York (State) Politics and government, New York (State) Politics and government 1951-, United States Politics and government 1945-1989, New York (State), and United States
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