Ronald B. Stafford papers,
- Author:
- Stafford, Ronald B.
- Call Number:
- MSS APAP-217 local
- Abstract:
- The Ronald B. Stafford papers document Stafford's service as a New York State Senator representing the 45th District. The collection represents the wide range of activities in which Stafford engaged during his 37-year tenure in the State Senate. Stafford's legislative activities are represented by approximately 70 cubic feet of material on legislation which he sponsored, co-sponsored and supported. His work on behalf of his North Country constituents is represented by documentation of the casework in which his office solved constituents' problems and by letters of support for grant applications. Appointment books and telephone message pads document Senator Stafford's day-to-day activities, and his public accomplishments are documented by news clippings and press releases. His activities as representative of the Adirondack region are documented by series on the Adirondack Park Agency and the Lake Placid Olympics. Senator Stafford's career is further documented by photographs, memorabilia and physical artifacts acquired during his long service in the State Senate.
- Historical Note:
- New York State Senator Ronald B. Stafford (1935-2005) was born in Plattsburgh, NY and raised in Dannemora, NY. After graduating from Plattsburgh High School, Stafford earned a B.A. in government from St. Lawrence University in 1957. He served in the U.S. Army as an intelligence officer and earned his J.D. from Columbia School of Law in 1962. Initially selected by local Republican leaders to run in a special election in 1965, Stafford won his first election to the New York State Senate in 1966. He represented the 45th Senate District in New York State's North Country, which eventually came to include Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Warren, and Washington Counties. Stafford continued to serve the 45th district as State Senator until his retirement in 2002. During his 37-year tenure, Stafford served as Deputy Majority leader for Legislature Operations and as Chairman of several committees including the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Committee on Codes, the Senate Higher Education Committee, and the Senate Finance Committee. While Chairman of the Higher Education Committee in 1974, Stafford helped establish New York State's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) which provides need-based assistance to many undergraduate students who would otherwise be financially unable to attend college. Sen. Stafford was instrumental in bringing the Winter Olympic Games to Lake Placid in 1980, having been appointed Chairman of the New York State 1980 Olympic Winter Games Commission in 1974. He is also noted for his support the "Toxic Torts Bill," passed in 1986, which expanded legal protection to people exposed to toxic chemicals; Stafford opposed his fellow Republicans during the five-year battle to pass this bill. As his district included a significant portion of the Adirondack Park, much of his attention was spent representing the needs of the Park and its residents.
- Physical Description:
- 150 cu. ft
- Access Terms:
- Access to the collection is unrestricted.
- Notes:
- Part of the Archives of Public Affairs and Policy. local
- Subjects:
- Olympic Winter Games (13th : 1980 : Lake Placid, N.Y.), Olympic Winter Games, Political campaigns New York (State), Municipal government New York (State), Municipal government, Political campaigns, and Politics and government
- Genres/Forms:
- appointment books. aat, legislative records. aat, correspondence. aat, clippings (information artifacts) aat, memorandums. aat, Minutes. aat, official reports. aat, photographs. aat, press releases. aat, Files by subject. aat, memorabilia. aat, sound recordings. aat, Video recordings. aat, and floppy disks. aat
- Names:
- Stafford, Ronald B and Stafford, Ronald B
- Corporate Names:
- New York (State). Legislature. Senate. Standing Committee on Judiciary, New York (State). Legislature. Senate. Standing Committee on Codes, New York (State). Legislature. Senate. Higher Education Committee, New York (State). Legislature. Senate. Committee on Finance, Adirondack Park Agency (N.Y.), State University of New York. Board of Trustees, Adirondack Park Agency (N.Y.), New York (State). Legislature. Senate. Committee on Finance, New York (State). Legislature. Senate. Standing Committee on Codes, New York (State). Legislature. Senate. Standing Committee on Judiciary, and State University of New York. Board of Trustees
- Geographic Terms:
- New York (State) Politics and government, Adirondack Mountains (N.Y.), Lake Placid (N.Y.), New York (State), New York (State) Adirondack Mountains, and New York (State) Lake Placid
Access
Rare books do not circulate
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