The files included in this section are organized as Series 10 and located in Boxes 1-176.
The files in the Series Public Relations consist of an amalgam of constituent correspondence, much of which is in response to the writer’s inquiry, viewpoint, or request. The Public Relations files contains letters requesting government publications, tickets to the White House, U.S. flag, an autograph or photograph of the Congressman or the President, information for term papers or a debate topic, intervention with a federal or state agency, and occasionally letters of appreciation or disparagement for the Congressman’s political activity. In addition to such letters, there are files in which the Leland office wrote to constituents when their names appeared in the newspapers. Weddings, deaths, honors or awards, anniversaries, and elections to office (politics, school or service groups) – in a word, any mention, other than for a criminal activity, generated a brief letter of congratulations from the Congressman.
In addition, an examination of the material indicated that the Public Relations files also contain the minutia of Congressional life such as thank- you letters for the exchange of gifts, thank – you notes for alerting the congressman to a forthcoming speech and, occasionally, a brief letter of congratulations from prominent Democratic constituents on a Leland accomplishment.
Press files contain letters to and from the media, especially but not exclusively Texas. While the files cover many issues, the letters are often a response by Leland to an editorial or a letter to the editor. Sometimes Leland’s position in presented in some detail.
Clippings are generally filed by “Subject”, “Quarter” and “Year”. Within each chronological unit the clippings are filed by subject. The subjects changed over the years but usually consisted of files on political opponents, the incumbent governor in Texas, general politics, and issues that were of particular concern to Leland, such as hunger, homelessness, and health.