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E. C. “Took” Gathings: House Select Committee on Current Pornographic Materials Collection

 Collection
Identifier: NEAD 019

Scope and Content Note

The House Select Committee on Current Pornographic Materials is a subgroup within the much larger collection, Ezekiel C. "Took" Gathings Congressional Papers. Because of the size of the larger collection, this subgroup is treated as a collection.

This collection consists of materials pertaining to the House Select Committee on Current Pornographic Materials, including the organization of the Select Committee, investigative procedures, hearing schedules, lists of witnesses and their testimony, subpoenas, reference material, artifacts, lists of books to be banned, and correspondence with organizations, individuals, and government agencies.

Dates

  • Creation: 1933-1966
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1951-1953

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This manuscript collection consists of physical materials. This collection has not been digitized. This collection is open for research use only in the Reading Room. It is not available for request through Interlibrary Loan. Please contact the archive via email (archives@astate.edu) at least a week in advance of your arrival to ensure the availability of the material.

Biographical and Historical Notes

E. C. Gathings

Ezekiel Candler "Took" Gathings (1903-1979) was born in Prairie, Mississippi on November 10, 1903. He attended public school at Earle, Arkansas and received his law degree from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1929. Gathings moved to West Memphis in 1932 to practice law and in 1935 was elected to the State Senate. In 1938 he was elected from the First Congressional District of Arkansas to the United States House of Representatives where he served until 1969. Gathings died May 2, 1979 while making a presentation to the West Memphis Port Authority. According to his obituary printed in the Jonesboro Sun, "Gathings died as he had lived, to serve the people of his home area."

Gathings served on several key House Committees. These committees included the Military Affairs Committee during World War II, World War Veterans, Claims, Irrigation and Reclamation, Census, Immigration and Naturalization, and finally in 1944 he became part of the Agriculture Committee. During his tenure on the Agriculture Committee he served as chairman of several key subcommittees, including the Subcommittee on Cotton; and the Subcommittee on Equipment, Supplies, and Manpower; and the Subcommittee on Rice. Gathings' achievements included the sponsorship and passage of legislation to build bridges across the Mississippi River at West Memphis and at Helena. He was responsible for the fish hatchery at Corning, numerous flood control projects for the First Congressional District, and price support programs for cotton and rice. He fought for the establishment of the Blytheville Army Air Base during World War II, and for reactivation of the base in 1952-54.

House Select Committee on Current Pornographic Materials

The House Select Committee on Current Pornographic Materials was also known as the Gathings Committee. This committee was formed in 1951 and began investigating in 1952. E. C. Gathings, as Chair of this committee, was concerned that the contents of comic books and pocket-sized paperback books would corrupt the youth of the nation and lead to an increase in the number of rapes and violent crimes committed. The Committee report was published in 1953 and called for censorship. No laws were implemented as a result of this investigation.

Extent

6.67 Linear Feet (The collection consists of 169 folders in 16 document boxes.)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection is a subgroup of the Ezekiel C. "Took" Gathings Congressional Papers. This subgroup contains research, artifacts, and correspondence related to the House Select Committee on Current Pornographic Materials that was chaired by Congressman E. C. Gathings in 1951. From 1951-1953 the House Select Committee investigated alleged pornography in "Pocket Sized Books," advertisements sent through the United States Postal Service, and the content of television, movies, radio, and magazines. Contained within this collection is the organization of the Select Committee, investigative procedures, hearing schedules, lists of witnesses and their testimony, subpoenas, reference material, artifacts, lists of books to be banned, and correspondence with organizations, individuals, and government agencies.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in five series.

Series 1: Committee Investigation: The “Committee Investigation” series contains procedures, reference materials, research notes, evidence, investigative reports, and correspondence with state and federal government offices, publishers, and religious groups.

Series 2: Committee Hearings. The “Committee Hearings” series contains documents related to the Committee Hearings including rules and instructions, lists of witness and subpoenas, questions for witnesses, exhibits, statements and depositions, and notes on testimony.

Series 3: Committee Findings. The “Committee Findings” series contains documents related to the findings made by the Committee including committee reports, speeches made by E. C. Gathings, press releases, requests for copies of the Committee Report, newspaper clippings, and correspondence related to continuing interest in the committee.

Series 4: Correspondence. The “Correspondence” series is the largest series in this collection. It is comprised of 60 folders and contains correspondence showing support for the committee from individuals, religious groups, organizations, and government agencies. Also contained in this series is correspondence from special individuals, unusual correspondence, individuals critical of the committee, petitions, letters protesting alcohol and tobacco advertising, and form letters sent by E. C. Gathings and other members of the committee.

Series 5: Committee Organization. The “Committee Organization” series is the smallest series in this collection. It contains documents related to the organization of the Committee including the Committee Resolution, employee information, expense reports, and expense vouchers.

This subgroup is arranged as a collection as it is part of the much larger collection of E. C. "Took" Gathings'.

Immediate Source of Acquistion

E. C. Gathings turned part of his collection over to Arkansas State University (Jonesboro) after he left Congress, and the remainder of the collection was given to the University after his death in 1979.

Accruals

No further additions to this collection are expected.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Dr. Brady Banta and Flora Smith.

Related Names

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Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
E. C. “Took” Gathings: House Select Committee on Current Pornographic Materials Collection
Subtitle
1933-1966
Author
Flora Smith
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Archives & Special Collections at A-State Repository

https://archivesspace.library.astate.edu
Contact:
P. O. Box 2040
State University AR 72467

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