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Watergate collection

 Collection
Identifier: Law Spec. Coll. 08

Scope and Contents

The collection contains a set of background materials prepared for use by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee in its impeachment investigation of President Richard M. Nixon in 1974. Included are many handwritten notes. Some of this material was published as official government documents and Law Library holdings are so noted.

Dates

  • 1974

Creator

Terms of Access

Materials can be examined by qualified researchers in the Law Library during hours of operation during which Law Reference Librarians are present. In order to insure access, researchers are advised to contact the Law Library in advance of visits.

Copyright

Most of the materials are U.S. government documents and in the public domain. Copyright for the other materials in the collection does not reside with the Law Library. Therefore, patrons wishing to publish any item, or part of an item from this collection for any purpose, are responsible for securing requisite permissions. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

Biographical Note

William P. Dixon was born December 12, 1943, in Buffalo, N.Y. He received a B.S. in 1965 and a J.D. in 1970 from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

From 1970 to 1972, Dixon was an associate attorney with the Milwaukee law firm of Foley and Lardner. From 1972 to 1973, he was chief counsel to Wisconsin Governor Patrick Lucey.

Dixon was counsel to the U.S. Congress House Judiciary Committee from 1973 to 1975. From 1975 to 1977 he was General Counsel and deputy staff director of the U.S. Congress House Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs Committee. From 1977 to 1979 he was U.S. Alternate Executive Director of the World Bank.

Aside from serving as Chief of Staff to Senator Gary Hart from 1985 to 1987, Mr. Dixon was in private practice from 1979 on and at the time of this writing in Madison, Wisconsin, Of Counsel with the firm of Miner Barnhill and Gallard.

Historical Note

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee was authorized on February 6th, 1974 by H.Res. 803 "to investigate whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its constitutional power to impeach Richard M. Nixon, President of the United States of America." Hearings were held from May through July 1974. Nixon resigned on August 8th, 1974. Useful resources for historical context are listed under Related Resources at the end of this finding aid.

Extent

18.77 Linear Feet (45 manuscript boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

This collection consists of original notebooks and the investigative files collected by Mr. Dixon when he served as counsel to the United States Congress, House Committee on the Judiciary during the impeachment proceedings regarding President Richard M. Nixon.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in 17 series:

I. Dixon Notebooks - Statements of Information

II. Statements of Information - Table of Contents

III. Index to Investigative Files - House Committee on the Judiciary

IV. Summary of Information

V. Briefing Book

VI. Minority Memorandum on Law and Evidence

VII. Draft Articles of Impeachment

VIII. Cambodia

IX. Nomination of Richard G. Kleindienst for Attorney General

X. Stenographic Minutes of Hearings Before the House Judiciary Committee - Impeachment Inquiry

XI. White House Tape Transcripts

XII. Impeachment Inquiry Staff Reports

XIII. Secondary Material (Used by Dixon)

XIV. Congressional Record

XV. Dixon Background Notes

XVI. Government Documents

XVII. Supplemental Material

I contains William Dixon's nine notebooks which are numbered I to IX (not to be confused with Series numbering). Each notebook contains an overall table of contents and is in original order. Series II-XVI each preserve William Dixon's working order and several of these series have self contained tables of contents or outlines as noted. Series XVII contains materials added by the processor.

Acquisition Information

Gift of William P. Dixon, 1975.

Accruals and Additions

No further accruals are expected to this collection.

Alternate Forms

Some of this material was published as official U.S. government documents and Law Library holdings are so noted in the container list.

Related Resources

  1. Garza, Hedda. The Watergate Investigation Index. Senate Select Committee Hearings and Reports on Presidential Campaign Activities Law Library KF 26.5 J8 1974 Supp.3
  2. Garza, Hedda. The Watergate Investigation Index. House Judiciary Committee Hearings and Report Impeachment Law Library KF 27 P7 1973 Supp.4

Separated Material

Newspapers from folders 29.3 and 29.5 are encapsulated and located separately at the end of the collection.

Processing Information

Processed by Kristen Rinaldo, November 2006.

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Finding Aid for the Watergate collection
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Kristen Rinaldo, Fall 2006; updated by Karen L. Spencer, March 2007.
Date
2007
Description rules
Finding Aid Prepared Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Charles B. Sears Law Library Repository

http://law.lib.buffalo.edu/
Contact:
O'Brian Hall
Buffalo New York 14260 United States