Housing the political papers of several significant local, regional, state and national politicians and political appointees, as well as the records of several regional governmental and political advocacy organizations, SCRC is an important center for the study of Illinois, regional and national politics.  Large political papers collections include those of:

• US Senators Paul Simon and Roland Burris
  
• US Representatives Ken Gray and Glenn Poshard
• Illinois State Senator Kenneth Buzbee
• St. Louis Mayor Clarence Harmon
• Jeanne Hurley Simon, Illinois state representative and chair of the U. S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science

Records of political organizations include those of the Carbondale Railroad Relocation Authority, the Carbondale League of Women Voters, the Carbondale Foundation for a Better Environment, the Sierra Club Shawnee Group, the Carbondale Peace Center, and the Peace Coalition of Southern Illinois.

Our collections cover topics of regional interest such as coal and energy resources, development of the interstate highway system, agriculture, management of the Shawnee National Forest and other natural resources, and the growth of Southern Illinois University.

To make a gift or donation to SCRC's Political Papers unit, please visit the Donating and Giving page.