The Harry F. Byrd papers pertain chiefly to his service in the United States Senate and include speeches, legislative files, publicity files, transitional files from the completion of his father's term, public activity files, cassette tapes, pertinent printed material, memorabilia, index cards, certificates and awards, bound volumes and photographs. Speech files contain copies of Byrd's speeches, statements from his office, Congressional Record inserts, and press releases. Legislative files contain over 500 boxes of constituent letters arranged by subject. Topics generating the most mail include: abortion, agriculture, civil rights, crime, the economy, energy policy, education, gun control, health care and insurance, historic and natural sites, housing, natural resources, Panama Canal treaty, public works, social security, taxes and tax reform and trade unions. Also foreign relations particularly re Central America, Panama, Saudi Arabia, the Soviet Union, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe, veterans, Virginia politics and government, the Watergate Affair and welfare as well as Byrd's committee work particularly the Senate Armed Forces Committee and Finance Committees. Three boxes of transitional files center on 1964-1966 legislation. Administrative files contain memoranda between Byrd and his staff, nominations and form letters. Personal papers chiefly concern the Byrd family and business, and also include material re Byrd's commemorative trip to the South Pole and caricatures of political figures by Jeff MacNelly. Publicity files contain responses to Byrd's newsletters, press correspondence, and newsclippings. Public activities consist of appointments, donations, invitations, memorabilia, a VIP correspondence file and files re the Annie J. Bronson Charitable Foundation established with funds bequeathed to Byrd for the benefit of the United States.
