Topical Files

Topical Files comprise the largest series. These files contain correspondence, reports, memoranda and other records relating to various state and federal agencies, subjects such as education and segregation, and prominent political leaders. Some files contain records generated prior to 1959 or after January 1963. Little overlapping exists between the material at SCPC and SCDAH among specific subjects. Among topics for which records exist in both places are: Appointments, Aeronautics Commission, Board of Corrections\Law Enforcement, Board of Health, and Supreme Court.

Topical files of particular interest include those on the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. This commission was established in 1959 to bring together representatives of federal, state, and local governments to consider common problems. Hollings was named one of four "member governors." He served until December 1962, resigning as his term as governor drew to a close. Material regarding the Commission, 1963 to 1966, is filed with the earlier records.

Papers regarding the Barnett Conference, 1961, document this meeting of Southern governors to discuss economic expansion. This file is one of many reflecting Hollings' efforts to promote the economic development of South Carolina and the region. Material on his participation in the Governors' Mission to Argentina and Brazil, November 1960, and his South America Industry Tour, September 1960, is located under Foreign Trade. Files are also present for Governors' Conferences of 1959, 1961, and 1962. In 1962, Hollings served as chairman of the Conference's Committee on State Planning and Urban Development.

Records pertaining to state agencies, boards, and departments document Governor Hollings' interaction with agencies including the departments of Corrections and Education, and Educational Television. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) files also document investigations of complaints regarding magistrates and other state officials.

Additional files contain biographical and other information on political leaders and other prominent individuals such as Jimmy Byrnes, Olin D. Johnston, John F. and Robert Kennedy, Nikita Khrushchev, and Burnet Maybank. The Maybank file includes correspondence, 1956, revealing the possibility of Burnet Maybank, Jr. campaigning for governor in 1958. Had his campaign gone forward, he would have opposed Hollings in the Democratic primary.

In 1962, Hollings issued a Report to the People. This publication and related material among the Topical Files traces the progress made under Hollings' leadership in the areas of education, industrial development, agriculture, and the reorganization of state government. The brochure also comments on the new national image of South Carolina crafted during the Hollings administration. Hollings also reached out to the people using the relatively new medium of television. Material on a program aired in 1962 highlighting South Carolina's recent industrial expansion can be found under Industrial Expansion. Other topical records relate to segregation and the Gressette Committee, 1954-1959, and the textile industry, which is represented by a voluminous file chiefly regarding imports, 1961.

Over one hundred audio recordings document speaking appearances, press conferences, political advertisements, and other events related to Hollings as Governor. These are located in the Audiovisual Series at SCPC.