Collection context
Summary
- Creator:
- Garton, Robert D., 1933-
- Abstract:
- The bulk of the collection consists of records related to legislative work during Garton's tenure in the Indiana Senate and his years as President Pro Tempore (1976-2006), with substantial files from political campaigns, clippings and photos, and some post-2006 materials related to his work in the Senate.
- Extent:
- 27 linear feet (23 cartons)
- Language:
- Materials are in English .
- Preferred citation:
[item], [folder title and date], [series title], Robert D. Garton Indiana Senate Papers, Modern Political Papers Collection, Indiana University Libraries, Bloomington.
Background
- Biographical / Historical:
Robert Dean (Bob) Garton was born in Chariton, Iowa, on August 18, 1933 and earned his B.S. degree from Iowa State University and an M.S. from Cornell University. From 1955-1957, he was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. Upon leaving military service, he worked for Proctor and Gamble and then moved to Columbus, Indiana to work for the Cummins Engine Company in personnel. In 1961 he established Garton Associates Management Consultants in Columbus, specializing in training and development.
Garton was elected to represent the 41st Senate district in the Indiana General Assembly in 1970 and for eight consecutive terms. He served as Republican caucus chair from 1976-1979 and in 1980 was elected President Pro Tempore, which office he held until he left the Senate in 2006, the longest such tenure in Indiana history. Two of his immediate predecessors having been convicted on bribery charges and sent to prison, Garton made integrity of process a central goal, along with consistency in managing it. His leadership was characterized by careful review of and attention to rules and procedures in the interest of fairness and predictability, increased authority of the President Pro Tempore, greater leadership roles for women, higher standards and employment protections for staff, and computerization of the Senate. In 1995 he began a run for governor but dropped out of the race in December. In 1996 he became Vice President of Professional Development at Ivy Tech Community College, formalizing a relationship that continued into his retirement from the Senate. He is one of 37 legislative leaders in the nation who has served on the Board of Directors of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization representing legislative leaders and key democratic parliamentary leaders across the globe.
A more complete biography is available in the Robert D. Garton Indiana Senate Papers page on the Modern Politial Papers website.
- Scope and Content:
The bulk of the collection, the Legislative by Session series from 1981 on includes separate subsections for the Legislative Services Agency and Operations. Although not comprehensive, materials in each session document various aspects of the process sufficiently to provide an overall picture. The Legislative Services Agency and Operations subseries are especially revealing of the complex machinery supporting the legislative work of the Senate.
The Legislative-Topics series includes files spanning multiple legislative sessions and includes not only legislative topics but casework, conferences and travel.
The Political series documents not only Garton's re-election campaigns and campaign for governor but also the support base built for him by the Citizens for Garton and his efforts toward increasing the Republican membership of the Senate from 1986 to 1996.
The Press series includes all clippings files received as such, in some cases overlapping with the Press Coverage files in the Legislative by Session series; these provide a fairly comprehensive press record of Garton's tenure as President Pro Tempore.
Speeches and Writings include some resource files as well as speeches and articles.
The Personal series is largely materials that do not fit elsewhere; personal items directly related to legislative activity are found in the Operations subsection of the Legislative by Sessions series in folders label "Personal."
The Post-Senate series contains clippings, correspondence, and other materials being contributed by Senator and Mrs. Garton on an ongoing basis. Garton's Reflections in the Post-Senate series of the collection provide a useful complement as well as valuable personal insights into the workings of the Senate.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift, July 2012.
- Processing information:
Processed by Kate Cruikshank.
Completed in 2015.
- Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in seven series, following as closely as possible the arrangement as received: Legislative by Session, Legislative-Topics, Political, Press, Speeches and Writings, Personal, and Post-Senate. The Legislative by Session series is chronological by legislative session, the Legislative-Topics series alphabetical by topic. The Political series is chronological by election year with separate subsections for Citizens for Garton and Senate Majority re-election efforts, then alphabetical within that chronology. The Press series is divided ito Audio-Visual Materials, Press Coverage, Events, and Photos. Speeches and Writings are divided into Resources, Speeches, and Writings. Files withint the Personal and Post-Senate subseries are in alphabetical order.
- Accruals:
Small additions to the collection are made by Senator and Mrs. Garton on an ongoing basis.
Access
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
There are no access restrictions for this collection. However, it is in offsite storage, thus arrangements for use must be made in advance.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
Researchers will be required to sign an agreement to protect third-party privacy with regard to all correspondence. Any literary rights to the papers which he possesses remain with Senator Garton. In order to comply with copyright law, his permission must be obtained for any use beyond conventional academic quotation and citation.
Photocopying and scanning are possible with permission.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
[item], [folder title and date], [series title], Robert D. Garton Indiana Senate Papers, Modern Political Papers Collection, Indiana University Libraries, Bloomington.
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
-
Herman B Wells Library E4601320 East Tenth StreetBloomington, Indiana 47405-7000, United States
- CAMPUS:
- Indiana University Bloomington
- CONTACT:
-
812-855-1538congpprs@indiana.edu