Contents

Collection Overview

Biographical Note

Scope and Contents of the Collection

Organization of the Collection

Search Terms

Legislative Files 1971-1974

Correspondence, 1971-1974

Connecticut State Files, 1971-1974

Personnel Files, 1971-1974

Writings, 1956, 1962, 1975, 1976

Campaign Material, circa 1958-1974

Articles, Sketches and Clippings, 1940-1981

Biographical Materials, 1919-1981

Photographs, circa 1937-1975

Legislative Files 1971-1974

Correspondence, 1971-1974

Connecticut State Files, 1971-1974

Personnel Files, 1971-1974

Writings, 1956, 1962, 1975, 1976

Campaign Material, circa 1958-1974

Articles, Sketches and Clippings, 1940-1981

Biographical Materials, 1919-1981

Photographs, circa 1937-1975

Ella T. Grasso Papers, 1919-1981 (bulk 1970-1974)

Finding Aid

Finding aid prepared by Ralitsa Donkova.

© 2005

Biographical Note

Ella Rosa Giovanna Oliva Tambussi Grasso, a Mount Holyoke College alumna, politician and former Governor of Connecticut, was born on May 10, 1919 in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, to James and Maria Oliva Tambussi. Both Italian immigrants, her father owned and operated the Windsor Locks Bakery, and her mother was a mill worker. Grasso went to St. Mary's School in Windsor Locks, Ct and the Chaffee School in Windsor, Ct. She entered Mount Holyoke College in 1936 and graduated magna cum laude with an B.A. degree in 1940. While an undergraduate she majored in economics and sociology, minored in history and political science, and earned a Phi Beta Kappa key her junior year. For the next two years she was a part-time assistant and teacher for the Department of Economics and Sociology, and in 1942 she received her M.A. degree in economics and sociology from Mount Holyoke. Later in her career, she was awarded honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Mount Holyoke College (1975), Colgate University (1976), Smith College (1976), University of Hartford (1977), and Trinity College (1977). She married Thomas A. Grasso, a school principal, in 1942. They had two children. Grasso began her political career working for the Connecticut State Department of Labor in 1942. In 1943 she became the Assistant Connecticut State Director of Research for the War Manpower Commission and served until 1946. In 1952 Grasso was elected as a Democrat to the House of Representatives of the Connecticut General Assembly ; she was re-elected in 1954. From 1958-1971 she served as Connecticut Secretary of State, and from 1956-1968 she was chair of the Connecticut Democratic State Platform Committee. From 1956-1958 she was Democratic Committeewoman. She co-chaired the Resolutions Committee for the 1966 and 1968 Democratic National Conventions. In 1970 and 1972 she was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut's 6th District. While in Congress she served on the Education and Labor Committee and the Veterans' Affairs Committee. In 1974 Grasso was elected as Governor of Connecticut, becoming the first woman governor of Connecticut and the first woman governor elected in her own right. She was re-elected in 1978, but resigned from office on December 31, 1980 due to illness. After a ten-month battle with cancer, Grasso died on February 5, 1981 at the age of sixty-one in Hartford, Ct. On October 9, 1981 she received the Medal of Freedom from President Ronald Reagan.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The papers of Ella Grasso (1919-1981), span the years 1919-1981, with the bulk dating from 1970-1974, and primarily document her work as a member of the United States Congress. The collection, organized in nine series, consists mainly of Grasso's correspondence with constituents reflecting her views on topics such as the Vietnamese Conflict, veteran affairs, President Richard Nixon's impeachment, and abortion. The papers are organized into the following series: Legislative Files; Correspondence; Connecticut State Files; Personnel Files; Biographical Information; Writings; Campaign Material; Articles, Sketches and Clippings; and Photographs. The Legislative Files are comprised of correspondence, original copies of House of Representative legislative bills and all Grasso's floor statements for the 92nd and 93rd sessions of Congress as printed in the House Record. The files are arranged alphabetically into subject files on topics such as agriculture, banking and currency, budget, civil rights, civil service, education, the economy, energy, the environment, foreign affairs, health, labor issues, the military, the post office, Social Security, taxes, transportation, and veterans. The Connecticut State Files contain letters, informational packets and publications sent to Grasso by companies, organizations and agencies in Connecticut on subjects that did not fall within her jurisdiction as a U.S. Representative. The Personnel files contain information about her office staff. Of note is the correspondence between Grasso and Mount Holyoke College Politics professor Victoria Schuck regarding the Mount Holyoke interns at the Washington Internship Program. The Writings series consists of speeches and articles that reveal Grasso's views on the contemporary political situation, women in politics, and the importance of being politically active. The Articles, Sketches and Clippings series includes contemporary articles about her activities as a politician, as well as articles about women in politics, published after Grasso was elected Governor of Connecticut in 1974. This series also includes publications on her husband Thomas Grasso. The Campaign Material series includes posters, flyers, and bumper stickers from her election campaigns. The Biographical Materials consist of the personal files from her office records such as insurance and private membership materials, as well as her diplomas, birth certificate and other related materials. Rounding out the collection is the Photographs series which includes formal and informal photographs of Grasso while at Mount Holyoke College and at the Mount Holyoke Commencement Ceremony in 1975.

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Search Terms

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Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into nine series:

• Legislative Files (1971-1974)
• Correspondence (1971-1974)
• Connecticut State Files (1971-1974)
• Personnel Files (1971-1974)
• Writings (1956, 1962, 1975, 1976)
• Campaign Material (circa 1958-1974)
• Articles, Sketches, and Clippings (1940-1981)
• Biographical Materials (1919-1981)
• Photographs (circa 1937-1975)

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Contents List

Legislative Files 1971-1974 136 boxes

Consist of letters, telegrams, postcards, petitions, press releases, brochures and publications by non-governmental organizations, original copies of House of Representative legislative bills, reports from various governmental departments and agencies. The series is arranged alphabetically into legislation subject files such as agriculture, banking and currency, budget, civil rights, civil service, education, the economy, energy, the environment, foreign affairs, health, labor issues, the military, the post office, Social Security, taxes, transportation, and veterans. The series is especially strong in material about veterans' affairs, President Richard Nixon's impeachment, gas prices and fuel shortages, family planning and birth control, the availability of food stamps for workers on strike, and education legislation. Of special interest are the files on family planning and control, as this was the year of the Supreme Court's decision on Roe v. Wade. Included are Grasso's responses to pro-life organizations and individuals thanking them for sharing their views, and tells them she too understands the "sanctity of human life." Grasso also wrote that she disagreed with the Supreme Court's decision on the legalization of abortion, however "this decision is the law of the land," so it had to be obeyed. Since Grasso served on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, the series contains a large amount of materials on veterans' affairs and bills in that area that she worked on. An example is the Veterans Education Assistance Act, which she cosponsored and helped draft. Other topics are of concern to residents of Connecticut such as grain shortages, Amtrak route changes, the preservation of the Housatonic River Valley and the Shepaug River, funding for social programs and schools. Some material relates to legislation that Grasso drafted and sponsored, such as the establishment of a legislative Small Business Committee in the House of Representatives, the Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act of 1973, the Clean Elections Act, and a bill to lower the eligibility age for full widows benefits from 65 to 55. The series includes correspondence from members of unions, professional organization and lobby groups in support of legislation in committee or up for vote on the floor. Also included is her correspondence with other members of Congress requesting support for their legislation, and thanking her for the votes of support. Frequent correspondents include members of Congress, Earl Butz, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Mayor of the City of New Haven Honorable Bartholomew F. Guida, Governor of Connecticut Thomas J. Meskill (R), White House officials, the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the New England Caucus, and Dorothy McCaffrey from the Center for Information on America in Washington, Ct.. Included are Grasso's floor statements for the 92nd and 93rd sessions of Congress as printed in the House Record.

Arranged alphabetically into legislation subject files.

Correspondence, 1971-1974 44 boxes

This series is organized into three sub-series: Messages, Constituent Correspondence and Readers Files. The Messages Files span from January 1971-December 1974 and contain all messages that Grasso sent to organizations and individuals during her second term in Congress. They are mostly congratulations for achievements and good wishes for future endeavors of organizations and individuals. The Constituent Correspondence (1971-1972) and the Readers files (1973-74) contain the carbon copies of Grasso's answers to constituent correspondence; the original constituent letters are not included. The letters are mostly statements on popular issues. Some of the topics covered are federal pay rises, Medicaid payments, Social Security changes and payment problems, gun control, the Panama Canal, the political conflict in Northern Ireland, tax benefits for the unmarried, senior citizens medical expenses, equal education opportunities, the school prayer amendment, food stamps eligibility, trip arrangements for citizens of Connecticut visiting Washington D.C., Vietnamese Conflict views, injuries, MIAs and POWs, military record corrections, disability benefits, problems with enlisting in the army, nominations to military academies, Peace Corps enlistment, President Richard Nixon's impeachment process, and family planning and control. Included are answers to requests for information on various topics and congratulations on scholarly achievements, retirements, elections to offices, wedding anniversaries, and U.S. citizenship acquisitions.

Arranged alphabetically.

Connecticut State Files, 1971-1974 21 boxes

Correspondence, informational packets and publications sent to Grasso by companies, organizations and agencies in Connecticut on subjects that did not fall within her jurisdiction as a U.S. Representative. Some of the topics included are the Bradley International Airport, the Connecticut Regional Medical Program, Route 44, I-291, the Emergency Employment Act of 1971, the Procurement Conference that Grasso cosponsored with the New Britain Chamber of Commerce, the University of Connecticut, Mohegan Community College and other Connecticut institutions for higher education. The town files include announcements for events, notifications for changes in funding plans for schools and community programs, requests for assistance with applications for grants. The series also contains statistics and reports on government grants and contracts received in the 6th District. A part of the series consists of letters informing Grasso of the post master appointments in towns in the 6th District.

Organized alphabetically by the organization who sent the materials and by the towns in Connecticut's 6th Congressional district that the materials pertain to.

Personnel Files, 1971-1974 3 boxes

Resumes, recommendations, performance reviews, employment termination forms, salary and vacation time details for Grasso's staff. Included are lists and individual files for interns and staff in her offices in Washington D.C. and New Britain, Ct. Of note is the correspondence between Grasso and Mount Holyoke College Politics professor Victoria Schuck regarding the Mount Holyoke interns at the Washington Internship Program.

Arranged alphabetically.

Writings, 1956, 1962, 1975, 1976 1 folder

Two published articles and two speeches by Grasso. The first article is from the Mount Holyoke Alumnae Quarterly on the obligation to participate in politics, and the second one is in the Connecticut Life on Jacqueline Kennedy's visit to the submarine Lafayette at Groton, Ct.. The first speech she gave at the Mount Holyoke Commencement in June 1975 at the receipt of her honorary degree. The other speech she gave at Smith College on Rally Day 1976 when she received her Smith honorary degree.

Arranged chronologically.

Campaign Material, circa 1958-1974 2 folders

Brochures, fliers, bumper stickers, a button, contribution receipt book, a poster, a sample ballot, and Grasso's voting record from 1971 to 1973. The series reflects Grasso's election campaigns for Secretary of the State, U.S. House Representative and Connecticut Governor.

Arranged chronologically.

Articles, Sketches and Clippings, 1940-1981 7 folders

Magazine and newspaper articles, sketches and clippings, written by others, following Grasso's political career and personal life. Some of the themes discussed are Grasso's ability to be a successful politician and a devoted mother and wife. Attention is paid to the fact that she was not a feminist and had pro-life beliefs in spite of the pressure from women's organizations. Included is a tribute book, "Ella," prepared by the Democratic State Central Committee of Connecticut as part of the funeral services.

Arranged chronologically.

Biographical Materials, 1919-1981 10 boxes

Correspondence, membership materials, medical and insurance bills, Grasso's birth certificate, Mount Holyoke College diplomas, and an audio recording of the funeral service. Included are the condolences Grasso received when her parents died, medical and insurance materials for her and her husband Thomas Grasso, membership materials for the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities, Windham College, and Connecticut College, of which she was a trustee, Christmas and birthday greetings, election congratulations, general correspondence, and clippings from the Bridgeport Post regarding her death and funeral.

Arranged by subject and chronologically.

Photographs, circa 1937-1975 1 folder

Formal and informal photographs of Grasso, including a photo with another student in physiology lab, a group shot with other Mount Holyoke College students, and a photo with Assistant Professor Everett Hawkins in an elementary economics class. Included are Grasso's senior yearbook portrait and negative, reproductions of her yearbook page, later portraits, and photographs from Commencement 1975 with David Truman, Beryl Robichaud Collins and Thomas Grasso.

Arranged chronologically.

Contents List

Legislative Files 1971-1974 136 boxes