Finding Aids

Hill, J. French Papers

Manuscript Collection Number:
0009
Creator:
J. French Hill
Title:
J. French Hill Papers
Data Span:
1981-1991
Quantity:
2 Linear Feet
Languages:
English

Processed by: Galloway, Ed
Date Processed: c.1993

  • Biographical Note

    J. French Hill served United States Senator John G. Tower (R-Texas) 1982-1984 in two capacities. Hill functioned as Tower’s legislative aide (1982-1984) for a part of the period of the Senator’s membership on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Hill also acted as Tower’s chief legislative assistant during the Senator’s tenure as chairman of the Subcommittee on Housing and Urban Affairs (1983-1984). Hill worked closely with the Texas senator in Washington, D.C., primarily informing Tower of banking and housing activities and legislation. While Hill performed and supervised routine office duties such as answering mail, setting up meetings, and writing memos, he also researched and prepared legislative briefs, speeches, and statements for Tower, as well as meeting and speaking with individuals and groups in the Senator’s absence.

  • Scope & Content Note

    Correspondence, printed material, creative works, maps, and legal documents, 1981-1986 (2 linear ft./1,068 items), created and maintained by J. French Hill, primarily document the activities of United States Senator John G. Tower (R-Texas) as a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and as chairman of the Subcommittee on Housing and Urban Affairs.

    A relatively small body of materials (185 items) relate to other activities of Tower’s public service, such as his unexpected retirement, his chairmanship of the Senate Armed Services Committee, his interest in Texas history, and weekly legislation activity reports. Approximately three-fourths of the Hill Papers consist of material gathered and produced from Tower’s membership on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee (329 items) and the Subcommittee on Housing and Urban Affairs (437 items).

    Tower played an influential role on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, reflected by his efforts to pass legislation on mutual-to-stock conversion of thrift institutions, as well as his dealings with the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (78 items). The documents also reflect Tower’s commitment (1982-1984) to constituents residing in South Texas, particularly their problems with unemployment and coping with the weak Mexican peso (144 items). Tower participated in the recommendation process to secure the nomination or reappointment of several important members of the government banking community to prominent positions (35 items). Under Tower’s leadership on the Subcommittee on Housing and Urban Affairs (1983-1984), landmark residential mortgage legislation was initiated and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. The Secondary Mortgage Market Enhancement Act of 1984 (225 items) and the companion legislative initiative, Trust for Investment in Mortgages (TIMS) Act (61 items), enhanced the role of the private sector in mortgage finance and facilitated a lower cost of housing for American families.

    The Hill Papers contain much of the working material behind these two pieces of legislation, including background information, the hearings, mark-up activities, and the opinions and reactions of the media. A new accession to the group (1-5-93) compliments the material relating to the Secondary Mortgage Market Enhancement Act, namely Tower’s fight to curve Fannie Mae’s (Federal National Mortgage Association) growth in home mortgages (52 items). The material on the Condominium Cost Reduction Act (1981-1984), comprised of 31 items, pertains to legislation to amend the federal tax code by encouraging building owners to convert apartments to condominiums without involving third-party developers. The Hill Papers also include 65 items which relate to Tower’s role and activities as co-sponsor of the Arkansas Wilderness Bill (1982-1985).

  • Inventory
    Box and Folder
    Senator John G. Tower, 1981-1985 (185 items)
    1.1 Legislation Activity Reports (weekly) - March, April, June, October, 1984 (8 items) 
    Senate Armed Services Committee, 1983-1984, n.d. (13 items)

    1.2 Correspondence/Printed Material, 1983-1984, n.d. (7 items)

    1.3 Middle East Trip, January 2-9, 1984 (6 items)
    Speeches, 1981-1984 (18 items)

    1.4 Material for Pending Speeches/Articles, 1981-1984 (17 items)

    1.5 Texas Independence Day Speech, 2 March 1984 (1 item)
    Clippings, 1983-1986 (133 items)

    1.6 General, 1984-1986 (29 items)

    1.7-8 Retirement, 1983 (104 items)

    1.9 Maps - Texas County, Congressional Districts, ca.1982 (13 items)


    SENATE BANKING, HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, 1982-1984 (329 items) Banking, 1982-1985 (307 items)
    Box.Folder

    1.10 Brokered Funds/Deposits, 1984 (6 items), Federal Home Loan Bank Board, 1982-1985 (78 items)

    1.11 Failure of Empire Savings and Loan Association, Mesquite, Texas, 1984 (6 items)

    1.12 Federal Home Loan Bank Board, 1982-1984 (8 items)
    Mutual-to-Stock Conversion of Thrift Institutions, 1983-1985 (64 items)

    1.13 Creative Work, 1984 (1 item)

    1.14 Printed Material, 1983-1984 (20 items)

    2.1 Correspondence/Memoranda, 1983-1984 (33 items)

    2.2 Clippings, 1984-1985 (10 items)

    2.3 Floor Statements, Policy Statements
    Speeches, 1982-1984 (27 items)

    2.4 Memos to Tower, 1983-1984 (7 items)
    Mexican Peso Devaluation, 1982-1984 (52 items)

    2.5 Correspondence/Memoranda/Printed Material, 1982-1984 (21 items) 

    2.6 Clippings, 1982-1984 (31 items)
    Nominations/Reappointments, 1982-1984 (35 items)

    2.7 Charles Cox, Member, Security and Exchange Commission, 1983 (5 items)

    2.8 Kenn George, Director General, U.S. and Foreign Commission Services,1983 (1 item)

    2.9 Edwin J. Gray, Member, Federal Home Loan Bank Board, 1983 (1 item)

    2.10 Mary Grigsby, Member, Federal Home Loan Bank Board, 1983-1984 (13 items)

    2.11 Bill Isaac, Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 1982-1984 (15 items)

    2.12 Securities Industry Association, 1982-1983 (10 items)
    South Texas Initiatives and South Texas Task Force, 1983-1984 (92 items)

    2.13 Correspondence/Memoranda/Printed Material, 1983-1984 (14 items)

    2.14 Clippings, 1983-1984 (78 items)
    Housing and Urban Affairs, 1982-1984 (22 items)

    2.15 Pets in Public Housing, 1983 (2 items)

    2.16 Recommendations by the Federal National Mortgage Association to President’s Private Sector Survey on Cost Control, Task Force on Boards/Commissions, Banking and Investments, 1983 (2 items)

    2.17 Speeches/Statements, 1982-1984 (10 items)

    2.18 Tax Issues Related to Housing, 1984 (8 items)



    SUBCOMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS, 1981-1984 (437 items), General, 1983-1984 (120 items)
    Box.Folder
    3.1 Activities of Subcommittee, 1983 (24 items)


    3.2 Chairmanship Announcement, 1983 (6 items)
    Correspondence, 1983-1984 (53 items)

    3.3 Letters of Appreciation/Congratulations, 1983-1984 (23 items)

    3.4 Memos to Tower, 1983-1984 (30 items)
    Work Files - S.2040, S. 1821, S.1822 (37 items)

    3.5 Correspondence/Memoranda, 1983-1984 (18 items)

    3.6 Creative Works/Printed Material, 1983 (19 items)
    Secondary Mortgage Market Enhancement Act (S.1821/S.2040)
    1982-1984 (225 items)

    3.7 Legislation, 1983-1984 (16 items)

    3.8 Background Information: S.2040/HR 4597, 1983-1984 (12 items)

    3.9 Correspondence/Memoranda, 1983-1984 (54 items)

    3.10 Press/Media, 1983-1984 (53 items)

    4.1 Hearings on S.1821, September 21-22, 1983 (25 items)

    4.2 Mark-Up of S.1821, October 5-6, 1983 (13 items)

    4.3 Residential Funding Corporation (RFC), 1983 (3 items)

    4.4 General Electric Credit Corporation (GECC), 1983 (5 items)

    4.5 Mortgage Limits, 1983-1984 (17 items)
    Freddie Mac (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation), 1982-1983 (27 items)

    4.6 Correspondence/Printed Material, 1982-1983 (23 items)

    4.7 Creative Works, 1982-1983 (4 items)
    Trust for Investment in Mortgages (TIMS) Act (S.1822), 1983-1984 (61 items)

    4.8 Correspondence/Memoranda/Statements, 1983-1984 (35 items)

    4.9-10 Printed Material, 1983-1984 (26 items)

    5.1 Condo Cost Reduction Act (S.2046), 1981-1984 (31 items)


    ARKANSAS WILDERNESS BILL, 1982-1985 (65 items)
    Box.Folder

    5.2 Legislation/Hearings - 15 February 1984, 6 April 1984 (12 items)

    5.3 Correspondence/Memoranda/Printed Material, 1982-1985 (22 items)

    5.4 Clippings, 1983-1984 (31 items)


    New Accession 1-5-93

    SUBCOMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS, 1980, 1983-1984, n.d. (52 items) Secondary Mortgage Market Enhancement Act, Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association)
    Box.Folder

    5.5-6 Correspondence, Memoranda, Clippings, 1983-1984 (49 items)

    5.7 Report - Description; Financial Soundness, n.d. (1 item)

    5.8 Charter Act, 1980 (1 item)

    5.9 Guiding Principles and Recommendations for the Government Sponsored Enterprises, n.d. (1 item)