The first increment (1941-1960) of the James William Fulbright Papers, comprising approximately 313 cubic feet of materials, was accessioned in March 1972 in 148 provisionally labeled transfer cases. Initial physical control was established by assigning a sequential "box control number" to each transfer case, numbering BCN 1 through BCN 148 in a presumed chronological order as determined from the provisional transfer case labels affixed by the Senator's Washington office.

The materials were then subjected to a minimal physical processing in preparation for a final arrangement and description: documents were flattened and straightened; metal pins, clips and staples were replaced with noncorrosive plastic paper clips; manila file folders were replaced with acid-free folders; files were neatly ordered within each new folder; folders were uniformly labeled, numbered sequentially, and then collected into 940 acid-free shelf containers for interim and final storage on a fixed location basis.

Early in the course of this preliminary physical processing, however, it became apparent that the materials had been received in a considerably disorganized state. Many original file folders contained one or more displaced or extraneous documents; original folder labels frequently failed to indicate the contents of folders; files had been assembled in transfer cases on a largely arbitrary basis, reflecting little or no organizational pattern based on function, provenance, comprehensive dates, subject matter or other logical filing scheme; and provisional labels on the transfer cases were of virtually no value in suggesting or inviting a series arrangement and description in accordance with accepted archival principles.

Consequently, no series arrangement was attempted, as it was evident that the collection would require description at the file level, employing descriptive file analyses supported by extensive indexes. Each of the more than 8,400 folders was therefore identified by: 1) the number (BCN) and provisional contents label of the transfer case in which it was received; 2) a sequentially assigned file number (F); 3) the original file label, as assigned by the Senator's office (expanded or corrected as required in the interest of clarity, as COMM[ITTEE] or COMMISSION] for COMM.), including file code number (see Note on Finding Aids) and comprehensive dates; 4) actual comprehensive dates of the material contained in the folder, as determined by examination; and was then analyzed as to content and indexed.

Research access to the collection can be had through the use of the finding aid inventory and indices. Indices include: 1) a comprehensive Index to Significant Correspondents, locating correspondents at the file level; 2) a comprehensive Proper Noun-Third Party Principal- Subject-Keyword Index, locating documents at the file level. 3) Index to File Titles. An alphabetical listing of original file labels 3) File Code Locator. A listing of file code designations indicating, for each code, the shelf location (by BCN and by F number) of coded files.

Many individual documents have been displaced; some file titles are not adequately descriptive of the contents of files; many individual documents are not coded, are incorrectly or incompletely coded, or are located in folders whose file titles bear code numbers different from those appearing on some of the documents contained therein. There is no OV Box A114 in the collection; it had formerly been used as a placeholder.

File Code

The following table, from a copy provided by the Senator's office, indicates the alphanumeric classification scheme by which current and semi-current records in the office, coded to designate the activity, function, agency, or area of interest to which they pertain, were originally filed and retrieved.