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                             Joseph C. Swidler

            A Register of His Papers in the Library of Congress


Prepared by Bradley E. Gernand and T. Michael Womack with the assistance of
                             Deloris C. Butler
                  Revised and expanded by John R. Monagle

                                    2001

                 Manuscript Division, Library of Congress

                              Washington, D.C.

       Contact information: http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/mss/address.html

                Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress
                         Manuscript Division, 2003

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Collection Summary

Title:    Papers of Joseph C. Swidler , 1931 - 1997 (bulk 1958 - 1977 )
ID No.:    MSS42093
Creator: Swidler, Joseph C. (Joseph Charles), 1907-
Extent:    32,200 items ; 93 containers ; 37.2 linear feet
Repository:    Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Abstract:    Attorney and public power industry official. Articles,
correspondence, legal papers, memoranda, newspaper clippings, printed
matter, reports, and speeches relating primarily to Joseph C. Swidler's
career as an attorney and government official.

Selected Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of
person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and
listed alphabetically therein.

Names:

Swidler, Joseph C. (Joseph Charles), 1907-
Institute for Public Policy Alternatives
National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
New York (State). Public Service Commission
Tennessee Valley Authority
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
United Nations
United States. Federal Power Commission
International Conference on Water for Peace (1967 : Washington, D.C.)

Subjects:

Allegiance
Electric power failures--Northeastern States
Energy policy--United States
Interconnected electric utility systems--United States
Lawyers--United States
Loyalty
Power resources--United States--Laws and legislation
Water resources development
New York (State)--Politics and government

Occupations:

Lawyers
Public officials

Administrative Information

Provenance:

The papers of Joseph Charles Swidler, attorney and public power industry
official, were given to the Library of Congress by Swidler in 1980 and
1982. Additional material was given by Ann Swidler in 1997 and 1999 and by
Scott Henderson in 2001.

Processing History:

The papers of Joseph C. Swidler were arranged and described in 1996.
Additional material was processed in 2001.

Transfers:

A sound recording has been transferred to the Library's Motion Picture,
Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division where it is identified as part of
these papers.

Copyright Status:

The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Joseph C. Swidler is
governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).

Preferred Citation:

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following
information: Container number, Joseph C. Swidler Papers, Manuscript
Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Biographical Note

 Date          Event

 1907 , Jan.
 28            Born, Chicago, Ill.

 1929          Ph.B., University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.

 1930          J.D., University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.

 1930 - 1931   Attorney, David E. Lilienthal law firm, Chicago, Ill.

 1932 - 1933   Attorney, Booth & Swidler law firm, Chicago, Ill.
               Associate editor, Public Utilities and Carriers Service,
               Commerce Clearing House, Chicago, Ill.

 1933          Assistant solicitor, Interior Department
               Married Janet Elizabeth Voss (divorced 1943)

 1933 - 1937   Attorney, Tennessee Valley Authority

 1937 - 1939   Assistant general solicitor in charge of power matters,
               Tennessee Valley Authority

 1939 - 1945   Solicitor, Tennessee Valley Authority

 1941          Counsel, Alien Property Bureau, Justice Department (on loan
               from Tennessee Valley Authority)

 1942          Counsel, Power Division, Office of War Utilities, War
               Production Board (on loan from Tennessee Valley Authority)

 1943 - 1945   United States Navy

 1944          Married Gertrude Tyrna

 1945 - 1957   General counsel and secretary, Tennessee Valley Authority
               Chairman of the board, Tennessee Valley Authority
               Retirement System

 1957          Consultant on integrated river basin development, United
               Nations, Bureau of Economic Affairs, Water Resources and
               Power Section

 1957 - 1958   Attorney and consultant on utility management, Knoxville,
               Tenn.

 1958 - 1961   Counsel to Denney, Leftwich & Osborn law firm, Nashville,
               Tenn.

 1961 - 1965   Chairman, Federal Power Commission

 1964 - 1965   Member, United States Water Resources Council

 1966          Representative, United Nations Inter-regional Seminar on
               Integrated Utilization of Water Resources, Moscow, USSR

 1966 - 1967   Attorney, Swidler & Freeman law firm, Washington, D.C.

 1967          Consultant, United States Atomic Energy Commission
               United States representative, International Conference on
               Water for Peace, Washington, D.C.

 1967 - 1970   Attorney, Swidler & Belnap law firm, Washington, D.C.

 1970 - 1974   Chairman, New York Public Service Commission, Albany, N.Y.

 1973          Member, Commission on Critical Choices for Americans

 1974 - 1975   Director, Institute for Public Policy Alternatives, State
               University of New York, Albany, N.Y.

 1975 - 1982   Attorney, Leva, Hawes, Symington, Martin & Oppenheimer law
               firm, Washington, D.C.

 1982 - 1997   Attorney, Swidler & Berlin law firm, Washington, D.C.

 1997 , May 1  Died, Bethesda, Md.

Scope and Content Note

The papers of Joseph Charles Swidler (1907-1997) span the years 1931-1997
with the bulk of the items concentrated in the period 1958-1977. Swidler's
career, much of which is reflected in his papers, coincided with the birth
and development of the modern public power system and the creation of a
continental power grid. As chief energy regulator for the federal
government and later head of the New York Public Service Commission,
Swidler played a pivotal role during the crises regarding infrastructure in
the 1960s and energy supply in the 1970s.

The collection consists of six series and an addition. The first four
series are arranged by agency name in an order reflecting the chronology of
Swidler's career in public service. A Law Practice series, representing
material from his private practice, is divided into sections and arranged
alphabetically by name of law firm. A Miscellany series is placed at the
end.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) series consists chiefly of printed
matter, including congressional testimony, legal opinions, and reports.
Correspondence deals largely with Swidler's termination from the authority.

The Federal Power Commission series consists of correspondence, memoranda,
and reports chronicling the rapid growth of the energy industry during the
1960s, including the planning and creation of the first regional and
national power grids, the disruptive power outages of November 1965 in the
northeastern United States, power generating, power supply and reliability,
and energy prices and pricing. Included in the commission's travel files is
an unpublished report regarding the Soviet Union's state energy system in
1962.

The New York Public Service Commission under Swidler's leadership was one
of the foremost state utility authorities. Correspondence, memoranda,
reports, and speeches in the series record his administration of the
commission. Subjects include the environmental movement, energy policies of
the city of New York, proposed power utility sites and activities, and the
state government's position on energy conservation. Swidler's activities
with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners are also
reflected in the series.

In 1974, at the invitation of Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, Swidler left
the Public Service Commission to become head of the Institute of Public
Policy Alternatives. The institute was intended to be a think tank for the
State University of New York system. One year later, however, the plan was
canceled by a new governor. Files in the series reflect the start-up of the
institute and the research it initiated.

The Law Practice series reflects Swidler's tenure with the private firms of
Denney, Leftwich & Osborn; Leva, Hawes, Symington, Martin & Oppenheimer;
Swidler & Belnap; and Swidler & Freeman.

The Miscellany series contains biographical and family material as well as
papers from Swidler's service on the Atomic Energy Commission,
International Conference on Water for Peace, the United Nations
Inter-regional Seminar on International Utilization of Water Resources, and
other conferences and commissions.

An Addition reflects aspects of Swidler's tenure with the Tennessee Valley
Authority, the Federal Power Commission, and the New York Public Service
Commission as well as with his various law firms. The Tennessee Valley
Authority section consists primarily of material relating to loyalty
hearings regarding accusations of membership in the Communist party during
the 1930s through 1950s with Swidler as both witness and defendant. The
Federal Power Commission section contains material relating to
congressional hearings, speeches, newspaper clippings on the November 1965
electric power failure in the Northeast United States, and Swidler's
appointment, efforts at reappointment, and resignation from the commission.
The New York Public Service Commission section consists of material
relating to congressional hearings and speeches. The Law Practice section
contains material from several private firms including Leva, Hawes,
Symington, Martin & Oppenheimer and Swidler & Berlin. A miscellany section
contains autobiographical material, an oral history transcript, and
personal correspondence.

Organization of the Papers

The collection is arranged in seven series:

   * Tennessee Valley Authority, 1933-1957
   * Federal Power Commission, 1959-1966, n.d.
   * New York Public Service Commission, 1969-1974, n.d.
   * Institute for Public Policy Alternatives, 1974-1975
   * Law Practice, 1958-1978, n.d.
   * Miscellany, 1934-1977
   * Addition, 1931-1997, n.d.

 November 4, 2003