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U.S. Government Information & Congressional Publications

Historical Hearings Microfiche Set

The Library has the majority of a microfiche collection called U.S. Congressional Committee Hearings. This historical set set covers 1833-1969; the Library has 1833-1952.

This collection pulls together all published hearings in one place, including many hearings which were never widely distributed to libraries. However, the arrangement of the collection is very complex.

Location: Morris Library - Microforms (Microfiche no. 2075)

The collection is indexed in the ProQuest Congressional Publications database.The publications in the set are identified as "Microfiche Group."

Microfiche Set

There are 5 different numbering sequences within the CIS US Congressional Committee Hearings set. These do not interfile:

  1. Group 1A – U.S. Congressional Hearings (Senate Library) 41st-73rd Congresses, 1869-1934
  2. Group 1B – U.S. Congressional Hearings (Senate Library) 23rd-73rd Congresses, 1833-1934 Documented hearings
  3. Group 2 – U.S. Congressional Hearings Supplement (Greenwood Press) 25th-73rd Congresses, 1839-1934
  4. Group 3 – U.S. Congress. House & Senate. Committee Hearings, Senate Library. 74th-82d Congresses, 1935-1952
  5. Group 4 – CIS U.S. Congressional Hearings Supplement, 41st - 82d Congresses, 1870-1952

The microfiche envelopes have the Group number stamped on them.

Group 1A indicates the Greenwood Press hearings, 41st-73rd Congresses, 1869-1934, filmed from the Senate Library collection and covering 1884-1934. These fiche have the Greenwood Press logo on the left of the header.

Greenwood Press logo

In ProQuest Congressional, select Advanced Search. Select hearings.

Search example: Testimony from Henry Wallace, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, on reciprocal trade agreements.

Change the drop down menu to "Witness," enter Henry Wallace as the witness and USDA as the organization represented. Change the Congress to "Any Congress." Search. Then use the Focus feature to search "reciprocal trade" within the search results. Look for testimony to the Senate Finance committee.

Information given for Reciprocal Trade Agreements, Source: Committee on Finance, Senate, Session Date: 1934:

  • CIS-NO: S448-3
    CIS-Hearings-Microfiche Group: 1A
    SUDOC: Y4.F49:T67/2

To find this publication: Consult DELCAT Discovery. If not available, use the historical hearings set. Look in the historical microfiche set, MFiche no. 2075, find group 1A, find:

  1. Senate fiche
  2. 448 as volume number
  3. The number 3 in the fiche (not in the fiche header, but eye visible on the fiche)

The microfiche headers look like this:

Microfiche header example

Notice that this hearing has 13 Cards or fiche. Select all the fiche to the next eye-visible number or the end of the cards.

Group 1B indicates the Greenwood Press hearings, 41st-73rd Congresses, 1869-1934, filmed from the Senate Library collection. This is the documented collection (meaning these hearings were published as Documents or Reports, rather than as separate hearings publications). These fiche have the Greenwood Press logo on the left of the header.

Greenwood Press logo

In ProQuest Congressional, select Advanced Search. Select hearings. Search example 1: Hearings about the Post Office from the 23rd Congress.

Search for the phrase Post Office and Congress 23.

Information given for Condition of Post Office Department, Source: Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads, Senate, Session Date: 1833, 1834:

  • CIS-NO: (23-1) S. Doc. v. 5 n. 422
    CIS-Hearings-Microfiche Group: 1B
    (No SuDocs number listed)

To find this publication:

Consult DELCAT Discovery. If not available, use the historical hearings set. Look in the historical microfiche set, MFiche no. 2075, find group 1B, find:

  1. 23rd Congress
  2. 1st session
  3. Senate
  4. Documents
  5. Vol. 5
  6. No. 422

The microfiche headers look like this:

Microfiche header

 

Group 2 indicates the Greenwood Supplement and covers hearings from 1839-1934 not contained in the Senate Library. These fiche have the Greenwood Press logo on the left of the header.

Greenwood Press logo

The hearings were held between 1911 and 1913; find the section dealing with Delaware laws. In ProQuest Congressional, select Advanced Search. Select hearings. 

Enter the title: Interstate Traffic in Intoxicating Liquors; change the drop down menu to Title. Search.

Information given for Interstate Traffic in Intoxicating Liquors. [Part 4]: Laws of Various States Relating to Intoxicating Liquors, Source: Committee on Judiciary, House, Session Date: 1912, 1913:

  • CIS-NO: HJ 62-K-3
    CIS-Hearings-Microfiche Group: 2
    SUDOC: Y4.J89/1:L66/1-4
    Notes: Serial No. 4 begins on microfiche No. 3 of 6.

To find this publication: Consult DELCAT Discovery. If not available, use the historical hearings set. Look in the historical microfiche set, MFiche no. 2075, find group 2, find:

  1. HJ (House Judiciary committee designation)
  2. 62nd Congress
  3. K in alphabetical sequence (item designation)
  4. Card (microfiche) 3

The microfiche headers look like this:

Microfiche header

Group 3 indicates the Greenwood Press Senate Library hearings, 74th-91st Congresses, 1935-1969. These hearings are from the Senate Library's bound hearings collection.These fiche have the Greenwood Press logo on the left of the header.

Greenwood Press logo

Search example: Hearings from the 77th Congress, House Committee on Naval Affairs to establish the frigate "Constellation" as a national museum. In ProQuest Congressional, select Advanced Search. Select hearings.

Enter: Constellation in the first box. In the second box, select the option: Index Terms. Select the tab: Issuing sources. Search for: naval affairs. Select "house." Then select: Paste to Search. Change the drop down menu to Congressional source. Select 77 in the congress box. Find the one dealing with Newport, Rhode Island. (Note: you may encounter an error message saying that the system is "unable to process searches." This typically means the search system is overloaded. By searching for the "smaller subject" first and then for the house committee, you are less likely to encounter this.)

Information given For the Preservation and Restoration of the Frigate "Constellation" as a National Museum and Making Newport, R.I., Its Home Port, Source: Committee on Naval Affairs. House, Session Date: 1941, 1942:

  • CIS-NO: 77 H975-0.137
    CIS-Hearings-Microfiche Group: 3
    SUDOC: Y4.N22/1a:941-42/137
    Notes: Committee Serial No. 137....begins on card 21 of 25.

To find this publication: Consult DELCAT Discovery. If not available, use the historical hearings set. Look in the historical microfiche set, MFiche no. 2075, find group 3, find:

  1. 77th Congress
  2. H (House publications)
  3. 975 as volume number
  4. Card (microfiche) 21

The microfiche headers look like this:

Microfiche header

 

Group 4 indicates the CIS Supplement, covering the 1880s to 1969, from major collections not utilized before. These fiche have the CIS logo on the left of the header.

CIS logo

Example: Hearings to establish federal jurisdiction in Yerba Buena Island, California. In ProQuest Congressional, select Advanced Search. Select hearings.

Search Yerba Buena Island in the first box and jurisdiction in the second.

Information given for Yerba Buena Island, Source: Committee on Judiciary. House, Session Date: 1869, 1870:

  • CIS-NO: 41 HJ-1
    CIS-Hearings-Microfiche Group: 4
    (No SuDocs number listed)

To find this publication: Consult DELCAT Discovery. If not available, use the historical hearings set. Look in the historical microfiche set, MFiche no. 2075, find group 4, find:

  1. 41st Congress
  2. HJ (House Judiciary committee designation)
  3. No. 1

The microfiche headers look like this:

Microfiche header