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Contents: The Collection | Indexed By | The Microfiche Groups | More Information

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As a supplement to the hearings in the U.S. Documents collection and in the CIS Hearings (microfiche) collection, the Library has the comprehensive microfiche collection CIS US Congressional Committee Hearings. Library holdings: 1833-1952 (v. 1-5).

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. For this reason, all of the possibilities listed in the "hearings" section in Congressional Publications: A Research Guide should be exhausted before using this collection.

The Collection

CIS US Congressional Committee Hearings, 1833-1969 (microform). Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service.
Location: Morris Library - Microforms (MFiche no. 2075)

The full collection of hearings covers the earliest hearings to 1969. The University of Delaware Library has the portions of the collection which cover to 1952.

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

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

The microfiche envelopes have the Group number stamped on them.

Indexed By

LexisNexis Congressional.
Location: Library Databases [restricted to UD]

CIS US Congressional Committee Hearings Index. Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (Ref KF25 .C257)

Divided into 8 parts by groups of years. Indexes committee hearings of the U.S. Congress, early 1800s to 1969.

The Microfiche Groups: 1A | 1B | 2 | 3 | 4

Group 1A

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.

Example: Testimony from Henry Wallace, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, on reciprocal trade agreements. In LexisNexis Congressional, select Advanced Search. Select hearings.

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. Option: request publication from Library Annex (even if not listed in DELCAT).

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:

S448-3 Group 1A

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

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.

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

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.

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:

(23-1) S. Doc. v. 5 n. 422 Group 1B Example 1

Example 2: Disbursements of Public Moneys of the Chief Signal Officer, U.S. Army, Source: Committee on Expenditures in War Department. House, Session Date: 1885, 1886:

Information:

• CIS-NO: 49-1 H.Misc.Doc. v.13 n.255
  CIS-Hearings-Microfiche Group: 1B
  (No SuDocs number listed)

To find this publication:

Consult DELCAT.

Look in the historical microfiche set, MFiche no. 2075, find group 3, find:

1. 49th Congress
2. 1st session
3. House
4. HMD (abbreviation for House Miscellaneous Document)
5. Vol. 13
6. No. 255

49-1 H.Misc.Doc. v.13 n.255 Group 1B Example 2

Group 2

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.

Example: The hearing Interstate Traffic in Intoxicating Liquors. The hearings were held between 1911 and 1913; find the section dealing with Delaware laws. In LexisNexis 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. Option: request publication from Library Annex (even if not listed in DELCAT).

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:

HJ 62-K-3 Begins on card 3 Group 2

Group 3

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. (The University of Delaware has the sections covering to 1952 ( 82d Congress). These fiche have the Greenwood Press logo on the left of the header.

Example 1: Hearings from the 77th Congress, House Committee on Naval Affairs to establish the frigate "Constellation" as a national museum. In LexisNexis 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 microfiche 21 of 25.

To find this publication:

Consult DELCAT. Option: request publication from Library Annex (even if not listed in DELCAT).

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:

77 H975-0.137 Begins on card 21 Group 3 Example 1

Example 2:Two Four-Lane Highway Bridges Across the Potomac River, Washington, D.C. Source: Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, House, Session Date: 1945.

• CIS-NO: 79 H1085-2
  CIS-Hearings-Microfiche Group: 3
  SUDOC: Y4.In8/4:P84/3

To find this publication:

Consult DELCAT. Option: request publication from Library Annex (even if not listed in DELCAT).

Look in the historical microfiche set, MFiche no. 2075, find group 3, find:

1. 79th Congress
2. H (House publications)
3. 1085 as volume number
4. The number 2 in the fiche (not in the fiche header, but eye visible on the fiche)

79 H1085-2 Group 3 Example 2

Group 4

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.

Example: Hearings to establish federal jurisdiction in Yerba Buena Island, California. In LexisNexis 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.

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:

41 HJ-1 Group 4

More Information

CIS US Congressional Committee Hearings Index, 1833-1969: User Handbook.
Location: Morris Library - Reference (KF25 .C257)
Location: Morris Library - Microforms

See especially, Figure 3: Microfiche Header Data and Corresponding Index Accession Numbers. Also see the Quick Guide.