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CIS US Congressional Committee Hearings

Using the Historical Hearings Microfiche Set (1833-1969)


Contests: The Collection | The Indexes | The Microfiche Groups | For More Information

In addition to the hearings in the U.S. Documents collection and in the CIS Hearings (microfiche) collection, the Library also has the comprehensive microfiche collection CIS US Congressional Committee Hearings. 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 complicated. For this reason, all of the possibilities listed in the "hearings" section in Congressional Publications: A Research Guide (http://www2.lib.udel.edu/subj/godc/resguide/congress.htm#hearings) should be exhausted before using this collection.

The Collection

CIS US Congressional Committee Hearings (microform). Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Microforms (Microfiche number 2075)
The full collection of hearings will cover earliest hearings to 1969. The University of Delaware Library has the portions of the collection which cover earliest hearings to 1952.

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

The Indexes

LexisNexis Congressional.
LOCATION: Library Databases
Use the section "Historical Indexes, 1789-1969." This section of the database indexes publications of the U.S. Congress, including the Congressional Serial Set (i.e., Congressional Documents and Reports), published and unpublished House and Senate committee hearings, and Congressional committee prints prior to 1970.
CIS US Congressional Committee Hearings Index. Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Service.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference (Ref KF25 .C257) Index Table
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

Example: Testimony from Henry Wallace, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, on reciprocal trade agreements

Using the "Witness" search, look up Henry Wallace as the witness and USDA as the organization represented. Then use the Focus feature to look for "reciprocal trade" within the search results.

Select the one with the title Reciprocal Trade Agreements from the Senate Committee on Finance in 1934.

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

To find this publication consult the "hearings" section in Congressional Publications: A Research Guide. Then look:

  1. on the shelves in the U.S. Documents collection, under the SuDocs call number
  2. in the CIS Historical hearings microfiche collection, MFiche no. 2075
    go to the cabinets and find Group 1A. Find the Senate fiche, then find vol. 448, then look for the number 3 in the fiche (not in the fiche header, but eye-visible on the fiche)

Group 1A indicates the Greenwood Press Senate Library hearings, 41st -73d Congresses, 1869-1934. These fiche have the Greenwood Press logo on the left of the header.

The microfiche headers look like this:

Group 1B

Example: Hearings about the Post Office from the 23rd Congress

Using the "Subject" search option, search for "Post Office" and congress "23"

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

Go to MFiche no. 2075 in the microfiche cabinets, find Group no. 1B, find the Congressional session 23-1, then Senate, then vol. 5, n. 422.

Group 1B indicates the Greenwood Press Senate Library Documented group. These fiche have the Greenwood Press logo on the left of the header.

The microfiche headers look like this:

Group 2

Example: The hearing "Interstate Traffic in Intoxicating Liquors." The hearings were held between 1911 and 1913; find the section dealing with Delaware laws

Using the "Title" search option, search for Interstate Traffic in Intoxicating Liquors and dates "from" 1911 and "to" 1913

CIS-NO: HJ 62-K-3
CIS-Hearings-Microfiche Group: 2
SUDOC: Y4.J89/1:L66/1-4
NOTES: Committee Serial No. 4. Contains texts of laws of Mississippi, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Rhode Island, Missouri, New Hampshire, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, California, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Michigan, and Minnesota. Serial No. 4 begins on microfiche No. 3 of 6.

To find this publication consult the "hearings" section in Congressional Publications: A Research Guide. Then look:

  1. on the shelves in the U.S. Documents collection, under the SuDocs call number
  2. in the CIS Historical hearings microfiche collection, MFiche no. 2075
    Go to MFiche no. 2075 in the microfiche cabinets, find Group 2. The microfiche are arranged by the alphabetic designation for the committees. Locate the fiche HJ 62 K, then card (i.e., microfiche) number 3.

Group 2 indicates the microfiche group called Greenwood Supplement. These fiche have the Greenwood Press logo on the left of the header.

The microfiche headers look like this:

Group 3

Example: Hearings from the 77th Congress, House Committee on Naval Affairs to establish the frigate "Constellation" as a national museum.

Using the "Committee" search option, search for House committee in the "issued by" box, naval affairs in the Committee box, 77 in the congress box, set the document type to published hearings. Then use the Focus feature to search for Constellation within the search results. Choose the one dealing with Newport, Rhode Island

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 the "hearings" section in Congressional Publications: A Research Guide. Then look:

  1. on the shelves in the U.S. Documents collection, under the SuDocs call number
  2. in the CIS Historical hearings microfiche collection, MFiche no. 2075
    Go to the fiche cabinets and find group 3. Find the 77th session, find the House publications, then volume number 975. Then go to microfiche 21.

Group 3 indicates the Greenwood Press Senate Library hearings, 74th - 91st Congresses, 1935-1969. (The University of Delaware has through the 82d Congress, 1952.) These fiche have the Greenwood Press logo on the left of the header.


The microfiche headers look like this:

Group 4

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

Using the Subject option, look up Yerba Buena Island as the first subject and jurisdiction as the second subject.

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

Go to microfiche cabinets and find Group 4. Find the 41st Congress, then the committe designation HJ, then fiche 1.

Group 4 indicates the CIS Supplement. These fiche have the CIS logo on the lefthand side of the header.

The microfiche headers look like this:

For More Information

CIS US Congressional Committee Hearings Index, 1833-1969: User Handbook.
LOCATION: Morris Library - Reference
LOCATION: Morris Library - Microforms
See especially, Figure 3: Microfiche Header Data and Corresponding Index Accession Numbers. Also see the Quick Guide available in Reference and Microforms.

This page is maintained by Rebecca Knight, Reference Department.

Last modified: 02/28/06