Thomas Jefferson University holds title to the materials in this collection, but the copyright may still be held by third parties. No copyrighted work may be copied, published, disseminated, displayed, or played without permission of the copyright holder except in accordance with fair use under U.S. copyright law. The responsibility for obtaining all necessary permissions remains with the requester.
Material was transferred to the care of Philadelphia University in 2010-2011 from the Federal Records Storage Facility in Suitland, Maryland, as well as the Senator's Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania offices. The physical material was transferred to the University of Pittsburgh in 2014, with the exception of selected photographic and memorabilia items that remain at the Arlen Specter Center's Roxboro House for display. In 2016, Philadelphia University merged with Thomas Jefferson University, and is now known as Thomas Jefferson University- East Falls campus.
Arlen Specter Senatorial Papers, Group 8. Awards and Memorabilia, 1957-2010, TJU.2010.01.08, Thomas Jefferson University (managed by the University of Pittsburgh Library System)
Gift of Arlen Specter to Philadelphia University in 2010. Philadelphia University and the University of Pittsburgh entered into a partnership to jointly manage the collection in 2013.
Born in Wichita, Kansas, on February 12, 1930, Arlen Specter came to Pennsylvania to attend the University of Pennsylvania. He married Joan Levy in 1953, and graduated from Yale Law School in 1956. He became assistant district attorney in Philadelphia in 1959. In 1962, Specter was recommended to serve on the Warren Commission, assembled to investigate the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. As part of the Commission, he was responsible for co-authoring the proposal of the "single bullet theory," determining that one bullet struck both President Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally. Specter ran for Philadelphia district attorney in 1965, switching his Party membership to Republican in order to unseat the incumbent Democrat. He was successful, and served as district attorney from 1966 to 1974.
After an initial failed run for Senator and then for Governor of Pennsylvania, Specter was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980. He would stay in this position from 1981 to 2011, making him the longest-tenured senator in Pennsylvania's history. During this time, he was a member of a number of Committees: Judiciary (1981-2011; Chair, 2007-2007), Appropriations (1981-2011), Veterans Affairs (1981-2011; Chair, 1997-2001 and 2003-2005), Select Intelligence (1985-1991; 1995-1997; Chair, 1995-1997), Special Aging (1991-1995; 2007-2011), Governmental Affairs (1997-2001; 2003-2005), and Environment and Public Works (2001-2003; 2009-2011).
Though elected as a Republican, Specter was a moderate on many issues, including healthcare reform, immigration, and abortion. He would often cross party lines, such as in voting against the confirmation of President Ronald Reagan's nominee Judge Robert Bork to the Supreme Court in 1987. Specter would again come into the spotlight during a Supreme Court nomination process in 1991, for his cross-examination of Professor Anita Hill regarding her allegations against nominee Clarence Thomas. In 1999, he would vote against the charges brought against President Bill Clinton, giving an answer of "not proven" to reflect his belief that Clinton had not received a fair trial.
As Senator, Specter championed a number of causes and influenced many legislative areas. He was frequently a member of Congressional Delegation trips, particularly to the Middle East, where he would speak out on the cause of freedom from religious persecution and the importance of strong diplomatic relations. He was also a proponent of funding for medical research, including the use of stem cells. He advocated for strict crime laws, particularly for career criminals. His focus on benefitting Pennsylvania could be seen through the pursuit of grant funding opportunities and his attempt to prevent the closure of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in the 1990s.
With the worsening of Congressional partisanship in the late 2000s, Specter found himself frequently voting with his Democratic peers. After being one of only three handful of Republicans to vote for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009, Specter found himself increasingly marginalized within his party. In April 2009, he returned to the Democratic Party, helping to ensure the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Seeking re-election in 2010, he was defeated in the Democratic primary by Joe Sestak.
Specter's 30-year tenure in the Senate concluded in January 2011. After leaving the Senate, he partnered with Philadelphia University (now Jefferson-East Falls) to establish the Arlen Specter Center for Public Service. In the fall of 2012, Specter, who had previously beaten Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2005 while serving as Chair of the Judiciary Committee, was diagnosed with cancer. He died on October 14, 2012, aged 82.
The collection was processed by project archivist Ashley Taylor between 2014 and 2018. During this period, she was assisted by three temporary archival assistants: Cassandra Frank, Jon Klosinski, and Shannon McClenning. Further assistance was provided by graduate and undergraduate student interns.
No restrictions.
The Arlen Specter Senatorial Papers, Group 8. Awards and Memorabilia comprises 73 boxes of material, plus additional oversized items, which document awards, honors, achievements, and events during Senator's Specter's career. As this material has no distinct arrangement scheme, interested researchers should contact Archives & Special Collections for inventory lists of the contents of this group. The group includes plaques, diplomas, certificates, and assorted memorabilia items.
Group 8 has no defined arrangement scheme, as materials were grouped and stored as space allowed. Interested researchers should contact Archives & Special Collections for inventories of the content.
Arlen Specter Senatorial Papers, Group 1. Pre-Senatorial Career Files, 1953-1980, TJU.2010.01.01
Arlen Specter Senatorial Papers, Group 2. Legislative Files, 1965-2011, TJU.2010.01.02
Arlen Specter Senatorial Papers, Group 4. Office Administration Files, 1962-2010, TJU.2010.01.04
Arlen Specter Senatorial Papers, Group 5. Constituent Services Files, 1976-2007, TJU.2010.01.05
Arlen Specter Senatorial Papers, Group 7. Campaign Files, 1976-2004, TJU.2010.01.07
Arlen Specter Senatorial Papers, Group 9. Photographs, 1930-2010, TJU.2010.01.09
Arlen Specter Senatorial Papers, Group 10. Electronic Records, 1980-2010, TJU.2010.01.10
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