]> APAP-255 ERNEST I. HATFIELD PAPERS, (APAP-255), 1949-1968 Ga Yue Lau M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives

1400 Washington Avenue / Albany, New York 12222

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Descriptive Summary Ernest I. Hatfield Papers 1949-1968 3.78 cubic ft. M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University at Albany, SUNY The Ernest I. Hatfield Papers document Hatfield's service in the New York State Senate, where he served from 1948-1964, and the years immediately following. The collection includes correspondence, scrapbooks of newspaper clippings, speeches, and bills he introduced. The materials in the collection are in English. The materials are located onsite in the department. Access

Access to this record group is unrestricted.

The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives will provide information about copyright owners and other restrictions, but the legal determination ultimately rests with the researcher. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Head of Special Collections and Archives.

Acquisition Information

Ernest Hatfield initially donated his papers to Syracuse University in a series of deliveries from 1966-1970. In 2006, the papers were transferred to the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives.

Biographical Sketch

Ernest I. Hatfield was born in Mt. Pleasant, Westchester County, NY in 1890. He graduated from Westchester County schools and attended the Eastman-Gaines Business College in New York City. Hatfield worked in insurance and real estate, and was a farmer. A resident of Poughkeepsie, NY, Hatfield was a Republican member of the New York State Assembly (Dutchess County 2nd District 1943-1944, Dutchess County 1945-1947) and served as chairman of the Mortgage and Real Estate Committee, and on the Insurance and Public Service Committees.

He then ran for and won election to the New York State Senate representing the 33rd District from 1948-1954 and the 35th District from 1955-1964. While in the State Senate, Hatfield was chairman of the Banks Committee and served on the Agriculture, Education, Excise, Finance, Labor and Industry, Public Relief and Welfare, Public Service, and Rules Committees. In addition, Hatfield was chairman of the temporary New York State Commission on Historic Observances.

Hatfield also was a member of the Freemasons, Knights Templar, Grotto, Exchange Club and Common Council in Poughkeepsie. He owned the business E.I. Hatfield, Inc. He died in 1977 in Dutchess County.

Scope and Content Information

Ernest Hatfield Papers donated his papers a few years after he left the New York State Senate. The collection contains correspondence, scrapbooks of newspaper clippings, photographs, printed bills, and legislative transcript materials mostly dating from 1950 to 1964 during his Senate service. A Republican, Hatfield represented the Dutchess County 33rd district from 1948-1954 and 35th district from 1955-1964 in the State Senate. Although he previously served in the New York State Assembly, the collection does not include materials from this tenure. Topics of interest in the collection include documents related to Hatfield's role as chairman of the New York State Commission on Historic Observances and the Social Security bill, which prevented the separation of Social Security from the pensions of retired civil service employees.

Arrangement of the Collection

The collection is organized into the following series:

Series 1 - General Correspondence, 1953-1968 Series 2 - Legislative and Public Affairs, 1950-1951, 1954-1957, 1959-1964, 1967, Undated Series 3 - Scrapbooks, 1949-1964

Series 1 and 3 are arranged chronologically. Series 2 is arranged alphabetically by the subject of the legislative bills.

Subject and Genre Headings Hatfield, Ernest I. New York (State). Legislature. Senate New York (State). Committee to Revise Banking Law, Joint Legislative New York (State). Temporary State Commission on Historic Observances New York (State). Legislature. Senate. Committee on Finance New York (State). Legislature. Senate. Standing Committee on Labor and Industry New York (State). Legislature. Senate. Standing Committee on Agriculture Politicians--New York (State) New York (State)--Politics and government Dutchess County (N.Y.) Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) Bills (legislative records) Clippings Correspondence Files by subject Legislative records Scrapbooks Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Identification of specific item, series, box, folder, Ernest I. Hatfield Papers, 1949-1968. M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York (hereafter referred to as the Hatfield Papers).

Container List Series 1: General Correspondence .5 cubic ft. 1953, 1955-1968

Arranged chronologically.

This series contains correspondence, newspapers clippings, and memos directed to Ernest Hatfield from fellow government officials and constituents. Subjects vary from casual greetings and congratulatory messages to individuals asking for help obtaining birth certificates or clarifying their pension issue.

1 1 Correspondence 1953 1955 1 2-5 Correspondence 1956 1 6 Correspondence 1957-1959 1 7-8 Correspondence 1960 1 9 Correspondence 1961 1 10-12 Correspondence 1962 1 13 Correspondence 1963 1 14 Correspondence 1964-1968 Series 2: Legislative and Public Affairs .8 cu. ft. 1950-1951, 1954-1957, 1959-1964, 1967, Undated

Arranged alphabetically by the subject of the legislative bill.

This series contains bills introduced by Ernest Hatfield or ones he wanted to amend, correspondence related to bills, the State Commission on Historic Observances Historic Observances and related correspondence, and legislative transcripts. Items that may be of interest to researchers are Hatfield's attempts to raise funds and garner support to build the Beacon-Newburgh Bridge, the Chiropractor bill which supported recognizing the chiropractic profession, and the Social Security bill in the Civil Service Law which opposed the government in separating Social Security benefits from pension of retired civil service employees.

1 15 Agriculture and markets law 1956 1 16 Alcoholic beverage control law 1956 1 17 Amend previous acts 1956 1 18 Blatnick bill 1956 1 19 Chiropractor bill 1956 1 20 Civil Service Law 1956 1 21 Compulsory automobile insurance bill 1954 1962-1963 1 22 Compulsory workman's compensation insurance for farmers 1964 1 23 Concurrent resolution of Senate and Assembly 1956 1 24 Conservation law 1956 1 25 Correction law 1956 1 26 County law 1956 1 27 Dirksen Eastland bill 1964 1 28 Education laws 1955-1956 1 29 Erwin bill 1956 1 30 Firearm bill 1964 1 31 General business law 1956 1 32 General municipal law 1956 1 33 Greenport Fire District 1956 1 34 Hatfield election materials undated 1 35 Highway law 1956 1967 1 36 Insurance law 1956 1 37 Joint Legislative Committee on docks in the City of New York 1962 1 38 Joint Legislative Committee to Revise the Banking Law questionnaire 1962 undated 1968 1 39 Judiciary law 1955 1966 1 40 Labor laws 1956 1 41 Legislative primer 1959 1 42 Legislative report from Senator Hatfield 1964 1 43 Local finance law 1956 1 44 McCarthy amendment 1964 1 45 McNeil Mitchell bill 1956 1 46 Metcalf Baker Bill 1956 1 47 New York State Commission on Historic Observances 1958-1960 1964-1965 1 48 New York State Commission on Historic Observances booklets 1960 1 49 Penal law 1956 1 50 Pension of retired public employees 1956 1 51 Poughkeepsie Armory employee bill 1956 1 52 Prohibit state/public corp to restrict representation of employee 1956 1 53 Public authority law 1956-1957 1 54 Randall bill 1964 1 55 Real property law 1955-1956 1 56 Receipt and fulfillment of requests for copies of legislation 1955-1956 1 57 Retirement and Social Security law 1956 1 58 Savings bank branch bill 1956 1 59 Senate Bill No. 3116 1956 1 60 Senate Bill Introduction No. 3423, Print No.3781 1964 1 61 Senate Introductory 2095 1964 2 1 Social welfare law 1956 2 2 Speeches and related correspondence 1950-1951 1956-1957 1960-1963 Undated 2 3 Standing Committees of the Senate 1956 2 4 State finance law 1956 2 5 State laws 1956 2 6 Suffolk County bill 1956 2 7 Taconic State Police 1956 2 8 Tax law 1956 2 9 Town law 1956 2 10 Transcript of proceedings of the Joint Legislative Committee to Revise the Banking Law January 30, 1963 2 11 Transcript of proceedings of the Joint Legislative Committee to Revise the Banking Law January 31, 1963 2 12 Workmen's compensation law 1956 2 13 Vehicle and traffic law 1956 Series 3: Scrapbooks 3.65 cu. ft. 1949-1964

Arranged chronologically.

This series contains bound and unbound scrapbooks filled with newspaper clippings. Ernest Hatfield created the books which mention him in the articles, discuss events he attended, describe bills that he supported and the reactions to the bills, and other clippings that were of political interest to him.

2 14 Newspaper clippings 1949 2 15-16 Newspaper clippings 1950 1 1 Scrapbook December 1950-September 1963 2 1-2 Scrapbook January 1955-February 1956 1 2 Scrapbook February-March 1956 3 1 Scrapbook December 1956-April 1958 4 1 Scrapbook January 1958-July 1958 3 2 Scrapbook December 1960-April 1963 5 1 Scrapbook October 1963-May 1964