Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Jr., Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, U.S. Senator and Representative, businessman, Texas county judge, and decorated World War Two veteran, was born in Mission, Texas, on February 11, 1921. Growing up on a Rio Grande Valley farm, he learned to speak both English and Spanish. During his youth, the family's means were modest, but his father, Lloyd, Sr., and his uncle, Elmer, eventually developed vast ranching, farming, real estate, and banking enterprises in South Texas.
Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr., completed his University of Texas at Austin (UT) law degree in June 1942, months after U.S. entry into World War Two. Twenty-one years old, he volunteered for the Army and received officer and combat intelligence training. In 1943, he attended flight school and married Beryl Ann (B.A.) Longino of Lufkin, whom he had met at UT. Bentsen commanded a B-24 bomber squadron based in Italy, and was responsible for six hundred men. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with three oak clusters, and was promoted to Colonel in the Army Reserve.
After the war, Bentsen returned to the Rio Grande Valley and opened a law practice in McAllen. Soon he entered elective politics, winning the race for County Judge of Hidalgo County in 1946. Two years later, adapting the campaign literature of another young veteran, Representative John F. Kennedy, he won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat. At twenty-seven years old, Bentsen was the youngest member of Congress in 1949. The Speaker of the House, Democrat Sam Rayburn of Texas, recognized Bentsen's potential for leadership and introduced him to many of the most powerful figures in Washington. Bentsen proved to be independent, occasionally opposing Rayburn and Democratic President Harry Truman.
After serving in the House for three terms, Bentsen decided not to run for reelection in 1954. Though Rayburn had told him that he might become Speaker himself in time, Bentsen wished to enter business and to provide for his family. He and B.A. had three children, Lloyd M., III; Lan; and Tina. With financial support from his father and uncle, Bentsen began the Consolidated American Life Insurance Company in Houston. Later, he bought out Lincoln Liberty Life Insurance of Nebraska and developed Lincoln Consolidated, a major holding company involved in such financial services as banks, savings and loans, and mutual funds. Bentsen continued as a significant advisor to and fundraiser for moderate Texas Democrats during his years in business.
In 1970, encouraged by former Governor John B. Connally, Bentsen returned to politics as a candidate. Despite polls showing that very few Texas voters recognized his name, he challenged Senator Ralph Yarborough in the Democratic primary. Yarborough, anticipating an autumn race against Republican George H. W. Bush, was unprepared for Bentsen's challenge. Bentsen won the hard-fought primary against the senator, united the party behind his campaign, and narrowly defeated Bush in November.
Bentsen, almost forty-nine years old, returned to Washington with fifteen years of experience in business and finance. As a senator, he valued bipartisanship, recognizing the necessity of compromise and strategy. He maintained one of Congress's largest and best-run offices, in order to be well informed and to provide services to his constituents. Known since his House days for his disciplined campaign organizations, Bentsen scrupulously separated his personal and election finances. Though he entered the Senate with a reputation as a fiscal conservative, his personal fairness and knowledge of finance and economic policy earned him the respect of both labor and management groups.
Bentsen's intellect and tactical brilliance also impressed Senate colleagues. As a freshman senator on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, he successfully maneuvered the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) a long-stalled pension reform bill, to passage. He served on the Armed Services Committee early in his career, then, in 1973, joined the Finance Committee. In 1975, before he had completed his first Senate term, he announced his candidacy for the presidency. Bentsen's campaign gained little momentum and Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia won the Democratic nomination and the presidency, though Bentsen won reelection to the Senate over Republican nominee Alan Steelman. Bentsen supported President Carter's arms control efforts and provided a crucial vote for the Panama Canal Treaty. In 1979-1980, Bentsen chaired the Joint Economic Committee, which issued unusual unanimous reports in those years.
Bentsen's stature in the Democratic Party continued to grow during the presidency of Ronald Reagan (1981-1989). In 1982, when he ran for reelection against Representative James Collins, his organization assisted other Texas Democrats' campaigns, resulting in success for the party at all levels. Bentsen led the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for the national party in 1982-1984, and was a prospective vice-presidential nominee in 1984. In 1987, he became Chairman of the Finance Committee. Continuing to advocate policies of fiscal responsibility, tax reform, and workers' rights, Bentsen had become increasingly interested in trade policy and expanding the United States' foreign markets.
In 1988, Governor Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts, Democratic nominee for the Presidency, selected Bentsen to be his vice-presidential running mate. The two faced the Republican ticket of Vice-President George H. W. Bush and Senator Dan Quayle. Though the Bush-Quayle ticket won the election, Bentsen earned widespread admiration for his campaigning and debating skills, and was reelected to the Senate by Texans that year over Republican nominee Beau Boulter. Nationally known and chairman of an important committee, he was widely recognized as one of the most powerful members of the Senate.
Disappointing many in his party, Bentsen decided not to run for president in 1992. Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas won the nomination and the office. President-elect Clinton, whom Bentsen knew from their work together on the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, invited the senator to serve as his Secretary of the Treasury. Bentsen resigned from the Senate and took the position in January 1993, when he was nearly seventy-two years old. As Treasury Secretary, Bentsen accomplished many goals he had been working toward in the Senate, including increasing American trade markets through the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) measures. He helped President Clinton to secure major legislation lowering the federal deficit while increasing spending on education and training. Secretary Bentsen also served Clinton as an advisor and legislative strategist on non-fiscal issues.
Bentsen served as Treasury Secretary through what would have been the end of his fourth Senate term, stepping down in December 1994 and returning to Houston. Though he and B.A. had several grandchildren and enjoyed a variety of hobbies, notably tennis, he continued to work as a partner in the Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand law firm, as an advisor to the Beacon Group, an investment bank, and as a member of several corporate boards. Bentsen kept up a full schedule until 1998, when he retired after a decline in his health.
In 1999, President Clinton awarded Bentsen the United States' highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. “A man of courage, wisdom, and civility, Lloyd Bentsen has set the highest standard for public service,” stated the citation.
Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr., died on May 23, 2006.
Correspondence, printed material, creative works, legal documents, financial documents, minutes, photographic materials, sound recordings, and works of art make up the papers of Senator Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. (1930-1994, bulk 1971-1993). Bentsen and his staff created the bulk of the material during his term as United States Senator from Texas (1971-1993), though the papers also contain records from Bentsen's term as United States Secretary of the Treasury (1993-1994). A limited amount of the material documents Bentsen's career in business and his private life. Few records exist from his term in the United States House of Representatives (1948-1955).
The material is organized in ten subgroups. The first seven subgroups consist of records from Bentsen's Senate offices.
Files created by Senator Bentsen's Administrative Assistants (AAs), who, reporting directly to him, coordinated all the sections of Bentsen's Senatorial offices, reveal Bentsen's decision-making and priorities most fully in correspondence. However, much of the AAs' communication with Bentsen was oral, not written. The AA files also contain printed material, and legal and financial documents.
Office Administration files include staff correspondence, documentation of visitors and incoming telephone calls, and some subject files.
In order to protect the privacy of Bentsen's constituents and employees, certain files are closed to researchers until a later date.
Files created and maintained by Bentsen's legislative staff, who researched and developed legislation. Includes Bentsen's Senate voting and attendance records, his statements as a legislator, correspondence and other material related to legislation he introduced, and the research materials created by his staff as they tracked bills and issues.
Records created or maintained in Bentsen's office that did arise from legislative or constituent service functions. Includes financial documents, correspondence, printed material, sound recordings, and other materials created in the course of Bentsen's campaigns; documentation of Bentsen's travels and invitations he received; contains material related to Bentsen's leadership roles in the Democratic Party; photographs and albums, mementos, and other personal items.
Bentsen's personal and political correspondence created during his Senate career, as well as all constituent correspondence regarding issues and legislation. Includes records from the computerized systems used to track, tabulate, and generate responses to constituent mail on issues.
Bentsen's press staff created press releases and newsletters, and coordinated Bentsen's press, radio, and television appearances. Subgroup includes files of Bentsen's speeches. Clippings files contain information about Bentsen and his family, other politicians, and issues as portrayed in the Texas and national presses. Extensive files of photographic prints, motion picture films and videotapes, and sound recordings are also part of this subgroup.
Project Files created by Bentsen's Constituent Services staff include correspondence, reference and research materials, and administrative documents. The files provide an overview of the sorts of projects Texas communities undertook during Bentsen's term, as well as the methods and relationships Bensten's staff drew on to assist them.
Because of their private nature, individual case files are closed for 75 years from date of creation. The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History did not retain service academy files.
For routine constituent correspondence, see Correspondence Subgroup.
Staff in Bentsen's offices in Austin, Dallas, and Houston performed constituent service and campaign work. This subseries contains records created by Bentsen's State Directors (based in Austin), personnel, and work tracking records, as well as campaign and clippings files. Items from Bentsen's Houston office include personal materials, photographs, and scrapbooks documenting Bentsen's life before his election to the Senate.
Bentsen's Secretary of the Treasury files contain detailed documentation of his day-to-day activities, the information he received from his staff, and his public statements. Five series: Schedules and Briefing Books, 1993 -1994 (4.4 cubic feet); Correspondence Files, 1993-1994 (10.3 cubic feet); Speech Files, 1993-1994 (3 cubic feet); Press Relations Files, 1981-1994 (5.3 cubic feet); Personal Materials, 1993-1994 (2.5 cubic feet).
In addition to printed material about Bentsen, the series contains a letter from Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan about an issue in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, and a letter to Bentsen from his long-time friend, Joe M. Kilgore (1918-1999).
The subgroup includes printed material, notes, correspondence, ephemera, and magnetic media. Transcripts of Gould's interviews with Bentsen and his press secretary, Jack DeVore, constitute a significant part of the sub-group. Gould's research files on Bentsen, which include clippings and material collected from other repositories, are a significant source of information concerning Bentsen's career, 1948-1970. Correspondence with Bentsen and his staff concerning the oral history project is also included in the Gould files.
Casework and personnel files are restricted for 75 years after creation, up to the year 2068.
Use of some audio and video materials is by appointment only; please contact sound archivist.
Use of digital material by appointment only; please contact digital archivist.
A portion of these papers is stored remotely. Advance notice required for retrieval. Contact repository for retrieval.
Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr., Papers, 1921-1998, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin
Click on a subgroup link below to view the detailed inventory for that subgroup.
Senator Bentsen's Administrative Assistant (AA) provided the main administrative and management functions for Bentsen's staff, coordinating all departments of Bentsen's offices in Washington and Texas. The AA supervised the department heads: the Legislative Director, Press Secretary, State Director, Business and Adminstrative Manager, and Administrative Secretary. The AA also performed special constituent services. The AA worked closely with Senator Bentsen, briefing him daily and assuming responsibility for the Washington office in the Senator's absence.
The Office Manager was responsible for the routine operation of Bentsen's Washington office, including receiving visitors, taking telephone calls, and managing reception and secretarial staff and equipment
Files created by Senator Bentsen's Administrative Assistants (AAs) reveal Bentsen's decision-making and priorities most fully in correspondence. However, much of the AAs' communication with Bentsen was oral, not written. The AA files also contain printed material, and legal and financial documents.
Office Administration files include staff correspondence, documentation of visitors and incoming telephone calls, and some subject files.
In order to protect the privacy of Bentsen's constituents and employees, certain files are closed to researchers until a later date.
Administrative Assistant (AA) files typically contain memos to the Senator, memos to and from staff in the Washington and Texas offices, subject files, and case files, which are restricted. On the inventory, files are organized by creator and arranged chronologically. Each AA created and maintained his own set of decentralized office files. The files are not complete. Some files containing miscellaneous cases, resumes, and travel vouchers were discarded because of their routine nature before accession by the Center for American History.
Six different Administrative Assistants served Bentsen during his Senate career. Loyd Hackler was Bentsen's AA, 1971-1975, and his files document 1973-1975. Gary Bushell was AA in 1975-1978. His files contain a few memos to and from campaign staff in 1976 in addition to general memos. Bushell maintained case files documenting his and Hackler's work (1973-1977), which are restricted until 2052. Tom Hagan, Senator Bentsen's former Legislative Director, was AA in 1979-1980. Some of his memoranda are in Legislative Assistant John Raffaelli's files (see Legislative Section Subgroup, Staff Files Series, John Raffaelli listing). A few files of his related to a specific project are closed until a later date.
Joe O'Neill was State Director before serving as AA in 1980-1984. His files (1973-1984) include memoranda and the Senator's schedules, 1979-1983, as well as and some subject files from Austin, and materials documenting the Common Cause challenge to the constitutionality of the franking privilege, 1973-1981. O'Neill's correspondence with legislative staff can be found in the Legislative series central files. Other files from his work in Texas are in the Austin office section of the State Offices Subgroup. His campaign work in 1988 is documented in the Political series, and a few of his memos are in the Office Administration Subgroup.
Charles W. Simpson was Senator Bentsen's AA in 1984-1987. His files include his memos to Bentsen. His memos to and from legislative staff are in the Legislative central files (see Legislative Section Subgroup, Central Files Series) and in the files of individual L.A.'s. Michael Levy was AA for the remainder of Bentsen's term in the Senate, 1987-1993. His files include memos and weekly reports. See the Personal and Political Subgroup, Campaign Files Series for documentation of Levy's work in Bentsen's 1988 campaigns for Senator and Vice-President.
As noted, some casework material remains closed until a later date.
(loose reports)
The office administration files generally document the operation of the office including responsibilities of the Office Manager and the Receptionists. Included are guestbooks, telephone message books, memos to the Senator and the staff from the Office Manager and the Administrative Assistant, and subject files. Mail reports received in the office are listed as part of Correspondence Subgroup, System Records Series.
Correspondence includes memos to the Senator from the Office Manager; copies of memos to the staff from the Office Manager; and memos between the Office Manager and the Administrative Assistant. Subject files document meetings of freshman Senators, 1971-77, a group in which Bentsen played a major role; the Senator's Democratic Presidential Campaign, 1975-76; and the work of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, 1973-74, of which the Senator was chairman. Additionally, there are subject files concerning several studies of office operations, 1971-1977; the implementation of the automated Correspondence Management System in 1974-77; the opening of the Dallas office in 1977; fundraising dinners in 1971 and 1973, and other topics. A large group of subject files deals with health issues, 1971-74, particularly national health insurance. Also included are staff lists, 1979-1983 and a small amount of office accounting information, 1975-77.
Some routine files were discarded before the Center for American History received Bentsen's papers, when Bentsen's archivist surveyed the material in 1987-1988. The archivist retained only representative sample guest books and telephone message books, one book for each year or approximately half the books for the period 1971-83. Bentsen's archivist did not retain files concerning office expenditures on such items as travel, equipment, stationery, and telephone service; files of intern and senior citizen applications and job resumes; and other general operating files.
The Office Management subseries includes personnel files for Bentsen's employees (1971-1993, 13 linear feet). These files are closed to researchers until a later date.
(loose binder)
Senator Bentsen's Legislative staff researched, developed, and followed legislation. The staff's expertise and work reflected Bentsen's committee assignments. Among the committees he served on during his Senate career were Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Defense; Environment and Public Works; Finance; Intelligence; Joint Committee on Finance; Joint Committee on Taxation.
Bentsen's Legislative Director (LD) was the head of the section staff. The LD worked directly with the Senator and coordinated the legislative staff's work to meet Bentsen's needs for legislation, outgoing correspondence, and information. The staff consisted of Legislative Assistants (LAs) and Research Assistants (RAs). LAs developed new bills for possible introduction by the Senator and kept him informed about the progress of existing legislation. Typically, each LA was responsible for several areas of legislation. LDs provided LAs with reference materials and occasionally researched and developed legislation themselves. Research Assistants (RAs) worked with LAs, researching and drafting letters to constituents about current issues. A Chief Research Assistant oversaw the RAs.
Senator Bentsen's career as a lawmaker is most fully represented by his Legislative Section files, which document the bills he sponsored, his voting and attendance records, the information gathered by his staff to assist him in making decisions and drafting legislation, and the plans and strategies that shaped his actions. Correspondence, printed material, notes, and legal documents comprise the bulk of the files.
The Legislative files subgroup is divided into two series: Central Files, 1971-1993, and Legislative Staff Files, 1945-1993. Secretarial staff filed and maintained the central legislative files. Legislative Staff Files were maintained by individual staff members themselves.
The subgroup includes Bentsen's voting record as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1949-1955, but otherwise does not document his career as a Representative.
The Central Legislative Files consist primarily of printed material and correspondence, documenting Bentsen's official acts as a lawmaker and his communication with his legislative staff. The series contains four sub-series: General Files, 1949-1954, 1971-1992; Committee Files, 1973-1976, 1981-1991, 1993; Legislative Correspondence Files, 1972-1993; and Miscellaneous Subject and Correspondence Files, 1973-1993.
The General Files document Bentsen's career with reference files and printed material. The
Bill Files, 1971-1990, contain texts of bills and resolutions sponsored or cosponsored by
Bentsen, and a limited number of amendments, 1972-1978, 1989-1990. The files often include
printed
The Committee Files include statements and files related to Bentsen's service on the Finance and Environment and Public Works Committees. The statement files, 1973-1976, include speeches given by Senator Bentsen before committees, background materials, meeting and hearing schedules, witness lists, committee reports, and materials similar to those found in the bill files. Bentsen's chairmanship of the Finance Committee is documented by a set a memoranda, 1988-1991, 1993. Another file of memoranda and a set of subject files pertain to the Environment and Public Works Committee, 1986.
The Legislative Correspondence Files contain record copies of memos to Bentsen from his legislative staff. Around 1980, Bentsen's staff introduced new filing procedures. Earlier files of legislative memoranda are incomplete and seldom include Bentsen's responses. In the later system, copies of memos were obtained after the Senator had responded, and filed by year and name of the legislative staffer. The files include reports and other correspondence, and are complete for the years 1980-1986. Original memos before 1980 with Bentsen's comments should exist in the files of the LA who drafted the memo. (See Legislative Staff Files series, below.) Memos dating 1988-1991 were filed chronologically.
Miscellaneous Subject and Correspondence Files contain correspondence, printed material, and material similar to that contained in the other subseries. The series includes some records of Bentsen's correspondence, including mail reports from the Correspondence Management System, which is more fully documented in the Correspondence subgroup. Similarly, four large binders of correspondence from 1974-1975, filed alphabetically by subject, may contain copies of correspondence produced by the legislative section during this time period. Duplicates are in the Constituent Correspondence series.
The Legislative Staff Files include a variety of printed material and correspondence created or assembled by Legislative Directors (LDs), Legislative Assistants (LAs), and Research Assistants (RAs). Each individual maintained his or her own files. The inventory is arranged by staff members' names.
Of particular note are the files of the LDs, who worked directly with Bentsen and coordinated and monitored the work of the LA staff. On the following inventory, LDs Van McMurtry (1986-1989), Blaine Bull (1989-1991), and Philip Diehl (1991-1993) provide particularly full sets of legislative staff memoranda. Files created by LDs Mike Pate (1979-1986) and David Morgan (1979-1980) primarily reflect their work on energy legislation. Some of Pate's LD files are in the Miscellaneous Subject and Correspondence Files section of the Central files. Mike Naeve served as LD (1978-1980) but his files reflect his work on transportation issues. Earlier LDs have not been identified. For further LD correspondence, see individual LA files and the Legislative Correspondence Files of the Legislative Central Files.
The LA files contain memos to the Senator; correspondence from government officials, fellow members of Congress, constituents, and lobbyists; notes made by staff members; draft and completed versions of legislation; news clippings, articles, and reports; floor and committee statements; and other material. The LA files contain the information and opinions staff presented to Bentsen, which helped to shape his thinking and stances on various issues. The RA files resemble LA files but generally contain more printed material, consistent with their use for reference.
The series includes a small number of Office Administration files created by secretary Doris Larson (1976-1978, 1980). The Central Files Series includes appointment schedules for legislative staff, January-April, 1977.
See list following inventory for names, titles, and areas of responsibility for legislative staff. Since staff collaborated and occasionally took over files created by their predecessors, some of files on the inventory are listed under multiple creators. Most of the names on the inventory are LAs. A separate group of RA files, not listed by their creators, is at the end.
[separated to photo box: box of slides, February-March 1982]