Skip to main content

Sam Gejdenson Papers

 Collection
Identifier: 2001-0008

Scope and Content

Congressional records of Sam Gejdenson, U.S. Representative from Connecticut's 2nd Congressional district. The papers are organized in archival boxes containing records spanning Gejdenson's twenty years in office. The papers include newspaper clippings on subjects ranging from veterans issues and the Groton submarine base, to Six Flags and tourism in Connecticut as well as files concerning the recognition of Connecticut's Native Americans. Gejdenson's papers also include press releases concerning the environment, Electric Boat, and the Soviet Union's treatment of Jews.

Also among the papers are administrative records from Congress, foreign relation materials, and defense files. Issues related to the environment, Native Americans, animal rights, transportation, and nuclear energy are also featured within the collection. While focused primarily on the issues that Gejdenson dealt with during his time in office the papers also feature more private details of Gejdenson's life such as his daily schedule for various periods of time while a U.S. Representative, his House journals, travel records, and campaign speeches and documents.

While the majority of the the collection is in print form, Gejdenson took great efforts to modernize his own record keeping and documentation files and as a result there is a good portion of the collection on now outdated forms of technology including floopy disks and various forms of audio and videocassettes.

Dates

  • undated, 1911-2001

Access

The collection is open and available for research.

Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from the owner(s) of the copyright.

Biographical

Samuel "Sam" Gejdenson was born to two Holocaust survivors on May 20, 1948, at a Displaced Persons Camp in Eschwege, Germany. His mother, a Lithuanian Jew, and his father, a Belarussian Jew, met in the camp following World War II. Gejdenson later moved with his parents to Bozrah, Connecticut, where they engaged in dairy farming. Gejdenson attended Mitchell College following high school, receiving an Associates degree before attending the University of Connecticut. After receiving his Bachelor's degree from UConn in 1970, Gejdenson began work for the FAI Trading Company before becoming the president of the Montessori School in Norwich, Connecticut shortly thereafter.

Gejdenson began his politcal career as the chairman for the Bozrah Town Committee, and was elected to the Connecticut General Assembly in 1974. He would serve the people of Bozrah until 1978, leaving after two terms to take a position in the administration of Connecticut Governor Ella T. Grasso. In 1980 Gejdenson became the first child of Holocaust survivors to be elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing Connecticut's 2nd Congressional district as a Democrat. Gejdenson served the people of eastern Connecticut in Congress until 2000 when he was defeated for reelection by Repbulican, Rob Simmons.

During his tenure in Congress Gejdenson participated as co-chairman of the Democratic Task Force on Retirement Security and was the Senior Democrat on the Committee on International Relations. He also served as a member of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress, the Joint Library Committee, the Committee on House Administration, and various other task forces. As the senior Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, Gejdenson worked to promote the exportation of U.S. made products, to further the causes of human rights and peace throughout the world, and ensure that American trade policy was reflective of American workers' rights and the furtherance of environmental protection.

During his time in office Gejdenson became known for his advocacy for children, senior citizens, and working families, and fought to make college more affordable for working class families. He was an advocate of modernizing technology in schools, enhancing retirement security for the elderly, and promoted the exportation of American made products. He has also become known for his efforts to stop human trafficking throughout the world and for his efforts to enhance international understanding of human rights and democracy.

Gejdenson currently runs and operates his own trading company based in Branford, Connecticut; Sam Gejdenson International.

Extent

236 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Congressional records of Sam Gejdenson, U.S. Representative from Connecticut's 2nd Congressional district. The papers contain records spanning Gejdenson's twenty years in office. The papers include newspaper clippings on subjects ranging from veterans issues and the Groton submarine base, to Six Flags and tourism in Connecticut. Gejdenson's papers also include press releases concerning the environment, Electric Boat, and the Soviet Union's treatment of Jews.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged and described as shelved.

Acquisition Information

The papers were donated by United States Congressman Sam Gejdenson in 2000.

Separated Materials

The following materials have been separated from the collection:

The Connecticut River, Dodd D 2873

Title
Sam Gejdenson Papers
Subtitle
An Inventory
Status
Under Revision
Author
Casey Green, James Brundage, Tanya Rose Lane, Ethan Avery and Anna Leigh Todd.
Date
2012 November
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Archives and Special Collections, University of Connecticut Library Repository

Contact:
University of Connecticut Library
405 Babbidge Road Unit 1205
Storrs Connecticut 06269-1205 USA US
860-486-2524