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Guidelines and Methods for Researching and Writing Biographical Entries of Alabama
Congressional Representatives for the Encyclopedia of Alabama
Researching:
Who is this person? You may not be familiar with this congressional representative, so
a basic Internet search will help you familiarize yourself with their life and career.
Google Searches- I suggest you enter a “full name” with “Alabama” and compile a
list in Microsoft Word of all the useful links. This will allow you to keep track of
the sites you view, and help you to remember which ones were useful for quick
referencing. Cross reference the information provided by other biographies and
fact-check all names and dates before including them in your entry. Maintain a
separate list of image related links.
Google Books- An excellent online database to consult. Again, I would suggest
you enter the “full name” with “Alabama” to narrow the search results. This
database may alert you to previously published biographies, autobiographies, and
related material to construct your unique biography. http://books.google.com/
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress– This source will provide brief
biographies, and is a great starting point. The “Research Collections” tab will
provided additional sources to consult, as well as the location of personal papers,
should they exist. http://bioguide.congress.gov/biosearch/biosearch.asp
Wikipedia.com- Most Alabama representatives have Wikipedia biographies that may be
useful. Avoid relying on information from Wikipedia and make sure your entry
does not resemble or plagiarize anything. http://www.wikipedia.org/
Auburn Library- RBD Library and the Special Collections and Archives Department
hold many valuable sources to consult including:
Owen, The Story of Alabama, 4 Vols. (F326.088) Archives
Owen, History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, 4 Vols.
(F326.O9) Archives
Moore, History of Alabama and Her People, 3 Vols. (F326.M82) Archives
Who’s Who in Alabama: A Biographical Dictionary of Leading Men and
Women of the Commonwealth (F208.W65) Archives
Who’s Who in American Politics Series 1967-1998, 16 Vols.
(E176.W6424) 2nd Floor
Politics in America Series (JK1010.P64) 3rd Floor
Who’s Who in Congress, 1993-2001 (JK1010.W48) 3rd Floor
Congressional Staff Directories, 1968-2012 (JK1012.C65) 3rd Floor
Committees in the U.S. Congress, 1789-1946 (JK1029.C64) 3rd Floor
Microfilmed Newspaper Collection- Especially useful for providing obituaries of
deceased representatives. 1st Floor
GenealogyBank.com- An excellent online database of digitized historical newspapers,
books, documents, and obituaries from 1690 to 2007. I believe a free trial of the
site is available. http://www.genealogybank.com/gbnk/
Ancestry.com- An excellent online source of digitized census records, marriage
certificates, military records, and death certificates. Proceed with caution, as
member uploaded information may not be entirely accurate.
http://www.ancestry.com/
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Fold3.com (formerly Footnote.com)- An excellent online source of military records
(including service records), especially from the Civil War, WWI, WWII, and
Vietnam War. I believe a free trial of the site is available. http://www.fold3.com/
FindAGrave.com- A useful free online database of graves and burial sites.
http://www.findagrave.com/
Writing:
You should synthesize available information from previous biographies, but more
importantly, supplement that information with biographical details from newspapers,
personal papers, books, legislative records, congressional reports, and other sources.
Your goal should be to compile as many useful facts about the representative’s life and
then construct the most concise and complete biography possible. Keep in mind that
biographies should begin with an introductory paragraph followed by the beginning,
middle, and end of the subject’s life. Your entry should range from 750 to 1,500 words,
but consult with the EOA editors if you believe a longer entry might be warranted.
Essential Biographical Elements - birthdate, birthplace, parents names and occupations,
marriage information, family information (siblings), early education information,
college experience (clubs, fraternities, awards, degrees, course of study),
business/job experience, military service (dates, assignments, locations, ranks),
political experience (local, state, and national), years of congressional service
(party, district #, counties/major cities), election results and opponents, committee
service (and subcommittees), sponsored legislation, major speeches, awards,
honorary degrees, group memberships, post-congressional life, legal matters,
retirement date, illnesses, cause of death, place of burial,
buildings/streets/scholarships/parks/memorials commemorated in their honor, and
other useful/interesting/appropriate information.
Brett J. Derbes
Auburn University