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• Overview
• Arrangement
• Administrative History
• Scope and Contents
• Access Restrictions
• Custodial History
• Access Terms

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New York State Assembly Speaker's Office Appointment Books and Selected Outgoing Correspondence Files

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Overview of the Records

Arrangement

Chronological by year of appointment book and date of correspondence.

Administrative History

Melvin Miller was first elected to the Assembly in 1970, representing the 44th Assembly District in Brooklyn. He served until 1992 when his indictment and subsequent conviction on charges related to his private law practice resulted in his resignation from the Assembly.

He was elected Speaker of the Assembly on January 7, 1987, and served in a number of leadership positions since the 1975-76 session. Areas of interest during his long tenure included: reform of the Election Law; reapportionment (1980s); tuition assistance for higher education; toxic tort legislation (to allow suits against responsible parties); and crime. For many years he chaired the important Codes Committee which is responsible for all legislation affecting the state's criminal justice system and rules of civil procedure. He sponsored many measures in this area, including those involved with reforming the state's penal and criminal procedures; restitution for crime victims; criminal forfeiture of assets; and the state's "gun law" which imposed mandatory penalties on those committing a crime with a gun or caught carrying an illegal handgun.

Scope and Content Note

The series consists of appointment books and some of the outgoing correspondence produced during Miller's final decade in the Assembly. The appointment books show Miller's daily meetings and the political/social functions he attended.

A few extra items have been inserted (or stapled) into the books, including trip and meeting itineraries, hotel receipts, invitations and driving directions for functions which he attended, and occasional memoranda pertaining to specific meetings. There are ten books: one book each for the years 1982 and 1990; and two books each for the years 1986 through 1989. When there are two appointment books for one year, entries in the two books often duplicate one another, although some entries showing meetings or functions are unique to one or the other volume.

The small amount of correspondence present consists of copies of Miller's (or staff members') outgoing mail which was selected on some undetermined basis. It dates from October of 1988 to October of 1991 (bulk 1989 to 1991). In very few instances the correspondence includes incoming letters attached to Miller's responses. The bulk of the letters are copies of those from Miller to constituents, citizens, and interest groups recognizing their concern over proposed legislation or pending bills. Examples of more significant correspondence include Miller's letter to Governor Cuomo (September 1991) urging actions to be taken to avert potential problems in the state's courts due to cuts in the court system's operating budget; and Miller's letter to the Assembly Minority Leader concerning funding for the Assembly Minority so they can establish an independent reapportionment planning operation.

Custodial History

According to information provided to appraisal staff in January 1992, all of Miller's records were apparently shredded except for contents of the one box the Speaker's Office agreed to transfer to the New York State Archives. Two volumes of appointment books (for 1991 and 1992) were returned to the Speaker's former secretary on January 13, 1992 per her request.

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.

Access Terms