UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 30, Page 5
May 4, 1995
Papers of former U.S. senator, alumnus in library

     The papers of the late Sen. J. Allen Frear Jr., Delaware '24, are
now available for research at the University of Delaware Library.
     The Frear papers are featured in an exhibition, "Sen. J. Allen
Frear Jr., U.S. Senate 1949-1960: Representing Delaware and
Delawareans in the '50s," on view in the first-floor display cases of
the Morris Library from May 6 through Aug. 4.
     Sen. Frear, a longtime trustee of the University and alumnus,
donated his papers to the library in 1988. At the same time, the
library acquired the papers of his colleague, Sen. John J. Williams,
who served in the U.S. Senate from 1948-1970.
     The two collections in one institution provide a research
opportunity for scholars of U.S. and Delaware politics and history, as
researchers can compare and contrast the senators' views and positions
on many issues.
     "Both collections have become known to the community of
congressional scholars and archivists through the library's active
participation in the Society of American Archivists' Congressional
Papers Roundtable," Susan Brynteson, director of libraries, said.
     According to the late Sen. Frear, he, Sen.Williams, and then-U.S.
Rep. Caleb Boggs, were an effective congressional team. Sen. Williams
focused on investigative and oversight responsibilities, while Sen.
Frear was committed to representing Delaware constituents. He
supported legislation benefiting agriculture and the poultry industry
and advocated the post-World War II expansion of Dover Air Force Base
and the development of the Chrysler tank plant in Newark. A former
bank director, Sen. Frear served on the Banking and Currency, and
Finance committees, chaired a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
subcommittee and was appointed a member of the SEC in 1961.
     The exhibit will illustrate Sen. Frear's career, using documents,
photographs and other material, as well as touching on issues of the
era,  such as the Korean War and McCarthyism.
     L. Rebecca Johnson Melvin, senior assistant librarian, and
Jennifer Paul, library specialist in the Special Collections
Department, prepared the exhibition.