Papers from McHugh's career remain under wraps, for now

WASHINGTON — Researchers hoping to dig into former Rep. John M. McHugh's congressional papers for a snapshot of history will have to wait a while longer — and even then, it's not clear how much he will make available.

Mr. McHugh, who represented the north country in the House from 1993 until earlier this year before becoming secretary of the Army, said through a spokeswoman that his papers will remain his own as long as he continues in public service.

Mr. McHugh's immediate two predecessors made their papers — including official correspondence, schedules and drafts of legislation — available to libraries. Rep. Robert C. McEwen, R-Ogdensburg, donated his to the Owen D. Young Library at St. Lawrence University, and Rep. David O'B. Martin, R-Canton, gave his to the Crumb Library at SUNY Potsdam.

Mr. McEwen made his papers available shortly after he left Congress, "for historians, students, researchers and anyone else interested in tracing the congressional career of this devoted individual," a former staffer wrote in the Watertown Daily Times upon the former congressman's death in 1997.

What sets Mr. McHugh apart from his predecessors, however, is that they retired from public service, he said through his Army spokeswoman, Lt. Col. Elizabeth Robbins. He has not made papers from his state Senate career available to the public, either.

Congressional papers would shed light on many issues Mr. McHugh pursued over the years, including work related to continuing expansion at Fort Drum. They also might illustrate the networks he built over the years in the nation's capital as he arrived as a member of the minority, rode the GOP wave to majority status, then re-entered life in the minority when Democrats surged back in 2006.

Col. Robbins could not say how much material Mr. McHugh has saved.

If Mr. Martin's donation to SUNY Potsdam is any indication, a potentially rich source of information may go underused. A spokeswoman at SUNY Potsdam, Deborah Dudley, said the library has received no requests to review the material, which was carefully catalogued and indexed by staff and student interns. The library is considering seeking funds to make the material more accessible, she said.