By Jane Sonneman, Archivist

The Kennedy Library is pleased to announce the opening of the Walter Sheridan Personal Papers.

The collection spans the years 1943 to 1994, with a bulk of materials dated 1957-1978. The collection contains a wide range of personal and professional papers related to Sheridan’s work as an investigator for the U.S. Select Committee to Investigate Improper Activities in the Labor or Management Field (also known as the McClellan Committee) and for the Department of Justice. Also included are research materials related to Sheridan’s book, The Fall and Rise of Jimmy Hoffa (1972). Special topics include federal investigations into the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and their president, James “Jimmy” R. Hoffa.

Walter Sheridan was born in Utica, New York on November 20 1925. He served in the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Service during World War II. He married Nancy Tuttle in 1946. In June 1950, he graduated from Fordham University before joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation. After four years with the Bureau, Sheridan resigned and worked as an investigator for the National Security Agency from 1954 to 1957. 

In 1957, Sheridan became an investigator for the United States Senate Select Committee on Improper Activities in Labor and Management, also known as the McClellan Committee. He worked closely with Robert F. Kennedy, who was chief counsel for the committee, and John F. Kennedy, one of the committee’s members. The primary aim of the committee was to investigate corruption within labor unions, with particular attention given to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The hearings were held between 1957 and 1959. The committee uncovered substantial evidence of corruption and illicit practices carried out by officials of fifteen unions and over fifty companies.

When Robert F. Kennedy became Attorney General in 1961, he recruited Sheridan as a special assistant to investigate federal crimes involving the Teamsters Union that were uncovered by the McClellan Committee. Sheridan’s work primarily focused on labor racketeering and concerns with violations of federal statutes by union officials and their associates. A person of interest in these investigations was Jimmy Hoffa, the president of the Teamsters Union. Sheridan led a small group of attorneys that was referred to as the “Get Hoffa Squad” by press outlets. The investigation by the Department of Justice resulted in 4 grand jury trials that took place in Florida (Sun Valley); Nashville, Tennessee; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Chicago, Illinois between 1961 and 1964.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Sheridan worked for the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee. His investigation work helped show that clinical data submitted to the Food and Drug Administration had been tampered with. Other investigations during this period included safety and health regulations in mines, the exploitation of farm workers, and improper payments to physicians to influence how they prescribed medicine.

Walter Sheridan passed away from lung cancer on January 13, 1995.

The collection is arranged into six series. Series 1: Investigative Files, 1943-1987 contains materials collected by Walter Sheridan during federal investigations for the United States Senate and Department of Justice. Topics represented include the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, James R. Hoffa and other Teamster officials. Files are arranged alphabetically according to Sheridan’s original order. Series 2: General Office Files, 1955-1973 contains internal office correspondence and memoranda as well as research material related to Sheridan’s career as an investigator for the United States Senate and Department of Justice, and later an NBC special correspondent. Series 3: Subject Files, 1950-1994 contains materials documenting Sheridan’s career and personal life. Subjects represented in these files include organized crime and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Also included are files related to his work on John F. Kennedy’s 1960 presidential campaign and Robert Kennedy’s 1964 campaign and memorial masses. Series 4: Book Files, 1957-1978 contains original drafts, manuscripts, and correspondence created during the writing and publication of Walter Sheridan’s book, The Fall and Rise of Jimmy Hoffa (1972). Series 5: Publications, 1957-1989 and Series 6: New Clippings, 1957-1990 consist of publications and news clippings, respectively, that Sheridan collected throughout his career as a federal investigator. 

Please note that select folders may contain withdrawal sheets where documents, in accordance with Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 6(e) and Senate Resolution 474, were removed from the collection. All withdrawn documents have been placed under seal and upon request the Kennedy Library will review any material which has been closed for a period of not less than 2 years for the purpose of opening items which no longer require restrictions. Researchers should consult the reference staff to obtain the appropriate form(s). 

All are welcome to visit the Library to work with our collections, and you can make an appointment by contacting an archivist at Kennedy.Library@nara.gov.