As chief clerk of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Ruth Watt managed the hearing rooms, made arrangements for witnesses and investigators, took care of the subcommittee's finances, issued its subpoenas, supervised its records, and in general handled its paperwork. She worked closely with subcommittee chairmen from Joseph R. McCarthy to Henry M. Jackson, and with staff members who included William P. Rogers, Roy Cohn, Robert F. Kennedy, Pierre Salinger, and Carmine Bellino. She also offers candid reminiscences of such colorful witnesses as Howard Hughes, Jimmy Hoffa, and Joe Valachi.
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Scholarly citation: "Ruth Young Watt, Chief Clerk, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, 1948–1979," Oral History Interviews, July 19 to November 9, 1979, Senate Historical Office, Washington, D.C.
Disclaimer: The Senate Historical Office has a strong commitment to oral history as an important part of its efforts to document institutional change over time. Oral histories are a natural component to historical research and enhance the archival holdings of the Senate and its members. Oral histories represent the personal recollections and opinions of the interviewees, however, and should not be considered as the official views or opinions of the U.S. Senate, of the Senate Historical Office, or of other senators and/or staff members. The transcripts of these oral histories are made available by the Senate Historical Office as a public service.
