As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Goodling served as chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce in the 105th and 106th Congresses, the committee responsible for handling legislative initiatives on labor, education, health, occupational safety, and senior citizen issues.

A professional educator before entering Congress, Goodling has had a lifelong interest in advancing public education, improving the teaching profession, and promoting adult literacy. He spearheaded the substantial educational spending bill, signed into law, December 2000, that established the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy within Penn State's College of Education.

Goodling's legislative records consist of memoranda, correspondence, draft legislation, statements, press releases, legislative research and reference files. Included among his personal and political records are campaign and election files, personal correspondence, scheduling files, and photographs.

There are also Constituent Service Records consisting of constituent correspondence and replies, issue mail, and casework. Goodling's political campaigns and appearances on public affairs television and radio programs are documented on film, videotapes, and audio cassette recordings contained within the collection.

Following the preparation of a box and folder inventory, the Goodling Papers will be arranged and described in discreet record subgroup and series to be cataloged and incorporated in a finished guide that will be mounted for public access on the World Wide Web.

For more information, contact James Quigel, head, Historical Collections and Labor Archives, The Eberly Family Special Collections Library, 104 Paterno Library, jpq1@psulias.psu.edu or 814-865-1793.