Luster Bayless (National Archives and Records Administration)
| Tracking # |
RD 77217 |
| Multi Request | Luster Bayless |
| Submitted | May 18, 2023 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Katie King
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:
All records concerning LUSTER BAYLESS (b. 10/26/1937, d. 2/11/2022), specifically in relationship to:
- Emmett Till (sometimes written as Emmet Teal)
- Roy Bryant (sometimes written as Roy Brown)
This includes all written communications, notes, case files, and any and all audio/visual material.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Katie King
From: National Archives and Records Administration
Dear Katie King:
Thank you for submitting your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to
the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) via email to
*FOIA@nara.gov* <FOIA@nara.gov> . Your request concerns *"all records
concerning Luster Bayless, specifically in relationship to: Emmitt Till and
Roy Bryant"*.
Our office handles FOIA and Privacy Act requests for the NARA's
*operational *records (records created by this agency). Since your request
is for *archival* records (records created by or originated in a different
agency, but that may have been transferred to the legal custody of NARA) to
which access may be restricted, we are forwarding it by this email to
our *Office
of Research Services, Special Access and FOIA* staff and Office of Research
Services, Textual Reference (RR2RR), who handle FOIA requests for such
archival records.
These offices will assign your request a tracking number, and respond
directly to you. In the future, if you need to follow up with either
office, please contact them at the address below, or electronically via
email (email is preferred).
The National Archives and Records Administration
Special Access and FOIA Staff (RF)
8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500
College Park, MD 20740
Phone: 301-837-3190
Fax: 301-837-1864
Email: specialaccess_foia@nara.gov
______
National Archives and Records Administration
Research Services, Textual Reference Branch (RR2RR)
8601 Adelphi Road, Room 2400
College Park, MD 20740
Phone: 301-837-3091
Fax: 301-837-1752
Email: archives2reference@nara.gov
Please visit our website at www.archives.gov/foia for further information
about making a FOIA request to NARA. On our main website, www.archives.gov,
you can learn more about the resources that we offer to the public, and you
can access our online catalog.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and pursuant to guidance received from the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA had adjusted its normal
operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work
while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of
our staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may
experience a delay in receiving a substantive response to your FOIA
request. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your
understanding and patience.
Sincerely,
Brewer Thompson
Deputy FOIA Officer/Archivist
National Archives and Records Administration
Office of General Counsel
From: National Archives and Records Administration
Dear Katie King,
I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request
received by this office on May 22, 2023 for records in the custody of the
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Your request was
assigned *FOIA Tracking Number RD 77217.*
We are continuing to work on logging in FOIA requests in the order they are
received. Once your request reaches the front of the initial response
queue, a staff member will search for the record(s) and provide you with a
more substantive response detailing the results of the search and the
estimated completion date for your request.
Our small staff will continue to work diligently to process each request as
quickly as possible, but please be aware that we are operating at
significantly reduced staffing levels onsite and it is taking longer than
usual. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your
understanding and patience.
If you have any questions concerning this action, or to notify this office
of a change in your contact information, please email
specialaccess_foia@nara.gov or call 301-837-3190. All communications
concerning this request should reference your* FOIA Tracking Number RD
77217. *
Sincerely,
Jason Mincey
Archives Specialist
Special Access and FOIA Program (RF)
From: National Archives and Records Administration
Dear Katie King,
I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information Act request sent on
May 18, 2023 for records in the custody of the National Archives and
Records Administration. Your request was received in this office on May 23,
2023 and has been assigned the FOIA Case Number 23-43747.
Your request indicated that you are interested in photographs concerning
Luster Bayless, specifically in relation to Roy Bryant and Emmett Till. We
conducted a search within multiple series found in the Records of the
Department of Justice (Record Group 60); Records of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (Record Group 65); and Records of the United States
Information Agency (Record Group 306) and unfortunately, we were unable to
locate any photographs. Your request was also forwarded to the Textual
Records Division and the Moving Image and Sound Branch who will respond
separately.
This completes the processing of your request. If you have any questions,
the Still Picture Reference Team will be happy to assist you. Written
inquiries may be directed to the Still Picture Reference Team, RRSS, Room
5360, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road,
College Park, Maryland 20740-6001. Our phone number is 301-837-0561 and
fax 301-837-3621. We can also be reached by email at stillpix@nara.gov.
We do not consider this a denial of your FOIA request. However, if you are
not satisfied with our action on this request, your options for appeal and
dispute resolution are outlined in the attached document.
Sincerely,
Alexis Hill
Still Picture Reference
National Archives and Records Administration
From: National Archives and Records Administration
5/25/2023
Katie King
MuckRock News
DEPT MR 145868
263 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02115
Dear Katie King,
I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information Act request of May
18, 2023, for records in the custody of the National Archives & Records
Administration (NARA). Your request was received in the Moving Image and
Sound Branch on May 23, 2023, and assigned FOIA tracking number 2343707.
You requested information regarding access to all records concerning Luster
Bayless, specifically in relation to Emmett Till and Roy Bryant, that may
be available at the National Archives. *The following response applies to
the records of the Moving Image and Sound Branch only. *Other work units at
NARA will reply separately on their holdings.
After a search of our internal finding aids and public databases, I am
sorry to say that I was unable to locate any content in the audiovisual
collections at NARA that references Luster Bayless, either independently or
specifically in relation to Emmett Till and/or Roy Bryant. Materials used
in an attempt to locate relevant records included analog preservation film
lists, finding aids, and shot lists; internal holdings management
databases; and the public-facing National Archives Catalog.
If you wish to continue your search but are unable to visit the National
Archives in person, you may wish to consider working with one of the
professional researchers who work on-site at the Archives II facility in
College Park, MD, and who could provide you with more in-depth research
and/or assistance on this topic. A list of researchers is provided on our
website here:
https://www.archives.gov/research/hire-help/media.html?format=motion-pictures
We do not consider this response a denial under the Freedom of Information
Act. However, if you are not satisfied with our action on this request, you
have the right to file an administrative appeal within ninety (90) calendar
days from the date of this letter. Appeals must be in writing and may be
delivered by regular U.S. mail or by e-mail. By filing an appeal, you
preserve your rights under the Freedom of Information Act and present the
deciding agency with an opportunity to review your request and reconsider
its decision. If you submit your appeal by regular mail, it should be
addressed to the Deputy Archivist of the United States (ND), National
Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, Room 4200, College
Park, Maryland 20740-6001. Both the letter and envelope should be clearly
marked “FOIA Appeal.” If you submit your appeal by email, please send it to
foia@nara.gov, addressed to the Deputy Archivist, with the words “FOIA
Appeal” in the subject line. Please be certain to explain why you believe
this response does not meet the requirements of the Freedom of Information
Act. All communications concerning this request should reference FOIA
tracking number 2343707*.*
If you would like the opportunity to discuss our response and attempt to
resolve your dispute without initiating the appeals process, you may
contact our FOIA Public Liaison for assistance:
FOIA Public Liaison: Rebecca Calcagno
8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500
College Park, MD 20740-6001
Email: DC.foia.liaison@nara.gov
Telephone: 301-837-3190
You may also contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS),
the Federal FOIA Ombudsman’s office, for assistance. OGIS offers mediation
services to help resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal
agencies. The contact information for OGIS is:
Office of Government Information Services
National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road–OGIS
College Park, MD 20740-6001
Email: ogis@nara.gov
Phone: 202-741-5770 or 1-877-684-6448
This concludes the processing of your request. If you have additional
questions, please contact me directly.
Sincerely,
Michael Taylor
Archivist - Motion Picture, Sound, and Video Branch
Special Media Archives Services Division (RRSM)
National Archives at College Park
From: National Archives and Records Administration
Dear Katie King,
This is in reply to your Freedom of Information Act request, dated May 18,
2023 for records relating to Luster Bayless in connection with Emmett Till
and Roy Bryant. Your request was received in this office on May 23, 2023
and assigned the case number 23-43582.
Your request has also been referred to our Special Access and FOIA office
for a search of our FBI holdings. They will provide a separate response.
We searched the following indexes in Record Group 60: General Records of
the Department of Justice for Department of Justice case files responsive
to your request:
Civil Rights Division Name Index, 1957 - 1984
<https://catalog.archives.gov/id/731115> (Entry A1 1003)
Criminal Division General Name Index Files, 1930 - 1984
<https://catalog.archives.gov/id/23062753> (Entry UD-WW 3152)
Internal Security Index, 1930 - 1979
<https://catalog.archives.gov/id/729763> (Entry A1 1011)
We did not locate any responsive records.
We do not consider this a denial of your FOIA request. However, if you are
not satisfied with our action on this request, your options for appeal and
dispute resolution are outlined in the attachment. If you have any
questions, you may reach us at archives2reference@nara.gov.
This completes the processing of your request.
Sincerely,
David Castillo
Archives Specialist
Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR)
National Archives at College Park, MD
From: National Archives and Records Administration
June 12, 2023
Katie King
Dear Katie King:
I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request
of May 22, 2023 for records in the custody of the National Archives and
Records Administration. Your request was received in this office on May 22,
2023 and assigned FOIA tracking number RD 77217.
You requested FBI case files related to Luster Bayless. We conducted a
search of all available indexes transferred to the National Archives for
Luster Bayless and were unable to identify any FBI case files responsive
to your request in our holdings.
Because we were unable to identify any case files pertinent to your subject
of interest, we are closing your request administratively. This concludes
the processing of your request.
If you have not done so already, you may wish to submit a FOIA request to
the FBI for a search of their indexes for files relating to your subject.
Information about how to submit a FOIA request with the FBI is available on
their website at:
https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/need-an-fbi-service-or-more-information/freedom-of-informationprivacy-act/requesting-fbi-records
If you are not satisfied with our action on this request, you have the
right to file an administrative appeal within ninety (90) calendar days
from the date of this letter. Appeals must be in writing and may be
delivered by regular U.S. mail or by email. By filing an appeal, you
preserve your rights under the Freedom of Information Act and present the
deciding agency with an opportunity to review your request and reconsider
its decision. If you submit your appeal by regular mail, it should be
addressed to the Deputy Archivist of the United States (ND), National
Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, Room 4200, College
Park, Maryland 20740-6001. Both the letter and envelope should be clearly
marked “FOIA Appeal.” If you submit your appeal by email, please send it to
foia@nara.gov, addressed to the Deputy Archivist, with the words “FOIA
Appeal” in the subject line. Please be certain to explain why you believe
this response does not meet the requirements of the Freedom of Information
Act. All communications concerning this request should reference your FOIA
tracking number.
If you would like the opportunity to discuss our response and attempt to
resolve your dispute without initiating the appeals process, you may
contact our FOIA Public Liaison for assistance:
Accessioned Executive Branch Records – Washington, DC Area
FOIA Requester Service Center: 301-837-3190
FOIA Public Liaison: Rebecca Calcagno
8601 Adelphi Road, Room 5500
College Park, MD 20740-6001
301-837-3190
You may also contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS),
the Federal FOIA Ombudsman’s office, for assistance. OGIS offers mediation
services to help resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal
agencies. The contact information for OGIS is:
Office of Government Information Services
National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road–OGIS
College Park, MD 20740-6001
Email: ogis@nara.gov
Phone: 202-741-5770 or 1-877-684-6448
If you have additional questions, please contact me directly.
Sincerely,
Francis R. Alexander
Archivist
Special Access and FOIA Program (RF)
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