Historical Manuscripts Collection List » G to J Collection List »
WALTER EUGENE GUESS (1932-1975). Papers; ca. 1960-1975. 15 cu. ft. Inventory.
"Gene" Guess was born in Mississippi. He graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1955, and received a law degree from the University of Virginia in 1959. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army (1955-1956), and the Army Reserve (until 1963). He married Carolyn Suber in 1957 and they moved to Alaska in 1959. Gene Guess was admitted to the Alaska Bar in 1960 and in 1961 he formed the law firm of Ely and Guess with Robert Ely. They were later joined by Joseph Rudd, and the name of the firm became Ely, Guess, and Rudd. Guess was president of the firm until his death. He entered politics in 1963, when he served as the southcentral Alaska campaign chairman for Governor William Egan. In 1964, he was elected to the first of four successive terms in the state House of Representatives. While in the House he served as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee (1965-1966), as vice-chairman of the House Commerce Committee (1965-1966), as House minority whip (1967-1968), as chairman of the House Minority Caucus (1967-1968), as chairman of the Alaska State Legislative Council (1969-1971), as Majority Floor Leader (1969-1970), as chairman of the House Local Government Committee (1969-1970), as chairman of the Special House Committee on Monetary Policy (1969-1970), and as Speaker of the House (1970-1972). He retired from the legislature in 1972 to run for United States Senate. He ran unsuccessfully against Senator Ted Stevens in 1972, and again in 1974 against Senator Mike Gravel. In addition to his political activities, Gene Guess served as vice-chairman of the Governor's Advisory Committee on Economic Development (1962-1964), and served as special assistant to the Governor, Post Alaska earthquake, as a liaison to the Anchorage banking community (1964). He was a member of the Greater Anchorage Democratic Club (president, 1963-1964), the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce (1968-1975), the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce (1969-1975), the Alaska Export Expansion Council (1966-1975), and the Alaska Development Council for Alaska Methodist University (1968-1975). He also served on the board of directors for the Anchorage Boys Club, the Alaska and Virginia bar associations and the Federal Bar Association. His honors include being named Outstanding Young Man in America by the U.S. Jaycees (1966), being named one of the 50 outstanding legislators by the Eagleton Institute of Politics (1968), and being selected as one of the 16 top state legislators by the Citizens Conference on State Legislators (1971). In 1965 he received the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Freedom Award. He died in Juneau Alaska.
The collection consists of records relating primarily to Gene Guess' political career. It is divided into four parts. Part A: personal papers, consists of correspondence, records relating to Gene Guess' work as a campaign chairman for the 1963 Egan gubernatorial campaign, and records relating to the Governor's Advisory Council on Economic Development. Part B: legislative records, consists of correspondence, records relating to the Legislative Council, bill files, and general subject files. Part C: campaign records, consists of papers relating to Gene Guess' campaigns for Alaska House of Representatives (1964, 1966, 1968, 1970) and campaigns for United States Senate (1972, 1974). Included are correspondence, speeches, polls and surveys, media and advertising records, records concerning campaign contributions, mailing lists, subject files, and other similar types of records. Part D: other papers, consists of publications.
Presented to the archives by Carolyn Guess in 1990. A deed of gift was signed in 1990.
HMC-0366