Historical Manuscripts Collection List »
Guide to the Walter J. Hickel papers
1950-2010
Collection number: HMC-0660.
Creator: Hickel, Walter J., 1919-2010.
Title: Walter J. Hickel papers.
Dates: 1950-2010
Volume of collection: approximately 340 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials in English.
Collection summary: Papers of a former U.S. Secretary of the Interior and Alaskan politician and businessman who was very involved in northern regions public policy development.
Biographical note:
Wally Hickel was born in Kansas in 1919 and came to Alaska in 1940. He was active in politics, being elected Governor in 1966 and 1990 and also was appointed as Secretary of the Interior by Richard Nixon in 1969 where he served until being fired by Nixon in 1970. An active businessman, he also co-founded The Northern Forum, established the Institute of the North, and was heavily involved in the creation of Commonwealth North, all dedicated to public policy matters.
Collection description:
The collection consists of records documenting Wally Hickel’s career. The largest portions of the collection consist of his Secretary of the Interior records, campaign files, speech files, and correspondence files. More details as to the contents of the collection may be found in the container list below.
Arrangement: The collection is currently arranged in order of transfer, following the original order of the records. This includes three groupings: the original transfer of records (boxes 1-130, 141 and 327), the transfer of records from the Cook Hotel in 2010 (subdivided into two parts: boxes 131-175 and 332 which were transferred in boxes or individually in the case of oversize materials, and boxes 176-258, 324 and 328-331 which were transferred in file cabinets), and the transfer of records from a warehouse in 2010 (boxes 259-326, 333-334, and 3 oversize map drawers). Many types of records (speeches or correspondence files, for example), may be found in several places through each grouping. A box list follows with most descriptions provided by Governor Hickel’s office.
Digitized copies: Digital copies of collection material not available online. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: Copyright to materials authored by Walter J. or Ermalee Hickel has been transferred to the Consortium Library. Materials authored by others may be subject to copyright restrictions.
Preferred citation: Walter J. Hickel papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Acquisition note: The first donation of papers was given to the Archives in 2003 and a deed was signed at that time. Further transfers of records occurred between 2004 and 2008. The major transfer of papers came in 2010.
Processing information: This guide is an initial draft only. Mrs. Ermalee Hickel has generously provided funding to allow for extensive description, but this project has not yet begun. This draft was written by Arlene Schmuland in 2010. Box descriptions are taken from the original box or cabinet labels. The first accession was re-boxed and labels or descriptions copied from original labels or descriptions. The second accession, first part, remains in their original boxes with labels as supplied by Governor Hickel’s office staff. For the second accession, second part, the records were removed from file cabinets and cabinet labels were retained where provided, but for unlabeled drawers, descriptions were provided by library staff where possible. The third accession which consisted of mostly oversize or non-textual media, much of which was unboxed and unlabeled, was boxed and descriptions provided by library staff where possible.
Container list:
1st Accession:
| Box |
Description |
Dates |
2 |
Speeches |
1950-1976 |
3 |
Speeches |
1977-1994 |
1 |
Speeches |
1990-1994 |
4 |
Speeches and articles |
1991-2000 |
5-6 |
Materials accumulated while Governor |
1966-1968 |
7 |
Secretary of the Interior personal correspondence, A-C |
1969-1970 |
8 |
Secretary of the Interior personal correspondence, D-I |
1969-1970 |
9 |
Secretary of the Interior personal correspondence, J-Ph |
1969-1970 |
10 |
Secretary of the Interior personal correspondence, P-Z |
1969-1970 |
11 |
Secretary of the Interior general correspondence, A-D |
1969-1970 |
12 |
Secretary of the Interior general correspondence, D-K |
1969-1970 |
13 |
Secretary of the Interior general correspondence, K-M |
1969-1970 |
14 |
Secretary of the Interior general correspondence, M-P |
1969-1970 |
15 |
Secretary of the Interior general correspondence, P-Z |
1969-1970 |
16 |
Secretary of the Interior chronological file (reading file) |
1968 December-1970 December |
17 |
Secretary of the Interior calendar file |
1970 January-May |
18 |
Secretary of the Interior calendar file |
1970 June-September |
40 |
Secretary of the Interior calendar file, university replies |
1970 October-November, 1971 |
19 |
Secretary of the Interior incoming letters (including Nixon letter of 1970 May 6), A-C |
Undated |
20 |
Secretary of the Interior incoming letters, D-G |
Undated |
21 |
Secretary of the Interior incoming letters, H-K |
Undated |
22 |
Secretary of the Interior incoming letters, L-O |
Undated |
23 |
Secretary of the Interior incoming letters, P-S |
Undated |
24 |
Secretary of the Interior incoming letters, T-Z |
Undated |
25 |
Secretary of the Interior incoming letters, other letters, copies of lists |
Undated |
26-28 |
Secretary of the Interior “sorry to see you leave” letters |
1970 |
29 |
Secretary of the Interior invitation correspondence, regrets |
1970 |
30 |
Secretary of the Interior record of confirmation |
1969 |
31 |
Secretary of the Interior letters regarding the “Nixon letter” |
1970 May |
32 |
Secretary of the Interior list of letters received regarding Hickel letter to the President and copies of letters |
1970 |
33 |
Secretary of the Interior petitions from letters |
1970 May-June |
34 |
Secretary of the Interior House and Senate correspondence |
1969-1970 |
35 |
Secretary of the Interior news releases |
1969-1970 |
36 |
Secretary of the Interior White House and miscellaneous correspondence |
1969-1970 |
37 |
Secretary of the Interior letters of support for confirmation and letters of congratulations for appointment |
Undated |
38 |
Dept. of the Interior correspondence (Health and Environment, Levett, and task force) |
1970 |
39 |
Secretary of the Interior addresses of the Vice-President and hearing books (Native land claims, coal mine health and safety) |
Undated |
41 |
Secretary of the Interior miscellaneous and travel |
Undated |
43 |
Secretary of the Interior regrets |
1969 January-May |
44 |
Secretary of the Interior regrets |
1969 June-October |
45 |
Secretary of the Interior regrets |
1969 October-1970 February |
46 |
Secretary of the Interior regrets |
1970 March-June |
47 |
Secretary of the Interior regrets |
1970 June-October |
48 |
Secretary of the Interior regrets |
1970 October-November |
49-56, 141 |
Hickel et. al. v L. Thomas |
Undated |
70-74 |
Campaign records |
1966 |
75 |
Campaign records: advertising, etc. |
1966 |
76 |
Campaign records |
1966 |
327 |
Campaign records (oversize) |
1966 |
87-88 |
Campaign records: financial |
1966-1968 |
69 |
Campaign records |
1974 |
57-60 |
Campaign records |
1978 |
61-62 |
Campaign records: resource file |
1978 |
63 |
Campaign records |
1978 |
64 |
Campaign records including press releases |
1978 |
65-66 |
Campaign records |
1978 |
67 |
Campaign records: news clippings by date |
1978 |
68 |
Campaign records: news clippings by date and miscellaneous files |
1978 |
116 |
Court decisions on primary elections |
1978 |
90 |
Campaign records: polling information |
1982, 1986 |
77-78 |
Campaign records: financial |
1986 |
79 |
Campaign records: phone banks |
1986 |
80 |
Campaign records: phone lists, miscellaneous |
1986 |
81 |
Campaign records: reports of all candidates |
1986 |
82 |
Campaign records: telephone logs |
1986 |
83 |
Campaign records: issues, statements, etc. |
1986 |
84 |
Campaign records |
1986 |
85-86 |
Campaign records |
1990 |
78 |
Campaign records: inaugural, treasurers records |
1990-1991 |
93 |
Chronological files (outgoing correspondence) |
1975 December-1977 June, 1979 September-1981 December |
42 |
Letters of congratulations |
1991 |
94 |
Chronological files (outgoing correspondence) |
1979-1982 |
95 |
Chronological files (outgoing correspondence) |
1983-1986 |
96 |
Chronological files (outgoing correspondence) |
1987-1990 |
97 |
Chronological files (outgoing correspondence) (also see box 99) |
1991-1994 |
98 |
Chronological files (outgoing correspondence) |
1995-1998 |
99 |
Chronological files (outgoing correspondence) |
1999, 1994 March-December |
100 |
Calendar files |
1978-1981 |
101 |
Calendar files |
1982 January-1984 March |
102 |
Calendar files |
1984 April-1986 July |
103 |
Calendar files, donations, and invitation regrets files |
1986 August-1987 December |
104 |
Calendar files |
1988-1989 |
105 |
Calendar files |
1990-1993 |
106 |
Calendar files or schedules |
1994-1995 |
107 |
Calendar files |
1996 January-1997 August |
108 |
Calendar files |
1997 September-1998 October |
109 |
Calendar files |
1998 November-1999 December |
110 |
Calendar files |
2000 |
111 |
Calendar files |
2001 |
112 |
Calendar files |
2002 |
130 |
Chronological files |
2002 |
113 |
Calendar files, chronological files |
2004 |
114 |
Calendar files, chronological files |
2005 |
119 |
Miscellaneous correspondence, A-C |
1970-1983 |
120 |
Miscellaneous correspondence, D-Go |
1970-1983 |
121 |
Miscellaneous correspondence, Gr-La |
1970-1983 |
122 |
Miscellaneous correspondence, Le-Pe |
1970-1983 |
123 |
Miscellaneous correspondence, Pi-St |
1970-1983 |
124 |
Miscellaneous correspondence, St-Z |
1970-1983 |
125 |
Miscellaneous correspondence, A-W |
1970s-1980s |
126 |
Miscellaneous correspondence, A-L |
Prior to 2000 |
127 |
Miscellaneous correspondence, L-Z |
Prior to 2000 |
91 |
News releases |
1991-1994 |
92 |
Commonwealth North |
1979-1999 |
115 |
Telluride Colorado |
1998 |
117 |
Alaska Sportsmen’s Association |
1983 |
118 |
Charles Wohlforth’s drafts |
2000 March 1 |
128 |
Mead Treadwell clippings, publications, etc. |
Undated |
129 |
Phone message books |
1995-2000 |
2nd Accession, part 1 (materials transferred in boxes):
| Box |
Description |
Dates |
131 |
The Northern Forum Journals, activity reports, NASA Exploration Task Force |
1994-2000 |
132 |
Alaska Solution, Russian edition |
2004-2007 |
133 |
Talkeetna Dialogue |
2003-2006 |
134 |
Calendar files |
2006 |
135 |
Clippings: Hickel Construction Company, Hickel Investment Company, Mountain View Shipping Center, Northern Lights Shopping Center, University Shopping Center, Valley River Center, Travelers Inn Anchorage and Fairbanks, Turnagain by the Sea |
1953- |
136 |
Backbone/Gasline (Malcolm Roberts) |
2006-2007 |
137 |
Campaign materials |
1966 |
138 |
Backbone clippings, ads, and etc. |
2005-2006 |
139 |
Backbone II (Malcolm Roberts) |
2005-2006 |
140 |
Institute of the North chronological files |
1996-2004 |
142 |
Speeches |
1986-1990 |
143 |
Letters O: Obama, Palin (VP), PFD |
Undated |
144 |
Letters J |
Undated |
145 |
Speeches |
1991-1994 |
146 |
Speeches |
1975-1979 |
147 |
Condolence greetings |
2010 May |
148 |
Letters U-V-W: UAA/UAF, Velikhov, Bill Walker |
Undated |
149 |
Speeches |
1971-1974 |
150 |
Anchorage Daily News op-ed articles (1997-2010), list of speeches and articles (1950-2010), speeches/booklet, and speeches (1971). (Note: includes Malcolm Roberts op-eds) |
1950-2010 |
151-152 |
Speeches |
Undated |
153 |
Speeches and press releases |
1950-1970 |
154 |
unlabeled |
Undated |
155 |
Letters R |
Undated |
156 |
Letters S-T: Subsistence |
Undated |
157 |
Miscellaneous 90th birthday cards and magazines |
Undated |
158 |
Letters W-Y: GIT, N. Yamamoto, Don Young |
Undated |
159 |
Letters S: Leif S, Sealife, Shell |
Undated |
160 |
Letters C |
Undated |
161 |
Letters W |
Undated |
162 |
Letters R-S |
Undated |
163 |
Letters D-E-F |
Undated |
164 |
Letters P-Q |
Undated |
165 |
Letters H |
Undated |
166 |
Letters T |
Undated |
167 |
Shannon and Wilson Geological report |
Undated |
168 |
Letters B-C |
Undated |
169 |
Letters A |
Undated |
170 |
Letters B |
Undated |
171 |
Letters L-M |
Undated |
172 |
Chronological files |
2007-2010 |
173 |
Letters F-G: Grading, Great projects |
Undated |
174 |
Letters I-J-K |
Undated |
175 |
Letters N: Nixon library |
Undated |
332 |
Banner (oversize) |
Undated |
Server |
Electronic documents |
Undated |
2nd Accession, part 2 (materials transferred in file cabinets):
| Box |
Description |
Dates |
251, 257 |
News clips |
1990 |
249-250 |
News clips |
1991 January-November |
176, 244 |
News clips |
1991 December-1992 April |
226 |
News clips |
1992 May-December |
192-193 |
News clips |
1993 |
185, 198 |
News clips |
1994 |
194-195 |
News clips |
1995-2010 |
231-232 |
Cartoons, publications A-B |
Undated |
230, 233 |
Publications C-I |
Undated |
196, 235 |
Publications J-O |
Undated |
220, 223 |
Publications P-T |
Undated |
229 |
Publications U-Z, speech booklets |
Undated |
222, 234 |
Photographs |
1953-1968 |
221, 236 |
Photographs |
1969 |
208, 237 |
Photographs |
1970-1991 |
241-242 |
Photographs |
Undated |
238-239 |
Photographs |
1992-2000 |
324, 328-329 |
Unlabeled (oversize) |
Undated |
205, 228 |
Date provided only |
1950-1966 |
204, 210 |
Date provided only |
1966 |
213-214 |
Date provided only |
1966-1968 |
215, 225 |
Date provided only |
1969-1970 |
216, 218 |
Date provided only |
1971-1974 |
246-247 |
Date provided only |
1974-1977 |
252-253 |
Date provided only |
1978 |
219, 224 |
Date provided only |
1985-1989 |
217 |
Press releases |
1991-1994 |
183, 186 |
Hotel Captain Cook |
Undated |
184, 207 |
Hotel Captain Cook: public relations files |
Undated |
202-203 |
Photographs: properties and clippings, KPMG, IRS, Tax |
Undated |
187 |
Tapes |
Undated |
211-212 |
Hickel family |
Undated |
254, 256, 258 |
Institute of the North |
Undated |
330-331 |
Photographs (Washington, DC) |
1969-1970 |
245, 248 |
Commonwealth North, institute of the North, The Northern Forum |
Undated |
240 |
The Northern Forum |
Undated |
243, 255 |
Memberships and awards |
Undated |
178, 180 |
The Northern Forum, Bering Strait tunnel |
Undated |
177 |
Gas Pro, Lists, DigiMarc |
Undated |
179 |
Books: Who owns Alaska, The Alaska solution |
Undated |
254, 256, 258 |
Institute of the North |
Undated |
181 |
Campaign |
1991 |
182 |
Newspaper clippings |
Undated |
188-189 |
Gas pipeline |
Undated |
190 |
The owner state |
Undated |
191, 200 |
Unlabeled, includes holiday and birthday greetings |
Undated |
197 |
Unlabeled, includes photograph album |
Undated |
199, 201, 209, 227 |
Unlabeled |
Undated |
206 |
Alaska events and trips |
Undated |
3rd Accession:
| Box |
Description |
Dates |
259 |
Audio-visual materials |
Undated |
260 |
Tapes |
1955-1970 |
261-262, 269, 276 |
Unlabeled |
Undated |
263 |
Loose materials |
Undated |
264 |
Campaign materials |
1978 |
265 |
Pictures |
Undated |
266-7 |
Mementos |
1970- |
268 |
Audiotapes |
Undated |
270 |
Governor’s tapes |
1967-1968 |
271 |
Books and mementos |
Undated |
272 |
Audiovisual campaign materials |
1999 |
273 |
Mementos |
Undated |
274 |
Campaign tapes |
1974 |
275 |
Mementos |
1969- |
277 |
Audiovisual materials |
Undated |
278 |
Mementos |
Undated |
279, 281, 283, 284 |
Campaign tapes |
1978 |
280 |
Campaign materials |
1986 |
285 |
Unlabeled |
Undated |
286 |
Mementos and certificates |
1969-1970 |
287-288 |
Campaign tapes |
1978 |
289 |
Souvenirs |
Undated |
290 |
Certificates and awards |
1991-1994 |
291 |
Tapes |
1969-1970 |
292 |
Press clippings |
1992 |
293 |
Tapes |
1968 |
294, 302 |
Betacam master raw footage, time code logs, radio spot dubs |
1990 Fall |
295 |
“The book” meeting tapes and transcripts The owner state |
1997-1999 |
296, 298 |
Campaign tapes |
1978 |
297 |
Souvenirs |
Undated |
299 |
Campaign materials |
1986 |
300 |
NORTH Commission files |
Undated |
301 |
Campaign videos and spots |
1978 |
303-304 |
Campaign materials |
1986 |
305 |
Campaign tapes (includes non-boxed materials) |
1978 |
306 |
Videos and campaign spots |
1978 |
307 |
Tapes |
Undated |
308 |
Campaign spot dubs |
1990 Fall |
309 |
Campaign copies and clippings |
1986 |
310 |
Audio tapes |
Undated |
311 |
Mementos |
Undated |
312 |
Unlabeled |
Undated |
313 |
Campaign tapes |
1978 |
314 |
Campaign tapes (includes non-boxed materials) |
1978 |
315 |
Audiovisual materials |
Undated |
316 |
Tapes (includes non-boxed materials) |
1974 |
317 |
Campaign tapes |
1978-1990 |
318 |
Anchorage television news coverage |
1990 Fall |
319 |
Campaign photographs and negatives |
1978 |
320 |
Videotapes |
1978 |
321 |
Campaign materials |
1978 |
322 |
Campaign audiotapes |
1978 |
323 |
Films |
Undated |
325 |
Citations |
1966-1969 |
326 |
Mementos |
1966-1969 |
333 |
Editorial cartoons (oversize) |
1969-1970 |
334 |
Posters, photographs, and mementos (oversize) |
Undated |
Map drawers |
Posters, photographs, citations, plaques, artwork, and mementos |
Undated |
Server |
Digital photographs of mold-infected, non-recoverable materials |
Undated |