Research Highlights Series, No. 8
THE 1964 ALASKA EARTHQUAKE
The following collections contain varying amounts of information relative to the Alaska Earthquake of 1964.
Alaska Methodist University. Earthquake Archives. (Ak. Pac. Univ. Col.). Alaska Earthquake Papers; 1964. .9 cu. ft. Inventory. hmc-0782-APU.
Personal accounts, articles, newsletters, clippings, photographs, and other materials collected by the Alaska Methodist University Library to document the earthquake.
Anchorage Engineering Geology Evaluation
Group. Preliminary Report and Maps; 1964. .25
cu. ft. Inventory.
This group, composed of forty geologists, soil scientists,
and engineers from
various federal and state agencies, and private companies, was
formed at the urging of Dr. Lidia Selkrigg, a geologist of the
Alaska Housing Authority. The group mapped and outlined slide
areas and areas of damage and potential danger in Anchorage,
and provided basic data to guide city officials in replacing
utilities and urban renewal planning. The collection consists
of the preliminary report on earthquake damage in the Anchorage
area, an article from Geotimes concerning the group, and
maps of earthquake damage in the Anchorage area.
Genie Chance. Papers, Tapes; 1964-1972. 25.5 cu. ft. Inventory.
Genie Chance was a newscaster and editorialist for KENI television
and radio stations and KFQD radio from 1962-1964. The collection
contains personal and professional papers, as well as audiotapes
of broadcasts from March 1964 through 1965, concerning the earthquake
and recovery efforts. The collection also includes several publications
on the earthquake from the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Department
of Commerce, and the National Academy of Sciences.
Edwin B. Crittenden (b. 1915). Papers;
1941-1988. 21
cu. ft. Inventory.
The collection of this Anchorage architect and community
planner contains, among other papers, reference files on earthquakes.
Crittenden served on the Panel of Geography of the Committee
on the Alaska Earthquake of the Division of Earth Sciences, National
Research Council. Included in the files are materials and publications
of the National Research Council, the U.S. Geological Survey,
Coast and Geodetic Survey, and the Army Corps of Engineers.
Russell W. Dow (1915-1992). Papers. 1917-1992. 18.5 cu. ft. Inventory.
Russ Dow was a very able amateur photographer who lived in
Palmer at the time of the 1964 earthquake. The collection contains
about 25 photographs depicting earthquake damage and recovery
efforts at Eklutna and Anchorage. See also the photographs in
the collection of his wife, "Rusty" Dow.
Hans and Margaret Hafemeister. Papers;
1943-1995. 2 cu. ft. Inventory.
Margaret Hafemeister, a welfare agent for the State of Alaska,
was the Welfare Director of the Salvation Army Service Unit Committee
in Seward at the time of the 1964 earthquake. Included in her
papers are earthquake bulletins; correspondence; reports concerning
employment, industry, civil defense, and children's behavior
during the earthquake; earthquake editions of the Business and
Professional Women's Club of Seward weekly, Petticoat Gazette;
newspaper clippings; and a narrative of people's responses to
the earthquake from the Disaster Research Center at Ohio State
University.
Kenneth J. Huseby. Photographs; 1964. .1
cu. ft.
This collection consists
of 26 black and white prints of earthquake damage in Anchorage,
Portage, and Seward. The majority are U.S. Army Corps of Engineer
photos. Areas shown include 4th Avenue, the J.C. Penney Building,
L Street, West High School, Government Hill, Bootleggers Cove,
Turnagain Heights, a bridge on the Seward Highway, Portage, and
Seward Harbor.
Robert and Wilma Knox. Papers; 1949-2001. 5.2 cu. ft. Inventory.
Robert Knox and his wife were journalists who worked for
a number of newspapers and magazines in Alaska and elsewhere.
They were also free lance writers and authors of a book on camping
in Alaska and the Yukon. The collection contains copies of their
publications, clipping books, scrapbooks, photographs, and other
materials. The photographs include over 300 photos relating to
the earthquake as well as articles by Wilma Knox on the subject.
Kenneth D. Maynard. Papers; 1964, 1966-1967. .2
cu. ft.
Kenneth Maynard and other
Anchorage area architects conducted a structural building survey
following the earthquake, and later took part in a nonstructural
damage survey. The
collection contains papers of the structural survey including
lists of participants, buildings to be surveyed, and posted buildings;
correspondence between Maynard and the architectural firm Ayres
and Hayakawa from 1966-1967; and papers relating to the nonstructural
damage survey conducted in 1966.
Christine M. McClain (1915-1989). Papers;
1907-1992. 20.3
cu. ft. Inventory.
Christine McClain was an Alaska Communication System employee
and freelance writer in Anchorage. Her papers contain a series
including narratives, publications, newsletters, press releases,
clippings, and story drafts concerning the earthquake. Publications
include those of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, the U.S.
Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Office of
Civil Defense, the Alaska Communication System, and the Associated
Press. Her photographs also contain scenes of earthquake damage
in Anchorage.
Jerome F. Sheldon. Papers; n.d., 1885-1994.
9.75 cu. ft. Inventory.
Jerome F. Sheldon is
a journalist and former news editor for the Fairbanks Daily
News-Miner. His Alaska Subject Files contain a file on the
earthquake and on reconstruction efforts. Included in this file
are a Report to the President, magazine and newspaper articles
and clippings, and copies of various Alaska, west coast, and
national newspapers.
Ward Sims. Papers; 1964. .7 cu. ft. List.
Ward Sims was the bureau chief for the Associated Press (AP)
in Juneau at the time of the earthquake. He relayed damage reports
and other information from state officials to the the AP in Seattle,
and traveled to various communities to provide additional reports
of damage and casualties. The collection consists of the original
AP wire copies covering the the earthquake from March 27 to March
31, 1964, including messages from various stations in Alaska
in Juneau, Fairbanks, and Anchorage. It also contains an illustrated
booklet on AP coverage of the earthquake.
Benjamin B. Talley (1903-1998). Papers;
1925-2002. 35 cu. ft. Guide.
Benjamin B. Talley, an
engineer and career officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
supervised army and air corps construction in Alaska in 1940
to 1943. Part E of his papers contains a series on the earthquake,
which includes earthquake testimony from residents of Anchorage,
U.S. Army and U.S. Government reports on the impact of the earthquake,
and other materials.
Lyman and Betsy "Betzi" Woodman. Papers; 1929-1999. 29 cu. ft. Inventory.
Lyman Woodman was a freelance writer and historian and his wife
Betzi was a newspaper writer. Part III of their papers consists
of materials on the earthquake, including correspondence and
notes; news releases from government agencies; a clipping file;
a publications subject file; clippings from New York newspapers;
and copies of newspapers from Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Seattle.
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Last updated November 24, 2008.