Title: William W. Roath, Jr. Papers, 1973-1986

Predominant Dates:1982-1985

ID: OGLMC1027

Primary Creator: Roath, William W., Jr. (1956-)

Extent: 5.0 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 08/20/1985

Subjects: City of Grand Forks, North Dakota, University of North Dakota - Alumni

Languages: English

The William W. Roath, Jr. Papers have been divided into three series:

Series 1: Personal Materials

Series 2: Grand Forks City Council Subject Files

Series 3: Policies and Procedures

William Wesley Roath, Jr. was born in 1956, in Bozeman, Montana. Because his father was an Air Force careerist, Roath moved often while growing up. From 1981 through 1985, he attended UND. He graduated from UND in August 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with minors in History and Political Science.

While a student, Roath was elected to the Grand Forks City Council from Ward I as a Democrat. His candidacy was supported by the Prairie Campaign for Economic Democracy. As a city councilman, Roath chaired the Ad Hoc Committee on Energy Research and the Mayor's Task Force on Nuclear Relocation Alternatives, was vice-chair of the Mayor's Task Force on Energy Preparedness, and was a member of the Public Service Committee. In November 1984, Roath campaigned to represent District 42 in North Dakota's House of Representatives, although he lost by eighty votes. When he graduated in August 1985, Roath resigned his seat on the Grand Forks City Council and took a job as Director of Employment Training for the Goodhue-Rice-Wabasha Citizens Action Council in Minnesota.

In 1987, Roath became the Director of the Wright County [Minnesota] Community Action Agency. A year later he was named Executive Director of Emotions Anonymous for Minnesota. In 1990, Roath became the Executive Director of the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union, the state's affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union. During that same year, Roath served as a district manager for the Paul Wellstone campaign during his successful 1990 bid for the United States Senate seat from Minnesota. In July 1994, Roath began a position as coordinator of the North Dakota chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

City of Grand Forks, North Dakota
University of North Dakota - Alumni

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Source: William W. Roath, Jr., Grand Forks, North Dakota

Acquisition Method: Donation; Acc.85-1393

Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). William W. Roath, Jr. Papers.  OGLMC 1027, Box #, Folder #.  Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid migrated to Archon in April 2015.