Frank Wenstrom Papers, 1936-1994

Frank Wenstrom Papers

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Collection Overview

Title: Frank Wenstrom Papers, 1936-1994

ID: OGLMC1369

Primary Creator: Wenstrom, Frank (1903-1997)

Extent: 8.75 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 08/06/1998. More info below under Accruals.

Subjects: Politics and Government - 1972 North Dakota Constitutional Convention, Politics and Government - Republican Party

Languages: English

Abstract

1903-1997; North Dakota State Senate, 1956-1959, 1967-1985 and Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota, 1963-64

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Frank Wenstrom Papers have been arranged into seven series.

Series 1: Republican Party, 1962-1986

Series 2: Legislative Research Committee

Series 3: Correspondence, 1958-1989

Series 4: North Dakota Water Issues

Series 5: Yellowstone, Missouri, Fort Union Confluence Commission/ND Historic Sites

Series 6: North Dakota Silver Haired Assembly, 1980-1988

Series 7: General Legislative Files

Series 8: Certificates and Awards

Series 9: North Dakota Constitutional Convention, 1972

Series 10: Photographs

Additional photographs can be found boxes 4 and 5 (Contents of Binders A through F).

Collection Historical Note

Frank Wenstrom was born in Dover ND on July 27, 1903 and grew up in Wells County. After graduating from Carrington High School, he spent several years farming. Wenstrom worked in the oil business in Carrington, beginning in 1933. In 1938, he married Esther Pickett and moved to Williston, where he continued his work in the oil business. In 1945, he became Secretary- Manager for the Williston Chamber of Commerce. From 1951-1960, Wenstrom worked as the Public Relations officer at the First National Bank of Williston. He won his first North Dakota State Senate race in 1956. He served on the Legislative Research Committee as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Constitutional Revision from 1957-1960. He was also a member of the North Dakota Yellowstone Fort Union Commission, formed to restore Forts Union and Buford from 1957-1964. From 1963-64 he served as Lieutenant Governor under North Dakota Governor William Guy. Wenstrom continued his work in the State Senate from 1967-1985. In 1971 he was appointed President of the North Dakota State Constitutional Convention. Wenstrom was a member of North Dakota Water Users Association and served on its Board of Directors in 1970-71. In the later years of his public service, he devoted much of his time to the Silver Haired Education Association, concentrating on issues concerning care of the elderly. Frank Wenstrom died in May 1997.

Subject/Index Terms

Politics and Government - 1972 North Dakota Constitutional Convention
Politics and Government - Republican Party

Administrative Information

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Accruals: Additional materials were donated by Dave Miedema, UND Alumni Association, on February 9, 2004 (2004-2671) and transferred from the Frank Wenstrom Library in Gamble Hall on August 1, 2012 (2012-3181).

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

Acquisition Source: Dr. Theodore Pedeleski, UND Department of Political Science

Acquisition Method: Donation; 98-2220

Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). Frank Wenstrom Papers. OGLMC 1369, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid added to Archon in May 2015.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Republican Party, 1962-1986],
[Series 2: Legislative Research Committee],
[Series 3: Correspondence, 1958-1989],
[Series 4: North Dakota Water Issues],
[Series 5: Yellowstone, Missouri, Fort Union Confluence Commission/ND Historic Sites],
[Series 6: North Dakota Silver Haired Assembly, 1980-1988],
[Series 7: General Legislative Files],
[Series 8: Certificates and Awards],
[Series 9: North Dakota Constitutional Convention],
[Series 10: Photographs],
[All]

Series 7: General Legislative Files

Frank Wenstrom was State Senator and Lieutenant Governor for 30 years. This series encompasses a wide variety of topics and is arranged chronologically. Files contain background information on legislative issues including taxation, education, transportation, health, agriculture issues, and management of natural resources. Wenstrom’s State Senator years include correspondence, newspaper clippings, speeches, reports, and copies of legislative bills. Also included is a scrapbook documenting the 1969 Legislative Session.

During Wenstrom’s tenure as Lieutenant Governor, he visited the Minot Air Force Base to witness the turnover of Minutemen Missiles to Strategic Air Command. This series documents his visit and also contains some background material on the SAC. Wenstrom also attended a Governor’s Conference and a Lieutenant Governor’s Conference from which there are summary reports and correspondence. Also during this time Wenstrom was Chairman of the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee from 1963 to 1964. His activities in this group include an audit of ND State Insurance Commissioner Frank Albers, investigated for the misuse of state funds.

Box 2

Folder 42: Speeches (not by Frank Wenstrom), 1954, 61-65, undated
Folder 43: Education 1957-59
Folder 44: North Dakota Highway 85 Association and International Parks Highway Association, 1958-64, undated
Folder 45: Statuary Hall, 1959
Folder 46: Dakota Salt and General Carbon, 1959-61
Folder 47: TB and Respiratory Disease Association, 1959-64
Folder 48: Tax Referral Information, 1961-64, undated
Folder 49: Personal Newspaper Clippings, 1962-64
Folder 50: Airport Commission, 1962
Folder 51: Roosevelt Park Committee, 1959-62
Folder 52: North Dakota Mental Health Association, 1960, 64, 67
Folder 53: Speeches on the Oil Industry, 1961-63, undated
Folder 54: Correspondence with Governor Guy, 1962-64
Folder 55: Legislative Material (Wenstrom is Lt. Governor), 1963

Box 3

Folder 1: Albers, Frank- Audit, 1963
Folder 2: Governor’s Conference, 1963-64
Folder 3: National Conference of Lieutenant Governors 1963-64
Folder 4: Foundation of the North American Indian Culture, 1963-64
Folder 5: Agriculture, 1963-64, 69
Folder 6: Minot Air Force Base, 1963-64, undated
Folder 7: Strategic Air Command, 1964, undated
Folder 8: General Clippings, 1963-64, undated
Folder 9: Young Citizens League Convention, 1964
Folder 10: Employing the Handicapped and Removing Architectural Barriers, 1964
Folder 11: Young and Burdick Correspondence, 1964, 69-75
Folder 12: Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review, 1965
Folder 13: Speech by Wenstrom Before Senate Audit and Fiscal Review Committee, undated
Folder 14: Junior and Vocational Colleges, 1959, 67
Folder 15: Education, 1967
Folder 16: Taxes, 1967
Folder 17: Soldiers’ Home Check Writing, 1967
Folder 18: County Commissioners, 1967
Folder 19: State Planning Agency, 1967(?)
Folder 20: Milk Prices HB 596, 1967
Folder 21: Research Subcommittee, 1968
Folder 22: Speeches by Frank Wenstrom, 1968, 70, undated
Folder 23: 1969 Legislative Session
Folder 24: Scrapbook of Newspaper Clippings, 1969
Folder 25: Ignite (Controversial Student Paper at UND), 1969
Folder 26: Special Elections Committee, 1970, undated
Folder 27: State Aid to Parochial Schools, 1970-71
Folder 28: General Clipping, 1970
Folder 29: Natural Resource Development, 1970-74
Folder 30: Case and Council- Article on Social Services by Frank Wenstrom, 1972
Folder 31: Alcoholism and Drug Abuse SB 2346 (introduced by Wenstrom), 1973
Folder 32: Repeal of Grocery Tax, 1973
Folder 33: 1973 Legislative Session, Newspaper Clippings folder 1
Folder 34: 1973 Legislative Session, Newspaper Clippings folder 2
Folder 35: Appropriations, 1973-74
Folder 36: Coal Legislation, 1975
Folder 37: Energy from Natural Resources, 1976-77, 82-83 undated
Folder 38: Liberty Bell Award, 1977
Folder 39: School for the Deaf, 1978-79
Folder 40: Salaries of Elected State Officials, 1979, 85
Folder 41: Taxing Mineral Acres, 1979
Folder 42: Muir, Kenneth B., 1980
Folder 43: Measures #2, 6, and 7, 1981, undated
Folder 44: Social Welfare Laws (ND, 1862-1979), 1981
Folder 45: Clippings of North Dakota Legislators, 1981, 88, undated
Folder 46: State Penitentiary Summit Conference, 1982
Folder 47: Transportation, 1981-82, 91
Folder 48: Mondak Bridge- General, 1981, undated
Folder 49: Mondak Bridge- Correspondence, 1978- 82, undated
Folder 50: Mondak Bridge Dedication- Sept. 3, 1985
Folder 51: District Court Library- Williston ND, 1982- 83, undated
Folder 52: Oil Drilling and Exploration, 1982, undated
Folder 53: 1983 Legislative Session- General
Folder 54: Court Records: Destruction and Retention SB 2446, 1983
Folder 55: Camp Grafton, 1982-85, undated
Folder 56: Junior and Vocational Colleges, 1983-85
Folder 57: Weather Modification, 1983-86, 88, undated
Folder 58: North Dakota State Government, 1984
Folder 59: Living Wills, 1984
Folder 60: The Legislative Process in North Dakota 1984, 87, undated
Folder 61: Frank Wenstrom Library for Student Research of State Government- UND, 1984
Folder 62: Constitutional Revision notes, 1984-86, undated
Folder 63: Education, 1984-87
Folder 64: NDSU Carrington Research/Extension Center, 1985-86
Folder 65: Great Plains Gasification SB 2257, undated

Box 4

Folder 1: North Dakota Department of Human Services, 1985
Folder 2: Building Authority- HB 1558, 1985
Folder 3: Legislative Session Newspaper Clippings; Governor Sinner’s Inaugural Message, 1985
Folder 4: Farm Finance, 1985-86
Folder 5: Labor Day Speeches, 1986
Folder 6: Agriculture/The Family Farm, 1986
Folder 7: Gambling/State Lottery, 1986-90
Folder 8: Governor’s Conference on Public Education, 1986
Folder 9: Legislative Compensation Commission- Correspondence, 1987-92
Folder 10: Legislative Compensation Commission- General Information and Material, 1988-92
Folder 11: Legislative Compensation Commission- Agendas and Meeting Minutes, 1988-92
Folder 12: Insurance, Torts, Guardianships, and Trusts, 1988
Folder 13: Year of the Family Steering Committee, 1988
Folder 14: Population Trends and Statistics, 1988, 1990
Folder 15: Job Corps Training Center- Minot, 1989
Folder 16: Special Election, 1989
Folder 17: No Vote- Measures 3,4, and 7 (folder 1), 1989
Folder 18: No Vote- Measures 3,4, and 7 (folder 2), 1989
Folder 19: Hoffine, Lyla (author of White Buffalo), undated
Folder 20: Mailing/Contact List of Organizations, undated
Folder 24: Miscellaneous Correspondence
Folder 25: Correspondence between Wenstrom and Dr. Gordon Palmer of the "Christian Patriotism Hour"
Folder 26: Order of the Eastern Star
Folder 27: 1971 State Constitutional Convention
Folder 28: Miscellaneous Newspaper Clippings
Folder 29: Vigilance Club of Virginia City, 1936
Folder 30: Miscellaneous
Folder 31: Small Scrapbook Containing Miscellaneous Items, 1960-1972
Folder 32: Contents of Large Scrapbook (1st Folder): Documents Relating to 1962 Election
Folder 33: Contents of Large Scrapbook (2nd Folder): Documents Relating to 1962 Election (continued)
Folder 34: Contents of Binder A (1st Folder), 1976-1977
Folder 35: Contents of Binder A (2nd Folder), 1976-1977
Folder 36: Contents of Binder B, 1980-1982

Box 5

Folder 1: Contents of Binder C (1st Folder), 1984
Folder 2: Contents of Binder C (2nd Folder), 1984
Folder 3: Contents of Binder D, 1986
Folder 4: Contents of Binder E (1st Folder), 1986-1988
Folder 5: Contents of Binder E (2nd Folder), 1986-1988
Folder 6: Contents of Binder F (1st Folder), 1990
Folder 7: Contents of Binder F (2nd Folder), 1990

Box 7

Folder 22: Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee-1963-1964

Oversize Folder 1

Separated and placed in the Oversize File Cabinets

Item 2: Williams County Mill Levy, 1956
Item 3: Williams County Mill Levy, 1957
Item 4: Emmons County Tax Levy, 1970

Department of Special Collections
Digital Finding Aids