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Robert P. McCarney Papers, 1960-1978
Collection Overview
Title: Robert P. McCarney Papers, 1960-1978
ID: OGLMC511
Primary Creator: McCarney, Robert P. (1912-1988)
Extent: 10.0 Linear Feet
Date Acquired: 00/00/1978
Subjects: Politics and Government - Republican Party
Languages: English
Abstract
Scope and Contents of the Materials
Collection Historical Note
Robert Patterson McCarney was born on January 28, 1912, in Churdan, Iowa. He was the son of Thomas and Rhoda McCarney. He graduated from Churdan High School in 1929. He hitchhiked to Bismarck, North Dakota, in 1932, and found work selling pencils along Main Avenue. He also played baseball with a Bismarck semi-professional team, before finding employment at Fleck Motors. His first position entailed sweeping floors, although he eventually was promoted to salesman. He married Elizabeth Huttner of Lignite, North Dakota, on September 8, 1934. The couple had one daughter, Sharon.
McCarney entered the United States Army on May 4, 1942, at Camp Sutton, North Carolina. He served in North Africa and Italy, before separating on November 26, 1945, at Camp Cooke, California, with the rank of Captain. Following the war, McCarney returned to Bismarck and a position at Fleck Motors. For a short time in 1955, he moved to Austin, Minnesota, where he purchased a car dealership and became a partner in a food manufacturing firm. By 1957, he was back in Bismarck, owning and operating McCarney Midway Motors, a used car lot. In 1957, he purchased Universal Motor Company, a Ford automobile dealership. In 1962, the company was renamed McCarney Ford. Under his guidance, the company became one of the largest Ford dealerships in the Midwest. In 1972, McCarney sold the company to Allan Holms.
McCarney was well known throughout the state as the "Referral King." From 1963 to 1980, McCarney managed to place nine referrals, five initiated measures, and one constitutional amendment on the ballot. Most of these related to the issues of taxes and state expenditures. His first referral was in 1963, arguing for a rejection of five school tax levy bills passed by the State Legislature. He successfully lead a referral to reject a 3.2 million dollar appropriation for a new Bank of North Dakota building in 1970, but received his first referral defeat in 1971, when voters agreed to maintain appropriations for the Accounts and Purchases Department. His final referral was in 1980, when voters overturned funding for state purchase of land for Cross Ranch State Park.
McCarney also unsuccessfully campaigned for several political offices. He ran in the 1964 Republican primary for governor, but was defeated by Don Halcrow. McCarney succeeded in winning the primary in 1968, but was defeated by the incumbent Democrat Bill Guy in the fall election. In 1970, he won the Republican primary for the United States House of Representatives by a total of three votes, but was defeated by the Democrat Art Link. Another attempt in the Republican Gubernatorial primary occurred in 1972. In 1974, he switched parties and entered the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, but lost the nomination to Bill Guy.
Besides his political interests and activities, McCarney was a member of the Eagles, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Dakota Zoological Society, and the Mary College President's Club. He served as President several organizations, including the Bismarck Chamber of Commerce, the Bismarck-Mandan Automobile Dealers Association, and the Bismarck Combined Parent Teacher Association.
Robert P. McCarney died on March 23, 1988 at Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center in Bismarck. He is buried at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Bismarck.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
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: Robert P. McCarney, Bismarck, North Dakota
Acquisition Method: Donation; Acc.#78-547
Separated Materials:
One poster was separated and housed in Oversize File Cabinets.
Poster: "Campaign Corruption and Corporate Donations"
Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). Robert P. McCarney Papers. OGLMC 511, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota.
Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid migrated to Archon in December 2013.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Political Career],
[Series 2: Governmental Issues and Political Figures],
[Series 3: Audio-Visual Materials],
[All]
- Series 1: Political Career
- The first series contains correspondence, political and campaign materials, and reports pertaining to Robert McCarney's career in North Dakota politics. The files are arranged alphabetically by folder title.
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Advertisement, Political, 1964, 1968, 1970, 1971
- Folder 2: Advisory Committee for McCarney
- Folder 3: Air National Guard
- Folder 4: Allen, Earl, May 1971, Sept. 1971
- Folder 5: Al 's Stop & Shop, June 1970 - June 1974, March 1977
- Folder 6: Appreciation Banquet, 1965
- Folder 7: Appropriations & Accounts, 1961-1977
- Folder 8: Atkinson, Myron, July 1971, Nov. 1972
- Folder 9: Bank of N.D., Oct. 1969, 1972-1973
- Folder 10: Billbrey, Bill (no date)
- Folder 11: Bills, 1970-1976
- Folder 12: Bills, 1965-1970
- Folder 13: Bills Introduced at the Capitol, 1971
- Folder 14: Binford, Howard, May 1972
- Folder 15: Bjornson, Paul, Dec. 1970, Sept. - Dec. 1970
- Folder 16: Board of Higher Education Controversy, Dec. 1965
- Folder 17: Bullis, Harold, May-June 1973
- Folder 18: Campaign Advertisement
- Folder 19: Campaign Literature
- Folder 20: Campaign Management
- Folder 21: Campaign Manuals
- Folder 22: Campaign Materials
- Folder 23: Campaign Procedures, 1966-1968
- Folder 24: Census Figures, N.D., 1971
- Folder 25: Christensen, Walter, Sept. 1971
- Folder 26: Congressional Race, 1970
- Folder 27: Conmy & Conmy, 1964-1967
- Folder 28: Constitutional Convention, 1972
- Folder 29: Constitutional Revision, 1966
- Folder 30: Contributions, 1965, 1968, 1971
- Folder 31: Convention - Burleigh County Delegates, 1968
- Folder 32: Convention - Republican, 1968
- Folder 33: Convention - State Delegates, 1972
- Folder 34: Convention - State Delegates, 1968
- Folder 35: Correspondence, Jan.1976 - Feb. 1978
- Folder 36: Correspondence, April - Oct. 1975
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Correspondence, Jan. - March 1975
- Folder 2: Correspondence, 1974
- Folder 3: Correspondence, 1973
- Folder 4: Correspondence, Sept. 1971 - Dec. 1972
- Folder 5: Correspondence, Jan. - Aug. 1971
- Folder 6: Correspondence, 1969-1970
- Folder 7: Correspondence, 1968
- Folder 8: Correspondence, 1963-1967
- Folder 9: Council of State Government, 1966-1968
- Folder 10: Crawford, Joe, Nov. 1972
- Folder 11: Department of Accounts & Purchases, 1965-1977
- Folder 12: Dobson, Ray, June 1971
- Folder 13: Doherty, Ed, July - Aug. 1971
- Folder 14: Dorgan, Byron, Oct. 1971
- Folder 15: Dornacher, Ed, Sept. 1971 - Feb. 1972
- Folder 16: Editorials, comments, etc. 1972-1977
- Folder 17: Election Results, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1970
- Folder 18: Elkin, Richard, July 1971, April 1972
- Folder 19: Employment Security Bureau, Feb. - Dec. 1971
- Folder 20: Financial Statements, 1963-1965, 1968
- Folder 21: First Western Bank - Affidavits
- Folder 22: First Western Bank - Air Travel, Democrats, Nov. 1965 - Sept. 1969
- Folder 23: First Western Bank - Air Travel, William Guy, Nov. 1968 - Feb. 1971
- Folder 24: First Western Bank - Annual Report 1968
- Folder 25: First Western Bank - Appeal , Dec. 1973
- Folder 26: First Western Bank - Correspondence, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1974
- Folder 27: First Western Bank - Criminal Judgement, Sept. 1970
- Folder 28: First Western Bank - FBI Investigation, 1969
- Folder 29: First Western Bank - FDIC, 1969
- Folder 30: First Western Bank - Indictments
- Folder 31: First Western Bank - License Agency, Checks & Bills, Jan. - Dec. 1968
- Folder 32: First Western Bank - Minutes of the Board Meeting, June 17, 1969
- Folder 33: First Western Bank - Miscellaneous
- Folder 34: First Western Bank - Newspaper Clippings, 1969-1970, 1974
- Folder 35: First Western Bank - Statements of Gary McDaniel & Robert McCarney, 1969
- Folder 36: First Western Bank - Testimony & Evidence
- Folder 37: First Western Bank - Third Party Summons, March 6, 1970
- Box 3
- Folder 1: Government Reports, 1966-1969, 1975-1976
- Folder 2: Governors Race 1972 - Announcement & Lt. Governor
- Folder 3: Governors Race 1972 - Bank Statements
- Folder 4: Governors Race 1972 - Correspondence, Dec. 1971 - Sept. 1972
- Folder 5: Governors Race 1972 - Donation Thank-you Letters
- Folder 6: Governors Race 1972 - Letters From the Public, Sept. - Oct. 1972
- Folder 7: Governors Race 1972 - Media Advertising
- Folder 8: Governors Race 1972 - Newspaper Clippings, Sept. 1972
- Folder 9: Governors Race 1972 - Newspaper Clippings, Aug. 27 - Sept. 4, 1972
- Folder 10: Governors Race 1972 - Newspaper Clippings, Aug. 23 - Aug. 7, 1972
- Folder 11: Governors Race 1972 - Newspaper Clippings, Aug. 8 - Aug. 22, 1972
- Folder 12: Governors Race 1972 - Newspaper Clippings-other candidates, 1972
- Folder 13: Governors Race 1972 - N.D. Broadcasting Company
- Folder 14: Governors Race 1972 - Other Candidates Literature
- Folder 15: Governors Race 1972 - Petitions
- Folder 16: Governors Race 1972 - Receipts & Paid Statements, March - Dec. 1972
- Folder 17: Governors Race 1972 - Speaking Engagements, Feb. - Aug. 1972
- Folder 18: Governors Race 1972 - Thank-you Notes
- Folder 19: Governors Race 1972 - Volunteers, Jan. - Aug. 1972
- Folder 20: Governors Race 1968 - Announcing Statement
- Folder 21: Governors Race 1968 - Campaign Literature
- Folder 22: Governors Race 1968 - People
- Folder 23: Governors Race 1968 - Primary Congratulation Notes, Sept. - Nov. 1q68
- Folder 24: Governors Race 1968 - Schedules
- Folder 25: Governors Race 1968 - Thank-you Letters, July - Dec. 1968
- Folder 26: Governors Race 1968 - Voter Opinion Survey
- Box 4
- Folder 1: Guy, William, 1969-1972
- Folder 2: Haggard, Clarence, June 1971
- Folder 3: Handwriting Analysis of Politicians
- Folder 4: Hernett, Gail, July 1969 - Sept. 1972
- Folder 5: Hjelle, Walter, May - June 1972
- Folder 6: Huss, Jack, Jan. - Aug. 1972
- Folder 7: Income & Expenditures of the State, 1961-1965, 1971-1977
- Folder 8: Initiative Petitions - Limit Amount of Money Appropriated to the Government, 1975
- Folder 9: Initiative Petitions - Personal Property Tax Referral - Correspondence, Oct. 1963, 1964
- Folder 10: Initiative Petitions - Repeal of Legislative Council, 1971
- Folder 11: Initiative Petitions - Repeal of Legislative Council, 1971
- Folder 12: Initiative Petitions - Repeal of Legislative Council, 1971
- Folder 13: Initiative Petitions - Repeal of Legislative Council, 1971
- Folder 14: Initiative Petitions - Sales, Use & Excise Tax, 1976
- Folder 15: Initiative Petitions - Tax Referral Correspondence, May - June 1971
- Folder 16: Initiative Petitions - Tax Referral Correspondence, Feb. - Dec. 1965
- Folder 17: Initiative Petitions - Tax Referral Material , 1965
- Folder 18: Initiative Petitions - Tax Referral Material , 1965
- Folder 19: Initiative Petitions - Tax Referral Correspondence, March - Aug. 1963
- Folder 20: Invitations, Jan. - Oct. 1968
- Folder 21: Involvement ( a speech ) by Tom Fischer
- Folder 22: Irving, Wallace, July 1972
- Folder 23: Kelly, D.W., Dec. 1971
- Folder 24: Knife River Project, Feb. - April 1970
- Folder 25: Kromanck, Ludwig, June 1969
- Folder 26: Labor Unions, Aug. 1972
- Folder 27: Larsen, Richard, 1968-1972
- Folder 28: Larsen, Richard -Newspaper Clippings, May - Aug, 1972
- Folder 29: Larson, Frank -Newspaper Clippings, May - July 1972
- Folder 30: Larson, Guy, Oct. 1968
- Folder 31: Lashkowitz, Herschel , May 1972
- Folder 32: Lashkowitz, Shelley J., Aug. 1972
- Folder 33: Legislative Association Payroll, 1971-1972, 1974-1975
- Box 5
- Folder 1: Legislative Research Committee, Nov. 1966, Nov.. 1971
- Folder 2: Liffrig, Duane, Aug. 1971
- Folder 3: Link, Arthur, 1969, 1973, plus
- Folder 4: Link, Arthur - Newspaper Clippings, May - July 1972
- Folder 5: Lloyds of Bismarck, 1966-1969
- Folder 6: McCarney Ford, 1974-1976
- Folder 7: Mailing Lists
- Folder 8: Maps, N.D
- Folder 9: Martin, Dorothy, 1968
- Folder 10: Memoranda - Personal & Miscellaneous
- Folder 11: Milk Stabilization Board, June 1970 - May 1971
- Folder 12: Milk Stabilization Correspondence, Jan. - March 1971
- Folder 13: Miscellaneous
- Folder 14: Moore, Donald, Oct. 1971
- Folder 15: Motor Vehicle Department, 1973, 1974
- Folder 16: Murray, C. Emerson, 1973
- Folder 17: News Releases & Press Conferences, 1964-1976
- Folder 18: Newspaper Clippings, 1972, 1974-1977
- Folder 19: Newspaper Clippings, 1966-1968, 1970-1971
- Folder 20: Newspaper Clippings, 1963-1965
- Folder 21: Newspaper Clippings, 1933, 1934
- Folder 22: Nixon, Richard, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1973
- Folder 23: North Dakota Legislative Council, 1973-1975
- Folder 24: North Dakota Young Republicans, May 1968
- Folder 25: Olsrud, John, Dec. 1971 - Sept. 1972
- Folder 26: Omdahl, Lloyd, 1971-1972
- Folder 27: Paulsen, Mr. (no date)
- Folder 28: Pettit, Roger, March 1971 - May 1972
- Folder 29: Political Receipts, 1974
- Folder 30: Precinct Maps
- Folder 31: Radio & TV Correspondence, June - Sept. 1971, Aug. 1974
- Folder 32: Reagan, Ronald, July - Aug, 1973
- Folder 33: Referendum Petitions - Bank Building Referral, 1969
- Folder 34: Referendum Petitions - Department of Accounts & Purchases, 1971-1972
- Folder 35: Referendum Petitions - Personnel Division, 1975
- Box 6
- Folder 1: Republican District Chairmen, 1967-1972
- Folder 2: Republican Lists of People
- Folder 3: Republican Party History & Platform
- Folder 4: Simmons Advertising Inc., Aug. 1970 - March 1972
- Folder 5: Speech Writing
- Folder 6: Speeches, June 1968 - 1975
- Folder 7: Speeches, Jan. - May 1968
- Folder 8: Speeches, 1966-1968 and no dates
- Folder 9: State Government Programs
- Folder 10: State Highway Patrol Department Payroll, Jan. 1964 - June 1965
- Folder 11: Steiger Credit Company, June 1971
- Folder 12: Streibel, Bryce, Dec. 1969 - Nov. 1971, July 1974
- Folder 13: Tax Information, 1966-1968
- Folder 14: Tax Information, 1965
- Folder 15: Tax Information, 1960, 1962-1965
- Folder 16: Tax Manuals, 1966-1971
- Folder 17: Tax Proposal to the Legislature, 1967
- Folder 18: Thank-you Letters, July 1964 - Dec. 1965, Nov. - Dec. 1967
- Folder 19: Thorpe, Ralph, 1972
- Folder 20: Unicameral Legislature
- Folder 21: University of N.D. - Aviation Program, 1971-1975
- Folder 22: University of N.D. - Elevators, 1974-1975
- Folder 23: University of N.D. - Miscellaneous, 1970, 1974-1975
- Folder 24: Watergate - Newspaper Articles, 1970-1973
- Folder 25: Welk, Lawrence, Sept. 1967
- Folder 26: Wilhite, Irv, July - Aug. 1972
- Folder 27: Winkjer, Dean, Feb. 1971
- Folder 28: Wolf, Albert, Nov. 1971
- Series 2: Governmental Issues and Political Figures
- The second series contains folders pertaining to governmental issues, as well as slides and photographs of political figures.
- Box 7
- Folder 1: Folder with Signatures, October 20, 1963
- Folder 2: N.D. Citizen's Conference on Judicial Selection & Tenure, 1964
- Folder 3: Testimony of Gary McDaniel, 1969
- Folder 4: Democratic State Organization & Governor William Guys Correspondence and Contributions, plus Miscellaneous Political Items
- Photograph 1: Quentin Burdick
- Photograph 2: Gerald Ford
- Photograph 3: Milton Young
- Photographs 4: R.P. McCarney for Political Advertisement
- Slide 1: Christensen, Walter (1)
- Slide 2: Guy, William (1)
- Slide 3: Harris, Fred (1)
- Slide 4: McCarney, Robert (21)
- Slide 5: Omdahl, Lloyd (1)
- Series 3: Audio-Visual Materials
- Box 8
- Item 1: Reel to reel audio cassette tape: McCarney for Governor - 1968 - 60 seconds
- Item 2: Reel to reel audio cassette tape: McCarney for Governor - 30 second spots (Tax Distribution, Farm Renewal, Food Tax, and North Dakota)
- Item 3: Reel to reel audio cassette tape: McCarney for Congress - 1970 - 48 seconds (2)
- Item 4: Reel to reel audio cassette tape: McCarney for Congress - 1970 - 30 second spots (3)
- Item 5: Reel to reel audio cassette tape: McCarney for Congress - 1970 - 30 seconds (Endorsement by Vice-President)
- Item 6: Reel to reel audio cassette tape: McCarney for Congress - 1974 - 29 minutes (McCarney interviewed by Conmy)(5)
- Item 7: Reel to reel audio cassette tape: Elkin for Congress 1970 - 30 second spots
- Item 8: Reel to reel audio cassette tape: Vanderhaven and Goldwater for Congress (Approx. 10 minutes)
- Item 9: Reel to reel audio cassette tape: Car Advertisement for McCarney Ford 50 and 25 second spots
- Item 10: Cassette tape: McCarney - Bjornson News Conference, January 7, 1972
- Item 11: Cassette tape: Con-Con Committee, November 1, 1971
- Item 12: Film: McCarney for Congress - Composite - 30 seconds
- Item 13: Film: McCarney for Congress - Inflation - 30 seconds in duplicate
- Item 14: Film: McCarney for Congress - Jobs - 30 seconds
- Item 15: Film: McCarney for Congress - Youth Experience - 30 seconds
- Item 16: Film: McCarney for Office - Tax Distribution - 30 seconds
- Item 17: Film: McCarney for Office - Farm Renewal - 30 seconds
- Item 18: Film: McCarney for Office - Food Tax - 30 seconds
- Item 19: Film: McCarney for Office - North Dakota - 30 seconds
- Item 20: Film: McCarney for Office
- Item 21: Film: McCarney for Office
- Item 22: Film: McCarney Ford - Work Print
- Item 23: Film: McCarney Ford - Reversal Original
- Item 24: Film: Milton Young
- Item 25: Dictaphone Tape: Mr. Brown
- Item 26: Dictaphone Tape: Pete Hilliboe
- Item 27: Dictaphone Tape: Ralph Dewing
- Item 28: Dictaphone Tape: Ralph Dewing
- Item 29: Dictaphone Tape: Ralph Dewing
- Item 30: Dictaphone Tape: Ralph Dewing
- Item 31: Dictaphone Tape: Walter Hjelle
- Item 32: Dictaphone Tape: Walter Hjelle
- Item 33: Dictaphone Tape: Ralph Dewing
- Item 34: Dictaphone Tape: Ralph Dewing
- Item 35: Dictaphone Tape: Ralph Dewing
- Item 36: Dictaphone Tape: Jane and Ralph Dewing
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Political Career],
[Series 2: Governmental Issues and Political Figures],
[Series 3: Audio-Visual Materials],
[All]