Rilie R. Morgan Papers, 1930-1977

Rilie R. Morgan Papers

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Collection Overview

Title: Rilie R. Morgan Papers, 1930-1977

ID: OGLMC524

Primary Creator: Morgan, Rilie R. (1891-1977)

Extent: 2.5 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 00/00/1979

Subjects: Politics and Government - Republican Organizing Committee (ROC), Politics and Government - Republican Party

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Rilie R. Morgan Papers date from 1930-1977 and have been arranged into three series.

Collection Historical Note

Rilie R. Morgan, a transplanted North Dakotan, made his mark upon the state's newspaper industry, participated in the creation of a unique event in North Dakota's political history and had a long affiliation with numerous fraternal and masonic organizations. Born near the small town of Quenerno, Kansas, on November 24, 1891, Morgan's interest in printing news grew and at the young age of thirteen years, he became an apprentice janitor and newspaper peddler at the office of The Republican, one of the daily papers in Cherryvale, Kansas. Throughout the following four years, he worked as an apprentice typesetter and errand boy for the Daily Journal, the rival paper of The Republican.

Upon graduation from high school in 1908, Morgan entered the University of Kansas at Lawrence, where he attempted to continue his studies in journalism and printing. Lack of adequate funds and long hours at a newspaper office in Lawrence, as well as insufficient time for class preparation forced the college freshman to leave the University. The journeyman printer soon found employment as the foreman of the Winfield, Kansas Daily Courier. Before settling in North Dakota, Morgan worked for various newspapers in the states of Kansas, Montana and Washington.

On August 15, 1914, the twenty-three year old arrived in North Dakota as the new editor and publisher of the Starkweather Times. The paper was in a "badly demoralized condition" when Morgan arrived and he spent eight years rebuilding it. In 1922, Grant S. Hager, owner and publisher of the Walsh County Record at Grafton, North Dakota, offered Morgan the managership of his weekly paper. Morgan accepted the offer and after the death of Hager in 1923, Morgan purchased the entire property from Mrs. Hagen. Under his leadership, the Walsh County Record became "one of the largest and best known weekly newspapers in the Northwest."

Morgan's interests were not confined to the ink wall and newsroom. In 1923 he was elected President of the Grafton Civic Club. He was also a member of the town's school board from 1937 to 1942. In 1936 he was appointed to the Public Welfare Board of North Dakota. He resigned from that position in 1939 after he was elected to the North Dakota State Senate from the Fourth Legislative District. He served in that capacity for sixteen years. During his tenure as state senator, he served as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and in 1951 he became majority leader.

In the early 1940s, Morgan, along with three other influential state senators including Milton R. Young, Joseph Bridston and Fred C. Aandahl, launched a campaign to wrestle control of the Republican Party from the Langer dominated Nonpartisan League. The result of their efforts was a movement known as the Republican Organizing Committee (ROC). Morgan, who gave a name to the movement, formulated much of the policy and served as Chairman of the Advisory Committee. By the mid 1950s, the ROC had regained control of the Republican Party and had elected a number of ROC officials to high office. In 1954, Morgan retired from active politics.

Senator Milton R. Young, co-founder of the ROC, and personal friend of Morgan, commented on the political capabilities of the senator from Walsh County: "Rilie was a very effective legislator with a good mind. He was an excellent speaker and writer. I always felt, as did many others, that he should have been endorsed for one of the top positions in government, especially Governor.

Rilie never indicated, at least publicly, any desire for a high elected public office. If he had, he undoubtedly would have been endorsed and elected."

Fraternal and masonic organizations found Morgan to be an active participant. In 1943 he was selected as Grand commander of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of North Dakota. Two years later he was elected Grand Master of the Masons of North Dakota. In later years, he was honored with life memberships in several societies.

Rilie R. Morgan died in May 1977.

Subject/Index Terms

Politics and Government - Republican Organizing Committee (ROC)
Politics and Government - Republican Party

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: Mrs. Donald Numedahl, Grand Forks, North Dakota

Acquisition Method: Donation; Acc. #79-567

Separated Materials: Three photographs and one oversize folder were separated.

Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). Rilie Morgan Papers. OGLMC 524, 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: Correspondence and General Material],
[Series 2: Financial Material],
[Series 3: Separated Materials],
[All]

Series 1: Correspondence and General Material

Box 1

Folder 1: "A" Personal 1950-54
Folder 2: "B" Personal 1936-76
Folder 3: Brunsdale, Norman 1950-54
Folder 4: "C" Personal 1951, 1961
Folder 5: "D" Personal 1950-75
Folder 6: "F" Personal 1950-54
Folder 7: Francis, W.H. 1950-61
Folder 8: Franta, Edward J. 1947-76
Folder 9: French, Roy 1950-53
Folder 10: Grand Commandery 1952-75
Folder 11: Grand Commandery - Educational Foundation 1956-67
Folder 12: Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. 1962-76
Folder 13: Grand Lodge Jurisprudence Committee 1960-65
Folder 14: "H" Personal 1949-76
Folder 15: Haugner, Al 1941-72
Folder 16: "I" Personal 1956-76
Folder 17: Intertype Corporation 1945-52
Folder 18: "J" Personal 1953-72
Folder 19: Jesters, Royal Order of 1950-75
Folder 20: Johnson, Sidney W. 1946-54
Folder 21: "K" Personal 1951-76
Folder 22: "L" Personal 1953-76
Folder 23: "M" Personal 1951-76
Folder 24: "Mc" Personal 1964-73
Folder 25: Masonic Temple Association 1971-72
Folder 26: Masonic Veteran's Association 1956-59
Folder 27: Master Charge 1974
Folder 28: Medicare 1969-76
Folder 29: Morgan Family 1943-76
Folder 30: Miller, Clifford F. 1964-66
Folder 31: "N" Personal 296 1-77
Folder 32: N.D. Newspaper Association 1972, 1974
Folder 33: N.D. Press Association 1953-71
Folder 34: "O" Personal 1951-68
Folder 35: "P" Personal 1952-77
Folder 36: Political Miscellaneous 1966, 1972
Folder 37: Quenemo Property 1976-77
Folder 38: "R" Personal 1950-76
Folder 39: Red Cross of Constantine (Intendant General) 1962-77
Folder 40: Republican Organizing Committee - Search for information on 1975
Folder 41: "S" Personal 1950-77
Folder 42: Sakariassen, John A. 1964-76
Folder 43: State Tax Commissioner 1947-57
Folder 44: "T" Personal 1950-75
Folder 45: Trabert, Mrs. H.T. 1947-67
Folder 46: "U" Personal 1960-72
Folder 47: "V" Personal 1966
Folder 48: "W" Personal 1951-77
Folder 49: Walsh County 1940-74
Folder 50: Walsh County State Bank 1964-73
Folder 51: "Y" Personal 1948-74
Folder 52: "XYZ" Personal 1947-69

Box 2

Folder 1: Aandahl, Fred 1943-48
Folder 2: "B" Miscellaneous 1947-48
Folder 3: "C" Miscellaneous 1947
Folder 4: California Vacation - Correspondence, Feb. - March 1964
Folder 5: Doty Family 1937, 1946
Folder 6: Elections
Folder 7: Fiftieth Anniversary of the Walsh County Record 1940
Folder 8: Florida Vacation - Correspondence, Jan. - Apr. 1961
Folder 9: Freemasonry 1945-73
Folder 10: "G" Miscellaneous
Folder 11: Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. 1947-48
Folder 12: Grand Lodge Building Committee 1947
Folder 13: "H" Miscellaneous 1947-48
Folder 14: "J" Miscellaneous 1947-42
Folder 15: Jesters
Folder 16: Johnson, Sidney W.
Folder 17: "K" Miscellaneous 1947
Folder 18: "M" Miscellaneous 1947
Folder 19: Masonic Reports 1947-50
Folder 20: Masonic Service Association 1947-62
Folder 21: Masonic Short Talk Bulletins
Folder 22: Morgan, Rilie R. Jr. 1941-43
Folder 23: "O"& "P" Miscellaneous 1947
Folder 24: Political Correspondence & Miscellaneous 1937, 1954
Folder 25: "R" Miscellaneous 1947-48
Folder 26: Red Cross of Constantine 1961-62
Folder 27: Republican Organizing Committee 1947, 1949
Folder 28: "S" Miscellaneous 1947-48
Folder 29: Speeches, Material For
Folder 30: Stationery used by Rilie Morgan
Folder 31: "W" Miscellaneous 1947
Folder 32: Walsh County 1936-60

Series 2: Financial Material

Box 2

Folder 33: Bank Building 1960
Folder 34: Building Account 1930-50
Folder 35: Grafton National Bank 1930, 1953, 1962-64
Folder 36: Grafton National Bank - Building Deal 1955-62
Folder 37: Grafton National Bank Heidelberg Deal 1950-61
Folder 38: House Deal 1953-62
Folder 39: Momerak Contract - Record of Payments 1961-62
Folder 40: Momerak - McLeod Deal to Grafton National Flank 1960-62
Folder 41: Salter Property, 1967
Folder 42: Typesetter - Grafton National Bank 1963-67
Folder 43: Walsh County State Bank 1956-64

Series 3: Separated Materials

Photograph 1: Morgan and Mrs. Idsvog, late 1950s: Separated and placed in the Photograph File Cabinets
Photograph 2: Morgan, Norman Brunsdale, and unidentified men, 1945: Separated and placed in the Photograph File Cabinets
Photograph 3: Morgan, Norman Brunsdale, and Upham, 1945: Separated and placed in the Photograph File Cabinets
Oversize Folder 1: Grand Forks Herald, October 8, 1957; Grand Forks Herald, April 18, 1958; Starkweather Times, March 12, 1920; Walsh County Record, August 27, 1936; Walsh County Record, September 3, 1936: Separated and placed in the Oversize File Cabinets.

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Correspondence and General Material],
[Series 2: Financial Material],
[Series 3: Separated Materials],
[All]

Department of Special Collections
Digital Finding Aids