LeRoy Erickson Papers, 1935-1989
Collection Overview
Title: LeRoy Erickson Papers, 1935-1989
ID: OGLMC1350
Primary Creator: Erickson, LeRoy (1926-1997)
Extent: 12.75 Linear Feet
Date Acquired: 08/21/1997
Subjects: Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, Politics and Government - 1972 North Dakota Constitutional Convention, Politics and Government - Republican Party
Languages: English
Abstract
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The LeRoy Erickson Papers date from 1935 to 1989 and have been divided into four series as follows:
Series 1: Personal/Biographical/Political
Series 2: Legislative
Series 3: 1972 Constitutional Convention
Series 4: Oversized Materials
Collection Historical Note
Kenneth LeRoy Erickson was born May 15, 1926 in DeLamere, North Dakota. After graduating from high school in 1944, he began farming with his father. He married Lila Moxness in 1946. Erickson began his long record of community service the next year by serving on the Council of Immanuel Lutheran Church in DeLamere and as a Township Supervisor for Hall Township, North Dakota. He took flying lessons from Paul Bennet of Milnor, North Dakota and purchased his first airplane at the age of 21. He then served as a volunteer on the local Civil Air Patrol (CAP). His CAP duties included search and rescue operations, transporting patients to hospitals, and delivering groceries, fuel, mail and machinery repair parts to snowbound individuals.
Erickson had a distinguished political career. In 1966, he campaigned as a Republican candidate to the North Dakota House of Representatives and was elected to the 1967-69 legislative session. During the 1969-71 legislative session, he worked as a lobbyist for the North Dakota Stockmen's Association. He was a delegate to the North Dakota constitutional convention in 1972 and served again in the North Dakota House in 1973-81. In three legislative sessions, he served as Chairman of the House Transportation Committee. In 1980, Erickson was elected to the North Dakota Senate, where he served during the 1981-85 sessions and was a member of the Senate Education Committee.
Outside of the legislature, Erickson served his state and community in many other ways. He was an active member of the Sargent County School Reorganization Board, Red Willow Lutheran Bible Camp, Concordia College C-400 Club, North Dakota Farm Bureau, Immanuel Lutheran Church Council and the Milnor, North Dakota Parent Teachers Association. Erickson was an officer in many of these organizations, often serving terms as president or vice-president.
Kenneth LeRoy Erickson died on January 14, 1997. He was survived by his wife Lila; two daughters and their husbands, Marsha and David Susag of Fargo and Kim and John Mund of Milnor and four grandchildren.
Source: LeRoy Erickson Funeral Service Bulletin. Milnor Lutheran Church, Milnor, North Dakota, 1997.
Subject/Index Terms
Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota
Politics and Government - 1972 North Dakota Constitutional Convention
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: Lila Erickson, Fargo, North Dakota
Acquisition Method: Donation; Acc.97-2146
Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). LeRoy Erickson Papers. OGLMC 1350, 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.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Personal/Biographical/Political],
[Series 2: Legislative],
[Series 3: 1972 Constitutional Convention],
[Series 4: Oversized Materials],
[All]
- Series 1: Personal/Biographical/Political
This series contains biographical information on Erickson and materials documenting his political campaigns and activities in various organizations, including the Immanuel Lutheran Church, the Concordia College C-400 Club, the Sargent County School Reorganization Board and the North Dakota Republican Party.
Items conveying biographical and personal information on Erickson include an interview transcript, his handwritten notes, newspaper clippings, correspondence and a flyer relating to the auctioning of his farm in 1989. The interview transcript pertains mostly to Erickson's political career. Many of his handwritten notes are of speeches that Erickson gave. Newspaper clippings generally refer to Erickson's political activities, including speeches and public appearances as well as his efforts in the North Dakota legislature. One file documents Erickson's work on the Milnor Centennial Sod House Committee, which worked to erect a sod house commemorating Milnor's "sod busting" pioneers.
Erickson was an active member of Immanuel Lutheran Church of DeLamere, North Dakota. Items pertaining to Immanuel include a constitution, annual reports, budgets and lists of members and contributors. The series also includes a 1966 annual report of Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Fergus Falls, Minnesota and a 1965 annual report of Milnor Parish, which consists of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Milnor Lutheran Church and Concordia Lutheran Church.
The Concordia C-400 Club supports Concordia College of Moorhead, Minnesota. "C-400" refers to the club's initial goal to raise $400,000 for the construction of Concordia's Carl B. Ylvisaker Library. The library was built, but C-400 continued its efforts on Concordia's behalf. Newsletters, correspondence, membership directories and brochures document Concordia C-400 activities, including fund-raising, membership drives, meetings and events such as dinners, and featured speakers.
Sargent County School Reorganization Board materials include correspondence, meeting minutes, reports and public hearing notices. These items document efforts in Sargent County, North Dakota to reorganize school districts to create an equal distribution of tax revenue per student. These efforts were motived by declining population figures and rising costs of education.
Remaining items in the Personal/Biographical/Political series concern the North Dakota Republican Party. These document the party's conventions, platforms, financial information, fund-raising activities and political campaigns. Campaign materials relate to Erickson and also to other Republican candidates for state and national offices, including President of the United States.
- Sub-Series 1: Biographical
- Sub-Series 2: Churches
- Box 1
- Folder 7: Bethlehem Lutheran Church; 1966 Annual Report
- Folder 8: Budgets, 1960-67
- Folder 9: Bulletins, 1964-66
- Folder 10: Concordia Lutheran Churches; Annual Report 1965
- Folder 11: Constitution
- Folder 12: Contributions
- Folder 13: Correspondence, 1961-71
- Folder 14: DeLamere Lutheran Church; Annual Report 1969
- Folder 15: Immanuel Lutheran Church; Annual Reports 1959-70
- Folder 16: Members, 1962-66
- Folder 17: Miscellaneous
- Folder 18: Notes
- Folder 7: Bethlehem Lutheran Church; 1966 Annual Report
- Box 1
- Sub-Series 3: Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota
- Box 1
- Folder 19: Advertisement
- Folder 20: C-400 "Action"
- Folder 21: C-400 Club Correspondence, 1967-71
- Folder 22: C-400 Directory & Handbook, 1970
- Folder 23: C-400 Club Founders' Day, 1967-70
- Folder 24: C-400 Club Miscellaneous
- Folder 25: C-400 National Steering Committee Agendas, 1968
- Folder 26: Friends Gathering
- Folder 19: Advertisement
- Box 1
- Sub-Series 4: Sargent County Schools
- Box 1
- Folder 27: Annual Reports, 1977-82
- Folder 28: Correspondence, 1960-63; 1967-77
- Folder 29: Dickey County School Districts
- Folder 30: Enrollment, 1972-73
- Folder 31: Miscellaneous
- Folder 32: Public Hearing Minutes, 1973-76
- Folder 33: Public Hearing Notices, 1970-77
- Folder 34: Reorganization Committee
- Folder 35: Reorganization Committee Minutes, 1960-63; 1967-76
- Folder 36: Reorganization Plans
- Folder 37: Statement of Facts
- Folder 38: Statistical Report
- Folder 27: Annual Reports, 1977-82
- Box 1
- Sub-Series 5: Personal Miscellaneous
- Box 1
- Folder 39: Admission Pass
- Folder 40: Aviator Biography
- Folder 41: Calendar
- Folder 42: Decision Makers (N.D.), 1972
- Folder 43: Legislators' Admission Information
- Folder 44: Milnor Centennial, 1983
- Folder 45: Newspaper Clippings (Erickson related)
- Folder 46: Norwegian Joke
- Folder 47: Notes
- Folder 48: Erickson Opponents (Newspaper clippings)
- Folder 39: Admission Pass
- Box 1
- Sub-Series 6: Political - Campaign
- Box 1
- Folder 49: Balloons and Pins
- Folder 50: Campaign Funds
- Folder 51: Campaign Kit
- Folder 52: Campaign Paraphernalia (Erickson)
- Folder 53: Campaign Paraphernalia (Presidential)
- Folder 54: Campaign Paraphernalia (Strinden, Earl)
- Folder 55: Campaign Paraphernalia (Various Republicans)
- Folder 56: Campaign Plan
- Folder 49: Balloons and Pins
- Box 1
- Sub-Series 7: Political - Republicans
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Certificates, 1981
- Folder 2: Convention, 1966-78
- Folder 3: Correspondence, 1973-84
- Folder 4: District Chairmen, 1978-83
- Folder 5: Events of Interest, 1981-83
- Folder 6: Executive Committee Directory & Minutes, 1977-81
- Folder 7: Expenditures, 1977-83
- Folder 8: Legislative Auxiliary, 1981-83
- Folder 9: Lincoln Day Dinner, 1978-83
- Folder 10: Miscellaneous
- Folder 11: Newsletters
- Folder 12: Notes
- Folder 13: Policies
- Folder 14: Political Action Committees
- Folder 15: Political Action Manual
- Folder 16: Precinct Leader's Guide
- Folder 17: Quota Sheets, 1975-83
- Folder 18: Relations
- Folder 19: Resumes - Candidates
- Folder 20: Sample Letters
- Folder 21: 1200 Club
- Folder 22: 26th District Members
- Folder 23: 26th District minutes, 1976-82
- Folder 24: 26th District Miscellaneous
- Folder 25: 26th District Rules & Procedures
- Folder 26: Vetoes
- Folder 27: Women (Republican)
- Folder 1: Certificates, 1981
- Box 2
- Sub-Series 1: Biographical
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Personal/Biographical/Political],
[Series 2: Legislative],
[Series 3: 1972 Constitutional Convention],
[Series 4: Oversized Materials],
[All]