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Minnesotans on the national political stage The fourth volume of the series From America to Norway: Norwegian-​ The Contest: The 1968 Election and the War for America’s American Immigrant Letters 1838–1914, Soul by Michael Schumacher (Minneapolis: University of Minne- an index, is now available from the sota Press, 2018, 560 p., Cloth, $34.95). Two Minnesotans, Hubert Norwegian-​American Historical Humphrey and Eugene McCarthy, loom large in the story of the Association, distributed by Univer- presidential election of 1968, a race that author Schumacher sity of Minnesota Press. The first describes as “one of the closest and most bitterly contested in three volumes of letters chronicled American history, conducted against a tumultuous backdrop that the experiences of the great number even today seems impossible.” The Contest is divided into four of Norwegians who left their home- “books,” covering the candidates, the primaries, the conventions, and the election. land for America in the nineteenth Drawing on his research in the Humphrey and McCarthy papers at MNHS, Schum- and early twentieth centuries. Vol- acher describes Humphrey as trapped by his position as vice president and reluctant ume 4 contains the indexes allowing to split from his boss, President Lyndon Johnson, on Vietnam: “He, more than any letters to be discoverable by sender, candidate, had become a symbol of the country itself, a casualty in the war for Ameri- recipient, place of origin, and des- ca’s soul. . . . His plight was in full view during the week of the Democratic National tination. The volume also includes Convention, when McCarthy and his hopes for a new direction were crushed by the a thematic index and an extensive forces of the old politics and Humphrey, as leader of those traditional standards, index of biographical names. An accepted the nomination, while outside the convention hall, the youths of America introduction by editor Orm Øverland were beaten senseless by the forces of law and order.” and a bibliography of immigrant letters that have appeared in publi- Harold Stassen: Eisenhower, the Cold War, and the Pursuit of cations of the Norwegian-​American Nuclear Disarmament by Lawrence S. Kaplan (Lexington: Univer- Historical Association round out the sity Press of Kentucky, 2018, 244 p., Cloth, $80). Students of Minne- volume. sota history appreciate that before the perennial presidential candidate’s name became a punch line, Harold Stassen (1907–2001) An essay that reconsiders The Iron was Minnesota’s “boy wonder” governor (elected at age 31) and a Will, a novel published in 1936 by distinguished adviser to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The later Margaret Culkin Banning, is among aspect of Stassen’s career is the focus of Kaplan’s biography. After the postings available at the Min­ Eisenhower was elected in 1952, Stassen became the president’s special assistant for nesota Legal History Project, www disarmament, a position that gave him the power to profoundly shape the country’s .minnesotalegalhistoryproject.org/, foreign policy and allowed him to become influential in early Cold War policy discus- an archive of original and previously sions about the uses of conventional and nuclear weapons. The liberal international- published articles and essays on the ism that Stassen espoused became embedded in Cold War policy for decades; he legal history of Minnesota. Banning provided a consistent voice for peace in an increasingly hawkish national security (1891–1982) was a well-​known mid- establishment. Still, writes Kaplan, “Stassen, in many ways, was his own worst western writer in her time but is enemy; his ambition and ego undermined his efforts and clouded his vision.” little known in ours. The plot of The Iron Will, one of Banning’s 40 books, Don Fraser: Minnesota’s Quiet Crusader by Iric Nathanson revolves around a tax assessment (Minneapolis: Nodin Press, 2018, 242 p., Paper, $19.95). Don Fraser tried in district court in Duluth and is held political office for nearly 40 years, beginning in 1954 with his based on a real court case that even- election as a Minnesota state senator, followed by representing tually made its way to the Minnesota Minnesota’s Fifth District in the US House of Representatives, and Supreme Court, State of Minnesota v. ultimately serving as mayor of Minneapolis for 13 years. (Author Oliver Iron Mining Company, 198 Minn. Nathanson was Fraser’s congressional assistant from 1967 to 1978.) 385 (1936). The essay by Duluth res- Fraser was deeply involved in key issues of the post–World War II ident Zabelle Stodola, professor of era, including the civil rights struggle, the war in Vietnam, and efforts to combat English emerita at the University of urban poverty. His mild, even self-​effacing manner, Nathanson writes, masked a Arkansas, Little Rock, goes beyond strong inner drive and fierce resolve that surprised and often misled his political a reconsideration of the novel to opponents. Fraser was sometimes outshone in the public arena by his partner in poli- discuss Banning and several of her tics and life, Arvonne (1926–2018), whose story is an important part of the book. other novels.

134 MINNESOTA HISTORY MNHS has entered into a partner- images of events like the Minnesota a very rare first edition published in ship with the American Institute of AIDS Walk and Twin Cities Goodtime Paris in 1619. It describes in detail the Architects Minnesota (AIA) devoted Softball League games, as well as Pride geography of the eastern Great Lakes to sharing the state’s architectural celebrations around the state. The col- and includes an essay on the Huron legacy with the public. The multiyear lection also documents the Marriage people and their relationship with the agreement includes codeveloping new Equality Street Team’s work to advo- French. Champlain (1567–1635) was an public programming, such as tours and cate for same-​sex marriage and defeat explorer, cartographer, soldier, and dip- lectures—​slated to begin in October Minnesota Amendment 1 in 2012. The lomat. He crossed the Atlantic more 2018—​and creating a center for archi- photos join a variety of other LGBTQ+ than 20 times to stake claims on behalf tecture at Mill City Museum, where the items in MNHS collections, includ- of the French and is known for estab- public can learn more about the archi- ing the Minnesota GLBT Movement lishing Quebec City. His travel narra- tecture and built environment of the Papers (1964–2014) collected by gay tives helped guide Father Hennepin, Twin Cities and the state of Minnesota. rights activist Leo Treadway, the History who would later explore what is now New programming will serve not only is Now! Celebrating Marriage Equality Minnesota. While MNHS already has the Minneapolis area around Mill City Project, and Not Waiting for a Cure Oral strong collections documenting Great Museum but statewide audiences at History Project, documenting Minne- Lakes, St. Lawrence River, and Canadian other MNHS sites. sota’s response to AIDS. Stern’s photos history, as well as many books written have been digitized and are available to by Father Hennepin from the 1680s, this MNHS recently added more than 500 view on the MNHS website, mnhs.org. new acquisition adds to a very small col- new photographs telling the story of lection of works from such an early time Minnesota’s LGBTQ+ community to its Thanks to the generous support of period. It is also the only original Cham- collections. Capturing a decade of Min- the Katherine B. Andersen Fund of the plain book held by MNHS. The book was nesota history from 2006–16, the photos St. Paul Foundation, MNHS has pur- purchased in memory of longtime were donated by photographer Randy chased Samuel de Champlain’s Voyages MNHS supporter and former board Stern, a contributing writer for Lavender et Descouvertures Faites en la Nouvelle member Martha Kaemmer, who passed magazine. The photo collection has France, Depuis L’année 1615. The book is away on March 29, 2018.

letters

I’ve been reading the Minnesota History magazine since 1972. The Giants, who relocated to San Francisco only in 1958, by which time idea for a story about the Arrow shirt factories on the Iron Range Willie Mays was a superstar in the National League (not to mention featured in the Summer 2018 issue came to me after reading about a hero in my then-11-year-old eyes). Minnesota’s Titanic survivors in the Fall 2007 issue. On page 265, —Jim Nelson, Edina one of the passengers who was lost had a Minnesota connection. In reading the Summer 2018 issue, I wanted to thank you for your He was a Cluett Peabody manager of the Minneapolis office. My words honoring Rhoda Gilman. Rhoda contributed much to pre- mother, Ann Nekich Dowding, worked at the Gilbert factory for 30 serving the history of our state and helped me with a bit of research years sewing buttons on collars of men’s white dress shirts. The years ago, a well-remembered kindness. job supported her and three children. Growing up, I never gave any There is a small error, however, when you write that her topics thought to what she was doing on the job. Getting up early all those were as diverse as “hot air ballooning. . . .” Her article on William mornings and walking to work. That is her shown on the bottom Markoe’s pioneering balloon ascension [December 1962] is clear on photo, page 57. the point that he inflated with coal gas from St. Paul municipal gas —Frank Dowding, St. Paul works. It was definitely not a hot air balloon. It may seem a small I was very interested in the article on the Nacirema Club [Summer matter, but the truth of history is usually in the details. 2018] but wish to point out that Willie Mays was not called up to —Jerry Sandvick, Duluth the San Francisco Giants in 1951. He was called up by the New York

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LEAVE A LEGACY 1918 ▪ 100 Years Ago The Rochester Daily Post and Record for August 22 publishes an interesting paper by FOR MNHS Charles C. Willson on the probable cause and origin of the Rochester cyclone of 1883. The paper was read before a gathering of Rochester business men on the thirty-fifth Leave a gift that will preserve anniversary of the disaster. By a curious coincidence the town of Tyler, Lincoln Minnesota’s history now and County, was practically destroyed during the delivery of the address. —“News and in the future. Join hundreds of Comment,” Vol. 2, No. 8, November 1918, p. 586 Minnesotans who are part of the Minnesota Legacy Society when you 1943 ▪ 75 Years Ago make a bequest to the Minnesota A large number of war production plant publications issued in Minnesota are being received regularly by the society, which is preserving the files for the future historian Historical Society in your will. of the state’s part in the war effort. Although many of these journals present items • Support your favorite MNHS chiefly of interest to employees, most of them also contain information about war project or program, or give an materials manufactured and processes used. Among such publications currently unrestricted gift supporting all received are the Twin City Ordnance News, issued at New Brighton; the Monark, pub- our important work. lished by the Federal Cartridge Corporation at Anoka; [and others from American • Your gift can be structured to fit Hoist and Derrick, Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, Honeywell your goals. Some gifts can even Regulator Company, Minneapolis Moline Power Implement Company, and Northwest provide income for you! Airlines]. —“Historical Society Notes: Accessions,” Vol. 24, No. 3, September 1943, p. 247

Learn more about how to make 1968 ▪ 50 Years Ago The Free Congregations which flourished briefly on the frontier of the upper Midwest a planned gift at 651-259-3121 or from 1850 to 1880 . . . have received little recognition from historiographers for the mnhs-legacy.org. contribution they made to the cultural and social life of the pioneers in southern Minnesota. . . . It is not strange that they have been generally ignored. They were only a small minority among the German settlers in Stillwater, St. Paul, Minneapolis, New Ulm, Medina, and Osseo. —“Die freie Gemeinde: Freethinkers on the Frontier,” by Berenice Cooper, Vol. 41, No. 2, Summer 1968, p. 53

1993 ▪ 25 Years Ago Two years later another Minneapolis newspaper, the Penny Press, stated that the Bijou attracted those who could only appreciate nonintellectual attractions and low ticket prices: “The moment any effort is made involving proper acting, higher intellectual work, and dramatic effort, that moment the management of the Bijou feel the results at the box office.” —“Theodore L. Hays: Theatrical Good Neighbor at the Turn of the Cen- tury,” by Paul S. Newman, Vol. 53, No. 6, Summer 1993, p. 241

Find these and all articles published in Minnesota History since 1915 at mnhs.org/mnhistory, “Index by topic.”

136 MINNESOTA HISTORY

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