Archives West Finding Aid

Mr. D'Ewart donated these materials to the University of Montana who assigned them the collection number "15" and later deposited the materials with MSU as an indefinite loan, converted to a permanent transfer in 2020. This series contains campaign materials, speeches and writings, and research materials accumulated by Wesley A. D'Ewart. There is almost no correspondence in the collection. The collection is arranged using the same subject headings utilized by Mr. D'Ewart. The series is arranged into 7 boxes of topically labeled folders.

Papers, correspondence, press releases, and other materials pertaining to the campaigns of Wesley A. D'Ewart and others. Included are published election results, and papers and correspondence about Republican Party politics, national and regional elections, and nominations. Divided into two subseries and arranged chronologically.

Papers, correspondence, and news articles about D'Ewart's nomination to the position. Included are letters from organizations and individuals supporting and opposing D'Ewart's nomination.

Papers, documents, and correspondence pertaining to public lands, water resources, and agriculture created or compiled by Wesley A. D'Ewart between 1945 and 1972. D'Ewart collected materials for reference in making his own statements and decisions on various topics. These topics are generally arranged within the folders of the different subjects.

Series 4 is arranged by subject with a general attempt to follow D'Ewart's involvement in these issues chronologically. Papers in this Series comprise a broad array of public land, water, and agricultural issues. Numerous topical articles, press statements, speeches, and letters are arranged together in folders, loosely by subject and by source of origin. The releases and papers of various public land and water governing bodies, councils, and commissions are included, notably the Western States Water Council, the National Water Users Association, the Montana Water Resources Board, the Montana Water Development Association, and the Pacific Northwest River Basins Commission.

Papers, correspondence, and materials pertaining to Communism and Communists. Includes materials for reference in the writing and publication of "Senator Murray and the Red Web over Congress", a booklet used by the Montana for D'Ewart Committee during D'Ewart's 1954 campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Speeches, speeches in progress, and reference materials for speeches by Wesley D'Ewart and others. Some of the speeches are printed, some are photostatic copies, and some are original manuscript. Folders 14-16 of Box 19 contain speeches and statements of other speakers and writers, including Herbert Hoover, and Dewey Short.

Most photographs are 8" × 10" Black and Whites and cover a wide variety of subjects. Included are photographs of D'Ewart's ranch in Park County, his sheep and cattle stock, and portraits of D'Ewart. Also included are photos of D'Ewart with President Eisenhower, Senator Mundt of South Dakota, Richard Nixon, Barry Goldwater, and others. Numerous photos of D'Ewart, Eisenhower, and Governor Hugo Aronson at Denver airport in 1953 are included. Other photos depict D'Ewart at Capitol, at Lincoln Memorial, at the Washington D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival, at a national pistol tournament, signing Hungry Horse Dam legislation, at an Idaho land drawing, and at dedication ceremonies in Yellowstone Park. Photos depicting soil erosion at Coulee Dam and scenery at Yellowtail Dam have also been included. Film strips cover the Communist menace and similar topics. The audio tape is an undated recording of a D'Ewart broadcast on KOOK radio.