J^GE_2 _ ALASKA CONSTITUTION SECTION. FEBRUARY, 1956
Here Are Scenes of Alaska's
State Constitutional Convention
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WHERE CONSTITUTION WAS DRAFTED—In this hall,
downstairs In the Student Union building on the campus of the
University of Alaska, delegates to the convention voted ach item
of the constitution into existence. At the time of this photogstaph.
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CONSTITUTION NEWS—Delegates Helen Fischer, Anchorage,
left, George Snndborg, Juneau, center, and librarian, Doris Ann
Bartlett, right, clip newspaper stories from Alaskan and State
tide paper* which mention the Alaska State Constitution.
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YOUNGSTERS MEET DELEGATES—Students, from the Fair
banks schools visiting the convention, make use of . recess to
meet delegates Katherine D. Nordale, Juneau, anti Edward V.
Davis, Anchorage and obtain their autographs.
CONVENTION STAFF—The people who assisted in the heavy
work load of the convention, in the secretarial office or on the
floor of plenary sessions as messengers, are; bottom row, lef to
right—Bernice Black, Louise Gooch, Katherine Alexander,
Charlotte Taylor and Willou Bichel; top row—Ben Potter, Betty
Jean Miles, David Brown, Carolyn Oakley, Mary Diede, Irene
Bussell and Charlie Wilson, Mrs. Alexander was chief clerk and
general supervisor of the secretarial staff.
All Photot by Jim Douthi*
Edward V. Davis, Anchorage, standing center, was making a
proposal while the other delegates studied their copies of the
matter under consideration. In the background may be seen the
glass enclosed visitors’ gallery.
PRESIDENT OF CONVENTION—William A. Egan, Valdez, is
the presiding officer over the 55 delegates to the Alaska State
Constitutional convention.
TENNESSEE PLAN INTRODUCED—George If. Lehleltner,
New Orleans, Louisiana, business man, introduces to the Alaska
Slate Constitutional convention the “Tennessee Plan” for state
hood. The plan, aa used by seven territories to gain statehood
PAINTING THE PRESIDENT — Christian von Schneidau,
former Los Angeles painter, now residing in Fairbanks, begins
a portrait of William A. Egan, president of the constitutional
convention.
SIGNATURES EMBROIDERED—Delegates to the convention
si/jn their names to tablecloths upon which their sigiv’l,,r< will be
embroidered by women delegates and the wives of delegates.
From left to right are: John C. Boswell, Fairbanks; II. P. ' an
derLeest, Juneau; K. Roland Armstrong, Juneau and George D.
Cooper, Fairbanks with Dora M. Sweeney, Juneau, and Ada B.
Wien, Fairbanks, at the front of the table.
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DELEGATES IN SESSION—Two rows of tables and chairs, at
which delegates to the Alaska State Constitutional convention
work, surround on three sides the convention secretary, steno
typist and president in the basement hall of the Student Union
building at the University of Alaska. The hall was finished barely
in time for delegates to make use of the modern room. Pro
ceedings of the convention, at which great numbers of the
public attended, were generally held in the larger ; mnasiura
building at the University. The public gallery, at the rear of the
convention floor, was not large enough to handle the great
crowds observing the opening and closing ceremonies.
In the pent, calls for the election of Congressmen from Alaska
who win journey to Washington, D, C. and request Congress to
accept them and the State of Alaska. The plan has been included
iu the constitution.
WORDS, WORDS, WORDS—Irene Russell, member of the sec
retarial staff of the constitutional convention, looks with not
too much pleasure on just a portion of the hook -vork involved
in staging a constitutional convention. The folders in the fore
ground are Public Administration studies on the various phases
of a constitution. The secretarial staff also had to compile
folders for each delegate on the daily journal and on the pro
posals.
CONSULTANTS CONFER—Emil Sadie, right, who assisted the
convention as a consultant throughout the length of the pro
ceedings, shows an article of the constitution to Herman Pope,
executive director of the Public Administration Service, who
made Sadie's services available to the convention. Pope visited
the convention for three days to research on needed transition
measures for the time when Alaska moves from territorial to
state status.
ANOTHER PROPOSAL—Dolores Goad, assistant to the secre
tary, passes out a mimeographed copy of a new proposal during a
short recess in the convention. Seaborn J. Buckalew, Jr., An
chorage, is the delegate receiving the paper.