E.L. "Bob" Bartlett

Delegate to Congress

US Senator

Secretary of Alaska

Member, Alaska Statehood Committee

• Introduced the Alaska Statehood Act, which successfully passed Congress and was signed into law in 1958.
• Constant advocate for statehood throughout his tenure as Delegate

Name Edward Lewis Bartlett
City Fairbanks
Occupation Politician and Newspaperman
Born April 20, 1904 - Seattle, Washington
Died December 11, 1968 - Cleveland Ohio
Alaska Resident 1910-68

Honors

• "Alaskan of the Year" - 1968
• Honored with statue in US Capitol - 1969
• Various honors throughout state, including Bartlett High School in Anchorage & Bartlett Residence Hall at the University of Alaska Fairbanks

Tony Dimond

Delegate to Congress

Territorial Legislator

US District Judge

Mayor, City of Valdez

• A Leader of the modern Alaska Statehood movement
• Advocate for statehood throughout his tenure as Delegate and Federal Judge

Name Anthony Joseph Dimond
City Valdez
Occupation Lawyer
Born November 30, 1881 - Palatine Bridge, New York
Died May 28, 1953 - Anchorage, Alaska
Alaska Resident 1905 - 1953    

Honors

• Dimond High School in Anchorage named in his honor
• Honorary Doctorate - University of Alaska, 1950

William A. Egan

President, Alaska Constitutional Convention

Governor, State of Alaska

Alaska-Tennessee Plan Senator

Territorial Legislator

• His leadership of the Constitutional Convention is widely credited as being one of the keys to the success of the meeting
• Served two years as an "Alaska-Tennessee Plan" Senator in Washington D.C.
• Only person elected to three terms as Alaska's Governor

Name William A. Egan
City Valdez
Occupation Merchant and Politician
Born October 8, 1914 - Valdez, Alaska
Died May, 1984 - Anchorage, Alaska
Alaska Resident Lifelong

Honors

• "Alaskan of the Year" - 1971
• Honorary Doctorate, University of Alaska - 1972

Ernest Gruening

Territorial Governor of Alaska

Alaska-Tennessee Plan Senator

US Senator

Member, Alaska Statehood Committee

• "Father of Alaska Statehood"
• Authored "The State of Alaska," a national bestseller that advocated statehood for Alaska
• Constant advocate for statehood throughout his tenure as Governor

Name Ernest Gruening
City Juneau
Occupation Politician and Newspaperman
Born February 6, 1887 - New York
Died June 26, 1974 - Washington D.C.
Alaska Resident 1939-74

Honors

• Honored with statue in US Capitol - 1977
• Mount Ernest Gruening in Juneau named in his honor
• Gruening Building on UAF Campus named in his honor
• American Jewish Hall of Fame Inductee

B. Frank Heintzleman

Territorial Governor of Alaska

Member, Alaska Statehood Committee

• Widely considered a lukewarm supporter of statehood, Heintzleman successfully swayed national Republican leaders to support Alaska's admission to the Union
• Proposed the widely derided "partition plan," which would have created the State of Alaska from Southeast, Southcentral and Interior Alaska, while leaving Western and Arctic Alaska as a territory.
• Signed the bill establishing the Alaska Constitutional Convention

Name Benjamin Franklin Heintzleman
City Juneau
Occupation Forester
Born December 3, 1888 - Fayetteville, Pennsylvania
Died June 24, 1963 - Juneau, Alaska
Alaska Resident 1918-63

Honors

• Superior Service Award - US Dept. of Agriculture
• Sir William Schlich Award - American Society of Foresters
• Juneau's "Man of the Year" - 1959
• "Outstanding Alaskan" - State Chamber of Commerce

Frank Peratrovich

Member, Alaska Statehood Committee

Delegate & Vice President, Alaska Constitutional Convention

State & Territorial Legislator

Mayor, City of Klawock

• Only Alaska Native elected to the Constitutional Convention
• Served on Alaska Statehood Committee from 1949-59
• President of the Alaska Native Brotherhood

Name Frank Peratrovich
City Klawock
Occupation Merchant
Born April 2, 1895 - Klawock, Alaska
Died January, 1984 - Ketchikan
Alaska Resident Lifelong

Honors

• Honorary Doctorate of Public Service, University of Alaska - 1973
• 49er Hall of Fame
• President, Alaska Native Brotherhood

Ralph Rivers

Second Vice President, Alaska Constitutional Convention

Territorial Attorney General

Territorial Legislator

Alaska-Tennessee Plan Congressman

US Congressman

• Used the office of the Attorney General to conduct research on the feasibility of Alaska Statehood
• Served two years as the Alaska-Tennessee Plan Congressman prior to being elected Alaska's first Congressman

Name Ralph Julian Rivers
City Fairbanks
Occupation Lawyer
Born May 23, 1904 - Seattle, Washington
Died August 1976 - Chehalis, Washington
Alaska Resident 1906 - 1967

Honors

• Honorary Doctorate, University of Alaska - 1974

Michael Stepovich

Member, Alaska Statehood Committee

Governor, Territory of Alaska

Territorial Legislator

 

• Active advocate for statehood throughout his tenure in office
• Last Territorial Governor of Alaska

Name Michael Anthony Stepovich
City Fairbanks
Occupation Lawyer
Born March 12, 1919
Alaska Resident 1919-?

 

James Wickersham

Delegate to Congress

US District Judge

Washington State Legislator

• Introduced the first Alaska Statehood Bill to Congress in 1916
• Responsible for the passage of the Second Organic Act, providing the Territory of Alaska with an elected legislature
• One of the most dominant figures in Alaska political history
• Introduced legislation in Congress to establish the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines, the precursor to the University of Alaska

Name James Wickersham
City Eagle, Nome, Fairbanks, Juneau
Occupation Lawyer, Author
Born August 24, 1857 - Patoka, Illinois
Died October 24, 1939 - Juneau, Alaska
Alaska Resident 1900-39

Honors

• Honorary Doctorate, University of Alaska - 1935
• Wickersham Hall on the UAF Campus named in his honor
• Wickersham Wall, one of the ascent routes to the summit of Denali (Mt. McKinley) discovered by him and named in his honor (Wickersham was one of the first to attempt climbing Denali, when he lead a team of four to the 10,000 ft level of the mountain in 1903)