FRANEY, EDWARD MARX:
An Inventory of His Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | Franey, Edward Marx, 1899-1988. | |
| Title: | Edward Marx Franey papers. | |
| Dates: | 1940-1986 (bulk 1950-1970). | |
| Abstract: | The papers document the League's and Franey's involvement in a number of conservation issues including the discontinuance of fox bounties, enactment of a ban on tagged fishing contests, the "Save Minnesota Wetland" campaign, creation of the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood Forest, preservation of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and creation of the Voyageurs National Park. | |
| Quantity: | 2.0 cubic feet (2 boxes, including 1 volume). | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description for shelf location. |
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Edward Franey was born Aug. 10, 1899, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He attended both Wisconsin and Minnesota universities and began his journalism career in 1918 with the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. Edward later worked as a roto editor, copy desk chief, and outdoor editor for the Minneapolis Tribune and Minneapolis Daily Times. He continued as a copy editor with the Minneapolis Tribune in May 1948. He later wrote an outdoor column for the Minneapolis Sunday Tribune and retired in 1966. Beginning in 1947, and concurrent with his newspaper work, Edward participated as one of the original members, "Uncle Ed," of the WLOL radio and WTCN television show, "The Sportsmen's Roundtable."
Franey was a member of the Izaak Walton League for 35 years and held several offices including secretary of the South Minneapolis Chapter, Minnesota state secretary, and national director. He also edited the monthly bulletin of the South Minneapolis Chapter, South Wind, the official publication of the Minnesota Division, Minnesota Waltonian, and the Minnesota Izaak Walton League Quarterly. Franey worked on a number of conservation programs, most notably the "Save the Minnesota Wetlands" campaign and the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood Forest. He served as a member of the Governor's Conservation Advisory Committee during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Edward Franey died in December 1988.
Biographical data was taken from the collection.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
Photographs, correspondence, telegrams, news releases, newspaper clippings, reports, minutes, financial records, convention files (1955-1972), and printed material documenting Franey's career as a journalist and his activities as a conservationist and leader of the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA).
Papers relating to Franey's journalism career describe his involvement with the WLOL Radio and WTCN Television Show "Sportmen's Roundtable" (1947-1959); the Ed Franey Outdoor Writer Award (1983-1985); his membership in the Outdoor Writers Association of America and the Twin Cities Newspaper Guild; and his work at the Minneapolis Daily Times and Minneapolis Tribune. A large number of articles written by Franey in the late 1940s are also included.
The larger portion of the collection documents Franey's 35 years as a member of the Izaak Walton League. Franey held various offices in the League and a good deal of the material relates to the South Minneapolis Chapter (1940, 1957-1969), the Minnesota Division (1946-1973), and the national IWLA (1955-1973).
The papers also document the League's and Franey's involvement in a number of conservation issues including the discontinuance of fox bounties, enactment of a ban on tagged fishing contests, the "Save Minnesota Wetlands" campaign, creation of the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood Forest, preservation of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and creation of the Voyageurs National Park. Correspondents related to these topics include Sigurd F. Olson, Orville Freeman, James W. Kimball, and Charles Horn.
ARRANGEMENT
These record are divided into the following two sections:
| Izaak Walton League and Conservation Activities | ||
| Journalism Career |
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Edward Marx Franey papers. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession numbers: 14,477; 14,607
Processing Information:
Processed by: Frank P. Hennessy, July 1992
PALS number: 09-00027971
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE AND CONSERVATION
ACTIVITIES:
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 152.F.7.5B | 1 | National IWLA, 1958-1987. 6 folders. | |||||||||||
| Included are reports to the national board of directors from the executive director and various committees; minutes of national board of directors meetings (1968-1987); budget statements (1968-1973); membership reports (1964-1965, 1972); dues structure (1972, 1974); articles of incorporation and bylaws (1971) and national directors policy (1972-1973); news releases; various resolutions considered for adoption (1964-1965, 1969); and announcements of league-sponsored activities. Also included are correspondence and newspaper clippings related to the activities outlined above and issues of the League's Activities Bulletin (1964-1965, 1971), National Bulletin (1972), and League Leaders' Digest (undated). | |||||||||||||
| National IWLA Convention, 1955, 1958, 1964-1965, 1968-1970, 1972-1974. 4 folders. | |||||||||||||
| The bulk of the material dates from 1969-1972 and consists of convention programs; reports of national officers and committees; addresses presented, including a talk delivered by Sigurd F. Olson (May 13, 1958); IWLA endowment minutes and officers' reports (1969); biographical sketches of panel members and national officers (1969-1970); copies of a daily convention newspaper titled Ham-O-Gram (1970); resolutions considered for adoption; and Edward Franey's correspondence concerning the election of national officers (1968, 1970, 1972, 1974). | |||||||||||||
| IWLA. Minnesota Division, 1946-1980, 1986. 5 folders. | |||||||||||||
| The bulk of the material dates from 1963-1973. Included are state executive committee and board of directors minutes (1948, 1964-1973); financial statements (1957, 1968-1969); membership records (1959, 1964-1964); lists of local chapter and state officers; state officers and committee reports (1961, 1966, 1969, 1972-1973); texts of addresses given at Minnesota IWLA state conventions, including one presented by Minnesota governor Karl | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 152.F.7.5B | 1 | IWLA. Minnesota Division, 1946-1980, 1986. 5 folders. | |||||||||||
| Rolvaag (Sept. 25, 1964); resolutions considered at state conventions (1969-1973); and newspaper clippings covering various Minnesota IWLA conventions, programs, and awards. | |||||||||||||
| IWLA. South Minneapolis Chapter, 1940, 1957-1970, 1972, 1975-1976. | |||||||||||||
| Franey was chapter secretary until 1963 and the minutes he took at general membership and directors' meetings (1957-1958) comprise most of the material. Other administrative papers included are treasurer's reports (1957-1958); membership lists (1956-1957); and a corporate bank resolution (1958). | |||||||||||||
| South Wind, 1955-1962. | |||||||||||||
| Issues of the monthly bulletin of the South Minneapolis Chapter, South Wind, bound into one volume (Feb. 1955-Oct. 1962). As editor of the bulletin Franey wrote an editorial column in each issue titled, "Shooting the Breeze." Two letters are included (Oct. 18, 1962), one to the national IWLA executive director from the Minnesota Division state secretary nominating the South Wind as the nation's most outstanding chapter bulletin, and the other asking Franey to reconsider his decision to resign as editor. | |||||||||||||
| Save Minnesota Wetlands, undated and 1953-1961. 3 folders. | |||||||||||||
| The material describes the creation and development of the "Save Minnesota Wetlands" campaign. The material consists of correspondence, including letters from Charles Horn, chairman of the Minnesota Emergency Conservation Committee, objecting to the wetlands acquisition bill; the bylaws of Save Minnesota Wetlands, Inc.; its meeting announcements and minutes; fundraising reports; member list; IWLA resolutions (May 5, 1954 and Sept. 16, 1956); reports of the American Legion conservation committee related to the campaign (1955-1956); and newspaper and journal articles. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 152.F.7.6F | 2 | Fox Bounties, Tagged Fish Ban, Canadian Geese Project, and Reorganization Bill. | |||||||||||
| Papers describe the removal of fox bounties by individual counties and debate over various bounty bills submitted to the Minnesota Legislature. Included are a statistical breakdown of bounty payments on fox, timber wolf, brush wolf, and bobcats (1956); newspaper clippings and | |||||||||||||
| correspondence related to the bounty issue; lists of state legislators; and the roll call vote in the Minnesota House of Representatives on the 1967 bounty bill. A tagged fishing derby sponsored by the American Crystal Sugar Company was held from May 8 to June 30, 1958 and offered cash prizes totaling $10,000. Papers related to the contest and the campaign carried on by the South Minneapolis Chapter to end such contests include a resolution passed by the chapter asking the state legislature to enact a ban on tagged fish contests (July 4, 1958); issues of the South Wind covering the topic (1958-1959); a photograph of one of the contest winners; and correspondence, newspaper clippings, and a copy of the order issued by George Selke, Minnesota Commissioner of Conservation, banning tagged fishing contests (Dec. 15, 1958). | |||||||||||||
| There is also a group of papers (1968) related to a Canada goose rearing project sponsored by the South Minneapolis Chapter. | |||||||||||||
| The last group of papers consists primarily of newspaper clippings (1957-1959)ss related to the government reorganization bill and opposition to it by various conservation groups. Also included are a resolution opposing the bill, the text of the bill itself, correspondence, and a statement by George Selke explaining his support for the bill. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 152.F.7.6F | 2 | Boundary Waters Canoe Area, 1946-1972. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Contains material relevant to the development of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) and Voyageurs National Park. Included are correspondence and newspaper clippings (1947-1948) describing the campaign to pass a federal law stipulating the conservation of the roadless area of the Superior National Forest. Two letters from Sigurd Olson to Edward Franey (April 5, 1948 and Dec. 6, 1948) concerning the bill are included as well as a resolution adopted by the National IWLA urging the bill's passage. Articles and letters related to a ban on plane flights over the roadless area are included followed by material covering the controversy surrounding the reclassification of the area to wilderness area status (1964). Much of the material connected to reclassification describes a task force created by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman. A letter and telegram sent by him to the Minnesota Division of IWLA is included. A statement issued by the National IWLA in support of the reclassification and letters to Ed Franey from Paul Clement (Nov. 2, 1964, Dec. 1964, Sept. 1965) criticizing the Minnesota IWLA for its apparent lack of support are also included. A letter from Sigurd Olson responds to Edward Franey's objection to a letter written by President Eisenhower to Minnesota conservation groups. There is also a group of papers related to the controversy surrounding the sale of tax forfeited land near Voyageurs National Park in 1967. | |||||||||||||
| A final group of papers contains correspondence (1967, 1970, 1972), news releases (1969, 1972), legal documents (1969, 1970), and newspaper clippings (1970-1971) related to a law suit filed by IWLA seeking a permanent injunction against any mineral exploration in the BWCA. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 152.F.7.6F | 2 | Memorial Hardwood Forest, 1960-1986. 3 folders. | |||||||||||
| Edward Franey and the Minnesota IWLA were instrumental in the establishment of a state forest in southeastern Minnesota. Originally designated as the Minnesota Memorial Hardwood Forest, today it is called the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood Forest. The papers consist of newspaper articles, photographs, administrative records, and correspondence that document Franey's, and the Minnesota IWLA's, activities related to the forest. Among the papers are records of contributions (1960-1961); photographs of Dorer and Franey (ca. 1960) and views of the forest; a fund raising brochure developed by Franey; a working paper prepared by the Minnesota Outdoor Recreation Resources Commission (June 1964); a resolution adopted by the Minnesota Division of IWLA (1964) and correspondence focusing on the speed at which the state was administering the forest land acquisition program; land acquisition reports (1964-1965); and a group of papers (1986) related to the forest's 25th anniversary including a copy of the WCCO Radio Good Neighbor Award presented to Edward Franey and Willis Kruger for their involvement with the forest (April 12, 1986). | |||||||||||||
| William Voigt correspondence, 1976-1984. | |||||||||||||
| Voigt was writing a history of the IWLA and the correspondence consists primarily of reminiscences of people and events connected with the League. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 152.F.7.6F | 2 | Governor's Conservation Advisory Committee, 1947-1951. | |||||||||||
| Franey was a member of the Minnesota Governor's Conservation Advisory Committee and these papers relate to his term. Included are Franey's appointment to the committee by Governor Luther Youngdahl; a photograph of the committee (Oct. 2, 1947); a list of committee members (Jan. 15, 1951); letters and newspaper articles related to the committee's position regarding the 1947 duck and geese hunting season and the criticism it received from Charles Horn, chairman of the Minnesota Emergency Conservation Committee; notes, newspaper articles, and reports relevant to the committee's 1948 report to the governor; and letters and articles dealing with the proposed transfer of federal wildlife refuges to the state of Minnesota. | |||||||||||||
JOURNALISM CAREER:
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 152.F.7.6F | 2 | Sportsmen's Roundtable, 1947-1959. | |||||||||||
| Edward Franey was one of the original members of the radio panel show, "Sportsmen's Roundtable," which began in 1947 and broadcast on Station WLOL. In 1956 the show moved to WTCN Television and shortly thereafter changed its title to "Minnesota Outdoors." Scripts from both the radio and television show are included (1947-1957). Photographs of the show's panel members including one of Edward Franey receiving the 1956 WTCN TV Outdoor Award are also included. | |||||||||||||
| Awards, 1963, 1983-1985. | |||||||||||||
| In 1983 the Minnesota division of IWLA established the Ed Franey Outdoor Writer Award. Correspondence, articles, and photographs related to the 1983-1985 recipients of the award, Ken Hickman, Sam Cook, and Dan Rebufonni, are included. There are also articles announcing the presentation of the Minnesota Division of IWLA Distinguished Conservation Award to Edward Franey in February, 1963. | |||||||||||||
| Photographs. | |||||||||||||
| Photographs: Approximately 55 photographs, including the Franey family, the South Minneapolis Chapter of IWLA and its 1957 fishing derby, Richard Dorer, the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area, staff at the Minneapolis Tribune, and photographs that accompanied various of Franey's columns. | |||||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||||
| 152.F.7.6F | 2 | Personal correspondence, 1943, 1952-1986. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| OWAA, Gridiron, Minneapolis Daily Times and Minneapolis Tribune. | |||||||||||||
| Includes papers and correspondence relating to Franey's membership in the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA), the Twin City Newspaper Guild's annual Gridiron Dinner, and Franey's career at the Minneapolis Daily Times and Minneapolis Tribune. | |||||||||||||
| Newspaper articles: | |||||||||||||
| Consists primarily of articles written by Franey while he was an outdoor writer for the Minneapolis Daily Times in the late 1940s. The articles have been divided into five groups: fishing, pheasant and cougar, duck hunting, deer hunting, and miscellaneous. Two folders of fishing articles cover a variety of topics related to fishing activity throughout the state. The articles dealing with pheasants, ducks, and deer discuss the rise and fall of the various animal populations and state hunting regulations. Within the two folders of miscellaneous articles are groups covering the Aquatennial Canoe Derby (1947-1949), the passage of the state tree nursery bill in Minnesota (1947), and the Northwest Sportsmen's Show (1947-1949). | |||||||||||||
| Fishing articles. 2 folders. | |||||||||||||
| Pheasant and cougar articles. | |||||||||||||
| Duck hunting articles. | |||||||||||||
| Deer hunting articles. | |||||||||||||
| Miscellaneous articles. 2 folders. | |||||||||||||
RELATED MATERIALS
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.
- Topics:
- Conservation of natural resources -- Minnesota -- Citizen participation.
- Conservation of natural resources -- Minnesota -- Law and legislation.
- Deer hunting -- Minnesota.
- Duck shooting -- Minnesota.
- Environmental protection -- Minnesota.
- Fishing -- Minnesota.
- Journalism, Outdoor -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.
- Pheasant shooting -- Minnesota.
- Predatory animals -- Control -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota.
- Pumas -- Minnesota.
- Water conservation -- Minnesota.
- Organizations:
- Minnesota. Governor's Conservation Advisory Committee.
- Minnesota Emergency Conservation Committee.
- Izaak Walton League of America.
- Izaak Walton League of America. Minnesota Division.
- Izaak Walton League of America. South Minneapolis Chapter.
- Outdoor Writers Association of America.
- Newspaper Guild of the Twin Cities.
- WTCN-TV (Television station : Minneapolis, Minn.).
- Save Minnesota Wetlands, Inc. (Hopkins, Minn.).
- Izaak Walton League of America. South Minneapolis Chapter - South Wind, 1955-1962.
- Persons:
- Dorer, Richard J.
- Olson, Sigurd F., 1899-.
- Rolvaag, Karl F., 1913-.
- Kimball, James W.
- Horn, Charles L. (Charles Lilley), 1888-.
- Freeman, Orville L.
- Flanagan, Barbara.
- Voight, William.
- Places:
- Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood Forest.
- Boundary Waters Canoe Area (Minn.).
- Voyageurs National Park (Minn.).
- Occupations:
- Journalists -- Minnesota -- Minneapolis.
- Conservationists -- Minnesota.
- Title:
- Sportsmen's roundtable (Radio program).
- South wind.
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