ARLEN INGLOF ERDAHL:

Arlen Inglof Erdahl was born on February 27, 1931 in Blue Earth, Faribault County, Minnesota. He received a B.A. from St. Olaf College, Northfield, in 1953. He served in the United States Army (1954-1956) and in 1962 embarked on his political career. Elected in 1962 to the Minnesota House of Representatives, he was re-elected in 1964, 1966, and 1968, serving a total of eight years. During this time he was also a delegate to the Minnesota State Republican Conventions (1963 and 1964), and served as a Congressional Fellow in Washington, D.C. (1967-1968) with Representative Gerald Ford and Senator Mark Hatfield. In the meantime he had received a M.A. in public administration from Harvard University in 1966.

In 1970 Erdahl was elected Minnesota Secretary of State, a position he held from 1971 to 1975. In 1975 he was appointed to the Minnesota Public Service Commission and, in 1978, he won election to Congress. Arlen Erdahl served as a congressman (Republican) for two terms, representing the first district of Minnesota. Erdahl had many legislative concerns, including equal employment, which are reflected in the bills he sponsored and cosponsored as well as in the computer letters generated to answer constituent mail. His main concerns, however, were small business, foreign affairs, and education and labor. In 1982 Erdahl was unsuccessful in winning another term to Congress. In 1983 he became a county director for the United States Peace Corps and, in 1986, associate director. Arlen Erdahl is married to Ellen Syrdal and has 5 children.

Return to top

This collection is composed almost entirely of records documenting Erdahl's congressional career, and the records represent Erdahl's main goals and objectives as the First District's representative.

The general files are composed of summary lists of military academy appointments, first district grant files, opinion ballots, speeches, and publicity, political, and personal files. The publicity files contain materials that record the different methods Erdahl employed to broadcast information about, and to keep his constituents abreast of, his activities. Materials include newsletters, press releases, articles by and about Erdahl, constituent questionnaires, radio transcripts and summaries, and public service announcements by Erdahl. There is also a small number of photographs, most of which the Erdahl office offered to local newspapers for their use. The political files include incoming correspondence, newsletters, and invitations from various Republican coalitions and committees that Erdahl was a member of. Also included are his campaign records comprising publicity material, endorsements, press secretary files, records documenting fundraising efforts, and research material. There is also one folder of material regarding the governor's race in 1982. The personal files are composed of three sections: family, questionnaires, and sponsored organizations. Filed under family are letters received from family members or from friends and constituents about members of his family. Filed under questionnaires are those filled out by Erdahl, such as congressional questionnaires. Filed under sponsored organizations is information on organizations sponsored by Erdahl, including the National Office on Disability, Agriculture Council of America, and Small Business Advisory Committee. Following the main sections, in the personal files, is a small amount of issue mail maintained by staff member Arlen Wittrock.

The legislative files are the smallest of the five series in this collection. The bulk of the files are ballots sent to the National Federation of Independent Business. The ballots solicited opinions on various topics including government-required pensions, excise taxes, and energy. These ballots offer important insights into an underdocumented area: small businesses and their concerns. In addition to individual ballots, there are ballot summaries.

A major component of the executive files are project files that document major public works and activities of vital concern in the First District. File topics include Winona flood control, Great River study, Koch Industries, and the northern tier pipeline. These records are found under the Defense Department-Army Corps of Engineers, Energy Department, and Grants files. Another major component of the executive files are the White House folders, which document communications between Erdahl and the U.S. president and his staff.

House bills and resolutions comprises legislative profiles, lists of bills sponsored by Erdahl, and bill summaries. The legislative profiles report on the status of a particular bill sponsored or cosponsored by Erdahl. The profiles informed Erdahl and his staff concerning which subcommittee the bill was sent to and actions of the subcommittee. There are also separate, and more concise, lists of bills sponsored and cosponsored by Erdahl, as well as a list of his bills that became law. The bill summaries, maintained by his office, document Erdahl's actions on specific legislation. A staff member researched each bill under Erdahl's consideration and prepared a summary. The summaries list the title of the bill, its costs and effects, minority view, administrative view, Erdahl's previous actions on the bill, and recommendations. Often the actual bill is attached to the summary. This group of records is significant in documenting Erdahl's main concerns and objectives as a congressman.

A small quantity of audio and visual materials complete the collection. Culled from the first three series, this group is composed mainly of photoprints, with a couple of film reels and video and audio cassette tapes. In many of the photographs Erdahl is standing with constituents or staff on the steps of the capitol. In several of the photographs Erdahl is standing or interacting with prominent figures such as Pope John Paul II, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, King Hussein of Jordan, and American presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan. The films and audio and video cassettes, recorded in his office or in radio and television studios, illustrate the way Erdahl presented himself to the public.

Return to top

These papers are organized into the following five sections:

Return to top

Access Restrictions:

Access to the collection requires written permission.

Use Restrictions:

Quotation or publication beyond the fair use provisions of the copyright law requires written permission.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Arlen I. Erdahl Congressional Files. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Provenance:

In 1994 the entire collection was reappraised and several existing series of records were determined to be lacking significant historical value and were destroyed. Originally, the bulk of the collection was constituent mail. Constituents sent letters voicing their opinions on various general topics, such as city officials, and on such legislative issues as appropriations and education. No longer regarded as an accurate measure of popular opinion, constituent mail has greatly decreased in informational value. Instead, politicians rely on public opinion polls obtained from polling services to gauge public opinion on different issues. Since constituent mail lacks value and its immense size deters usage, it was a prime candidate for reappraisal. Erdahl's responses to these letters, however, are documented through the form letters that were generated on a computer to answer large amounts of constituent mail regarding a particular topic. Copies of those responses are found in the topical files to which they pertain.

Other records that were disposed of were "Dear Fellow Republican" letters, which are well represented in other congressional collections; trip files, which contained mostly background material on a foreign city or country, rather than records of his activities there; and unidentified photographs. What remains is a concise collection of newsletters, campaign material, speeches, correspondence from family members, project files on major public works in the first district of Minnesota, and bills sponsored or cosponsored by Erdahl. These records document his main objectives and goals as a congressman, and also his public and personal lives.

Processing Information:

Processed by: Sushan Chin, November 1994.

Catalog ID number: 990017330410104294

Return to top

Return to top

Return to top

Return to top

Return to top

Return to top

Minnesota. Secretary of State. Arlen I. Erdahl files are in the Minnesota State Archives.

Return to top

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:

Bills, Legislative.

Educational law and legislation -- United States.

Energy policy -- United States.

Environmental policy -- Minnesota.

Pipelines -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Minnesota.

Political campaigns -- Minnesota.

Power resources -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota.

Rivers -- Minnesota -- Regulation.

Small business -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota.

Organizations:

Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )

United States. Congress. House -- Public relations.

Document Types:

Audiotapes.

Motion pictures.

Photographs.

Video recordings.

Occupations:

Legislators -- United States.

Politicians -- Minnesota.

Return to top