IANTHA LEVANDER:

Iantha LeVander, the daughter of William Robert and Kathleen (Graham) Powrie, was educated in the St. Paul and Minneapolis public schools; graduated from the University of Minnesota (1935) with a B.S. degree in speech education; taught English and speech in Wisconsin and Minnesota high schools (1935-1938); married Harold LeVander in 1938; raised a family of three children in Minnesota; and died November 26, 2009.

Her activities and interests were wide-ranging, including work in such voluntary associations as the United Fund, Parent-Teacher Association, American Association of University Women, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, St. Paul Schubert Club, American Field Service, mental health groups, and the University of Minnesota alumni organization. Her Republican Party work included her husband's 1966 gubernatorial campaign; service as a delegate to a number of Republican conventions, and as a Republican National Committeewoman (1972-1977); and on Richard Nixon's 1972 presidential reelection campaign.

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There is information on LeVander's term as Republican National Committeewoman (1972-1977); her chairmanship of the program committee of the 1976 Republican National Convention; her participation in local Republican conventions, caucuses, and fund raising events; her involvement in women's political groups; her husband Harold's 1966 gubernatorial campaign; and her service to Richard M. Nixon's 1972 presidential reelection campaign.

Papers documenting her career as first lady deal with her activities at the governor's mansion and with the Minnesota Garden Memorial, planned by LeVander as a memorial to Minnesota servicemen killed in the Vietnam War. Other papers include materials relating to her nomination as Minnesota Mother of the Year (1970) and her desk diaries (1966-1979).

Correspondence files, newspaper clippings, printed materials, a few speech files, scrapbook, desk diaries, biographical information, and other papers documenting LeVander's activities in local and national Republican Party politics, and as First Lady of Minnesota (1967-1971).

A portion of the collection was generated while LeVander was Republican National Committeewoman (1972-1977) and consists of correspondence files, including separate files for a number of local and national political leaders; copies of her newsletter Loon Call; a few speeches; local delegate lists; convention and caucus materials; fund raising records; and information on women in politics, including materials on the Equal Rights Amendment, Minnesota Federation of Independent Republican Women, Minnesota Women's Political Caucus, and conferences, seminars, and meetings on women's issues. There are also booklets, planning files, tickets, badges, housing data, media files, and other materials relating to her chairmanship of the program committee of the Republican National Convention (1976); correspondence, minutes, conference material, lists, rosters, publications, and other files documenting her activities on the Republican National Committee; and information on miscellaneous subjects of interest, such as Black Republicans, senior citizens, employment, and the media.

Other political files deal with Harold LeVander's 1966 gubernatorial campaign and contain correspondence, schedules, news releases, newspaper clippings, and newsletters. Ticket information, newspaper clippings, and other papers relate to the LeVander inauguration (1967), and a chronological file of newspaper clippings (1967-1970) document the LeVander administration.

Papers documenting the Minnesota Governor's Residence include correspondence and related papers (1967-1990); inventories of furnishings; information on special events, visitors, and the publication of Iantha LeVander's booklet on governors' mansions: Where Your Governor Lives (1970); a thesis: The Minnesota Governor's Mansion, by John J. Gall, University of Minnesota (1980); recipes; and index cards (1967-1970) with detailed information on public events held at the residence, with information on organizations, guests, and menus.

The Minnesota Garden Memorial, planned by Iantha LeVander as a memorial to Minnesota servicemen killed in the Vietnam Conflict, and including a memorial sculpture by Minnesotan Paul Granlund, was completed in 1980. Correspondence and legal files, committee minutes, newspaper clippings, and a scrapbook (with a list of Minnesota servicemen memorialized) contain information on the memorial.

A few personal files include correspondence, newspaper clippings, programs, photographs, and other papers relating to Mrs. LeVander's nomination as Woman of the Year (1970). A complete set of her desk diaries (1966-1979, 14 volumes) contain brief notation on the 1966 gubernatorial campaign, on events during the LeVander Administration (1967-1970) and, after 1970, information on political events and family activities.

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. LeVander, Iantha Powrie. Iantha LeVander Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession numbers: 13,196 14,951; 16,555; 16,732; 16,817

Processing Information:

Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Catalog ID number: 990017303050104294

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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:

Elections -- Minnesota.

Gardens -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.

Governors' spouses -- Minnesota.

Memorials -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.

Political conventions.

Politicians' spouses -- Minnesota

Politics, Practical -- Minnesota.

Presidents -- United States -- Election -- 1976.

Royal visitors -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.

Sculpture -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.

Vietnam War, 1961-1975 -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul -- Monuments.

Visitors, Foreign -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.

Women -- Political activity.

Persons:

Agnew, Spiro T., 1918-1996.

Durenberger, David.

Ford, Gerald R. (Gerald Rudolph), 1913-2006.

Granlund, Paul T. (Paul Theodore), 1925-

Heffelfinger, Elizabeth Bradley, 1900-1981.

Kassebaum, Nancy L., 1932-

LeVander, Harold, 1910-1992.

Lund, Rhoda S., 1904-1979.

Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994.

Powrie, William Robert.

Organizations:

American Mothers Committee.

Independent-Republicans of Minnesota.

Minnesota. Governor.

Minnesota Governor's Mansion (Saint Paul, Minn.).

Republican National Committee (U.S.)

Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )

Places:

Saint Paul (Minn.)

Document Types:

Recipes -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.

Menus.

Photographs.

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