BERNHARD LEVANDER:
An Inventory of His Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society
Manuscripts Collection
OVERVIEW
| Creator: | LeVander, Bernhard, 1916-2008, creator. | |
| Title: | Bernhard LeVander Papers. | |
| Dates: | 1937-2008 (bulk 1941-1966). | |
| Abstract: | Newspaper clippings, correspondence and memoranda, speeches, and other papers of a Twin Cities attorney and associate of Minnesota governor Harold Stassen, who also served as director of the Minnesota Division of Social Welfare (1943) and as chairman of the Republican State Central Committee (1946-1950). Much of the material relates to Stassen's campaigns for governor and for president of the United States. Bernhard LeVander was the younger brother of Minnesota governor Harold LeVander. | |
| Quantity: | 2.3 cubic feet (3 boxes and 1 oversize folder in a partial box). | |
| Location: | See Detailed Description for shelf location. |
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Bernhard Wilhelm LeVander was born in Saint Paul on March 9, 1916. He was the son of Magni and Laura (Lovene) LeVander. The elder LeVander was a Lutheran pastor. His older brother Harold (1910-1992), also an attorney, served as governor of Minnesota (1967-1971). Another older brother, Ted, was a speech teacher at Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois. Bernhard married Dagne E. Anderson of Grantsburg, Wisconsin, on October 14, 1939. The couple had two children, Kirsten Mary and Peter Anders.
LeVander earned a bachelor's degree at Gustavus Adolphus College, Saint Peter, Minnesota in 1937, and a law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1939. He began practicing law in Minneapolis in 1939. Early in his career he was assistant Chisago County (Minnesota) Attorney. In 1950 he was made a partner in the South Saint Paul law firm of Kelly, LeVander and Gillen. In 1981 he was the senior partner of the Minneapolis law firm LeVander, Zimpfer, and Zotaley.
Bernhard LeVander was a member of Harold Stassen's gubernatorial campaign staff (1938), worked as a special government research assistant to Governor Stassen (1940-1942), and was director of the Minnesota Department of Social Security's Division of Social Welfare (1943). He was a member of the United States Naval Reserve from 1943 to 1946, director of Stassen's presidential campaign (1946-1948); and chairman of the State Central Committee of the Republican Party (1946-1950). He was a candidate for Minnesota attorney general in 1954.
LeVander was involved with a variety of organizations. He was president of the American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis; a member of the board of the Minnesota Mental Health Association; a director of Bethesda Hospital; chairman of the alumni board of Gustavus Adolphus College; and a member of the Executive Council of the Lutheran Church in America.
LeVander died at his home December 24, 2008, of complications from a stroke.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
The bulk of the collection consists of newspaper clippings and papers devoted to political matters, especially matters involving Governor Harold Stassen and his campaigns for elective office. Some material pertains to the 1952 Republican National Convention, which was held in Chicago and nominated Dwight Eisenhower as the party's presidential candidate. There are also clippings about LeVander's work and activities.
There is some biographical information about LeVander, but there is little information about his work as Director of the Social Welfare Division or about his activities as Republican State Central Committee chairman.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Availability:
The collection is open for research use.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Bernhard LeVander Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.
Accession Information:
Accession number: 15,756; 17,085
Processing Information:
Catalog ID number: 990063418570104294
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
| Box | |||||||||||
| 142.I.17.1B | 1 | Biographical information collected by the cataloger, 1943-1981. | |||||||||
| Political files: | |||||||||||
| Chronologically-ordered files pertaining largely to election campaigns of Bernhard and others, including Harold Stassen and Harold LeVander. | |||||||||||
| Speech materials prepared by LeVander for Governor Stassen, 1937-1942. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Clippings: LeVander, 1938-1942. | |||||||||||
| Stassen gubernatorial campaign, 1938. | |||||||||||
| Stassen materials, 1938. | |||||||||||
| A few miscellany from Stassen's gubernatorial campaign, including a strategy memo from LeVander. | |||||||||||
| Memoranda to Stassen, 1939-1942. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence and miscellany, 1940-1950. | |||||||||||
| Clippings, 1941. | |||||||||||
| Clippings: Politics, 1941-1942. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Stassen, Harold E., 1941-1948. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Clippings, 1942. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Clippings: Politics, 1942. | |||||||||||
| Clippings: Weekly press comment on Stassen enlistment, 1942. | |||||||||||
| Clippings: LeVander, 1943-1950. | |||||||||||
| Clippings: LeVander as State Director of Social Welfare, 1943. | |||||||||||
| Harold Stassen, miscellany, 1944-1997. | |||||||||||
| Clippings: LeVander, 1946-1950. | |||||||||||
| Confidential memos, 1946-1950. | |||||||||||
| Completed speeches, 1946-1950. | |||||||||||
| Stassen clearance file, 1946-1952. | |||||||||||
| Youngdahl clearance file, 1946-1949. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| 142.K.16.1B | 2 | LeVander as Republican State Central Committee Chairman: Report to Governor Luther W. Youngdahl, 1947. | |||||||||
| Presidential campaign, 1947. | |||||||||||
| Blue print for victory: a training course for Republican leadership, 1949. | |||||||||||
| Campaign literature, 1948. | |||||||||||
| Primarily Stassen; a few candidates for Minnesota offices. | |||||||||||
| Harold Stassen, articles about, 1948-2008. | |||||||||||
| Republican National Convention materials, 1948. | |||||||||||
| Speech to Ramsey County Young Republicans, 1949. | |||||||||||
| Clippings: Republican National Convention, 1952. | |||||||||||
| Correspondence and miscellany, 1952-1956. | |||||||||||
| LeVander's correspondence and collected miscellany on political matters, particularly preparations for Harold Stassen's gubernatorial and presidential campaigns; LeVander's activities as Republican State Central Committee chairman; and correspondence regarding the state and national campaigns of 1952, 1954, and 1956. | |||||||||||
| Photographs, 1952-1953. | |||||||||||
| Republican National Convention materials, 1952. | |||||||||||
| Republican National Convention: Letters, telegrams, wires, etc., 1952. | |||||||||||
| Stassen campaign, 1952. | |||||||||||
| Republican: Political, 1953-1956. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| A file of correspondence, strategy memos, circulars, and miscellany kept by LeVander, all documenting his work as counsel to the Minnesota Republican State Central Committee. It includes a list of political advice and counsel (1953-1954), giving date, item, and hours spent. | |||||||||||
| LeVander for attorney general campaign: | |||||||||||
| Campaign literature, circulars, financial records, newspaper clippings, and miscellany documenting LeVander's unsuccessful campaign for Minnesota attorney general. | |||||||||||
| 1954 election campaigns (general). 1954. | |||||||||||
| LeVander campaign literature. 1954. | |||||||||||
| LeVander campaign mailings. 1954. | |||||||||||
| LeVander campaign news clippings. 1954. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| LeVander campaign scrapbook. 1954. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Gustavus Adolphus College: Nobel Memorial Banquet, 1958. | |||||||||||
| Republican State Convention materials, 1958. | |||||||||||
| Harold LeVander 1966 gubernatorial campaign: Bernhard LeVander, 1965-1966. 2 folders. | |||||||||||
| Harold LeVander gubernatorial campaign literature, circulars, and speeches, 1966. | |||||||||||
| Box | |||||||||||
| P3106 | 3 | Personal files: | |||||||||
| Golden wedding anniversary, the H. A. Andersons, 1952-1953. | |||||||||||
| H. A. and Emma Anderson, parents of Dagne LeVander. Also includes transcriptions of obituaries, condolence letters, and poems on the death of Emma Anderson (1953). | |||||||||||
| Gustavus Adolphus honorary doctor of laws, 1981. 1 folder and 1 volume. | |||||||||||
| Miscellany, undated, 1956-1997. | |||||||||||
| Pen-and-ink sketch of a home, Lakeside, by John Ruffin; news clipping about LeVander's post-political life (1956); letter from LeVander to Ancher Nelsen on political matters (1964); condolence letter to Harold Stassen on the loss of his wife (undated); Christmas card with four photographs from Harold Stassen (1997). | |||||||||||
| Folder | |||||||||||
| 144.C.14.5B-2 | 1 | Oversize items, undated, 1943. | |||||||||
| Includes certificate of appointment, Bernhard LeVander as Director of Social Welfare, March 24, 1943, signed by Harold Stassen. Also includes two photographs autographed by Stassen, one by Edward Thye, and one by Luther W. Youngdahl. | |||||||||||
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:
- Elections -- Minnesota.
- Political campaigns -- Minnesota.
- Political conventions.
- Politicians -- Minnesota.
- Places:
- Minnesota -- Politics and government.
- Persons:
- LeVander, Harold, 1910-1992, author.
- Stassen, Harold E. (Harold Edward), 1907-2001, author.
- Organizations:
- Minnesota. Division of Social Welfare.
- Minnesota -- Officials and employees.
- Republican National Convention (1952 : Chicago, Ill.).
- Republican Party (Minn.).
- Republican Party (Minn.). State Central Committee.
- Republican Party (U.S. : 1854-.).
- Types of Documents:
- Clippings.
- Photographs.
- Speeches.
- Occupations:
- Lawyers -- Minnesota.
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