Manuscript Register

 

THE PAPERS OF DONALD C. PIERSON

 

Collection Dates: 1937 -- 1973

(Bulk Dates: 1950s)

2 linear ft.

 

This document describes a collection of materials held by the
Special Collections Department
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1420
Phone: 319-335-5921
Fax: 319-335-5900
e-mail: lib-spec@uiowa.edu

 

Posted to Internet: June 2002

 

 

Acquisition Note: Donald Pierson gave his papers to the University of Iowa Libraries in 1973.

 

Access and Restrictions: This collection is open for research.

 

Photographs: Box 4

 

Digital Surrogates: Except where indicated, this document describes but does not reproduce the actual text, images and objects which make up this collection. Materials are available only in the Special Collections Department.

 

Copyright:  Please read The University of Iowa Libraries' statement on "Property Rights, Copyright Law, and Permissions to Use Unpublished Materials"

 

Use of Collections:  The University of Iowa Libraries supports access to the materials, published and unpublished, in its collections. Nonetheless, access to some items may be restricted by their fragile condition or by contractual agreement with donors, and it may not be possible at all times to provide appropriate machinery for reading, viewing or accessing non-paper-based materials. Please read our Use of Manuscripts Statement.

 

Biographical Note

Donald Charles Pierson was born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1908. He began working for Wilson Concrete in Red Oak, Iowa, in 1928, eventually becoming a sales manager. In 1936, Pierson went to work for Concrete Products Corporation in Humboldt, Iowa. He held many positions in the corporation and worked for a number of its subsidiaries, such as the Sand Gravel Company. By the time he left Humboldt, Pierson had served as the president and general manager of the Concrete Products Corporation for a number of years. In the mid-1960s he moved to Arizona, where he opened his own real estate investment firm.

Pierson was active in the Republican Party in Iowa. In 1948, he was the Humboldt Republican County Chairman. From 1952 to 1958 he was a member of the Iowa Republican State Central Committee, and served as chairman from 1954 to 1957. He was a delegate to the National Republican Convention of 1954 and was a member of the executive committee of the Republican National Convention in San Francisco in 1956.

Scope and Contents

 

The papers document his activities in the Republican Party. The collection consists primarily of correspondence, photographs, speeches, clippings, and campaign materials. Some of the material is related specifically to Republican politics within Iowa, such as an Iowa Republican County handbook for 1958. Other items relate to national politics, especially the photographs of Presidents Hoover, Eisenhower, and Nixon campaigning in Iowa. The correspondence includes letters from Robert K. Goodwin, Bourke B. Hickenlooper, Leo A. Hoegh, Louis B. Kehoe, Faye Cashatt Lewis, Verne Marshall, David T. Nelson, James S. Schramm, and David M. Stanley. Campaign materials include convention documents, clippings from the Loveless-Hoegh race, as well as brochures and programs.

 

 

Box List

 

Box 1

"Blue Print for Rebuilding", a Report by L.L. Jurgemeyer, February 12, 1959; and a report (in reply) to Roscoe Jones from Don C. Pierson, February 21, 1959

Campaign and convention material, 1940 -- 1963, 3 folders

Box 2

Clippings, loose

Clippings, Loveless-Hoegh Campaign, 1956

Clippings attached to backing

Box 3

Correspondence, 1937 -- 1954, including letters from James S. Schramm, David T. Nelson, Verne Marshall (2), David M. Stanley, and Faye Cashatt Lewis, and others concerning Joseph McCarthy

Correspondence, 1954

Correspondence, 1955 -- 1957, including letters from Louis J. Kehoe and James S. Schramm

Correspondence, 1958 -- 1973, and undated, including letters from Robert K. Goodwin, Bourke B. Hickenlooper and Leo A. Hoegh

Humboldt, Iowa, brochures

Iowa Republican County Handbook, 1958

1954 Speech Kit

1956 Convention Programs, etc., and Clear Lake Governor's Conference

Box 4

Nixon -- Ft. Dodge Day, 1958 -- Waggoner Congressional Race

Photographs, Don C. Pierson

Photographs, Eisenhower Administration cabinet and staff members

Photographs, Eisenhower-Hoover visit to Iowa, 1954

Photographs, Eisenhower visit to Iowa, 1956, Colfax.

Photographs, Eisenhower with Pierson and others

Photographs, Iowa political figures including Clyde L. Herring, Bourke B. Hickenlooper, William S. Beardsley, Jack Miller, Leo A. Hoegh, Thomas E. Martin, and George Nagle

Photographs, 1956 Elections

Photographs, Richard Nixon and Don C. Pierson

Photographs, Richard Nixon visit to Iowa, 1954

Republican Party, miscellaneous file

Speeches by Don C. Pierson

Thomas E. Martin-Don C. Pierson Controversy, 1959, Clippings