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Title: Senator Kent Conrad
Dates: 1987-2012
Collection Number: 11168
Quantity: 7.25 feet
Abstract: Consists of material from U.S. Senator Kent Conrad’s Bismarck (ND) and
Washington D.C. offices. The material includes correspondence, news releases, speeches, ephemera, publications, photographs, the VHS "These Have Been Wonderful Years: The Schafer Era," posters, copies of legislation important to Conrad, magazine articles, and certificates. The collection documents Conrad’s activities and major events that occurred during his time in office such as the 1997 Red River flood and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Provenance: The collection was donated to the State Historical Society of North Dakota by Senator Kent Conrad in June 2013.
Property Rights: The State Historical Society of North Dakota owns the property rights to this collection.
Copyrights: Copyrights to this collection remain with the donor, publisher, author, or author's heirs. Researchers should consult the 1976 Copyright Act, Public Law 94-553, Title 17, U.S. Code or an archivist at this repository if clarification of copyright requirements are needed.
Access: This collection is open under the rules and regulations of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.
Citation: Researchers are requested to cite the collection title, collection number, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota in all footnote and bibliographic references.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Kent Conrad was born in Bismarck, Burleigh County (ND) on March 12, 1948. He attended public schools in Bismarck and high school in Tripoli, Libya. Conrad attended the University of Missouri, Columbia in 1967 and graduated from Stanford University in 1971. He received a graduate degree from George Washington University in 1975. Conrad worked as assistant to the North Dakota tax commissioner from 1974-1980 and served as tax commissioner from 1981-1986. He was elected to the United States Senate as a Democrat in 1986 for the term ending January 3, 1993. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1992, but was elected in a special election on December 4, 1992 to the unexpired portion of the term left vacant by the death of Quentin N. Burdick, which he assumed on December 14, 1992. Conrad was reelected in 1994, 2000, and again in 2006, and served from January 3, 1987, to January 3, 2013. He served as chair of the Committee on the Budget from 2001-2003 and was not a candidate for reelection to the Senate in 2012.
Source:
“Conrad, Kent, (1948-).” Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-Present.
BOX / FOLDER INVENTORY
Box 1:
- Folder of legislation:
- remembrance of World War II Veterans Day, April 26, 2004
- Legislation – recovery appropriations for Bosnia, January 7, 1997
- HR 1871, 2000 decennial Census, June 12, 1997
- Correspondence regarding HR 1871, the Fiscal Year 1997 Supplemental Appropriations
Act, June 18, 1997
- Folder of miscellaneous materials, including:
- Resolution 56-93, adoption of Senator Conrad into the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe through a traditional ceremony, February 5, 1993
- Miscellaneous political cartoons, news clippings about Conrad, Ruth Meiers eulogy
- Miscellaneous items from the Congressional Record
- Folder of certificates of appreciation
- Folder with CQ Weekly article “Cultivating His Clout,” June 25, 2007
- Loose:
- Photograph and funeral program of Lieutenant Governor Ruth Meiers, 1987
- Framed copy of the Joint Resolution to designate October 1987 as “National Down Syndrome Month,” January 6, 1987
- Framed copy from the Congressional Record about Conrad presiding for 100 hours,
December 15, 1987
- Photograph of Conrad and other senators, 1988
- Thank you card to Conrad from the Orbiter Discovery crew, 1991
- Display board of photographs of Orbiter Discovery crew and U.S. Flag and crew patch, 1991
- Display board of photographs of crew aboard the space shuttle Columbia and patches, 1994
- Photograph of EERC dedication ceremony, 1994
- Photograph of Conrad and Mitch Daniels on Meet the Press, June 9, 2002
- September 11, 2001 artwork and documentation by Tioga High School student Melodie Mische “Healing Hands” as a fundraiser for New York and Washington DC disaster relief
- Photograph of Conrad sampling sausage from Ed’s Sausage Company, 2004
- Photograph of Conrad meeting Boy Scouts in Hillsboro, 2004
- Photograph of Conrad with U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Donahue, 2004
- Photograph of Conrad signing autographs for Northwood Elementary School students after their patriotic performance for patients at Northwood Deaconess Health Center, January 12, 2004
- Photograph of Conrad visiting with Dr. Bruce Smith, dean of UND’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, one of the world’s leading education facilities, January 13, 2004
- Photograph of Senator Conrad and North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson riding Segway Human Transporters at Marketplace for Entrepreneurs, January 14, 2004
- Photograph of Conrad test driving solar car developed by students from UND’s Society for Energy Alternatives, January 15, 2004
- Photograph of Conrad meeting with Grand Forks resident Cathy Moen and Hal Gershman, Grand Forks City Council president, at Marketplace for Entrepreneurs, January 15, 2004
- Photograph of Senator Conrad speaking with Jeff Stewart and Woody Barth, two exhibitors at Marketplace 2004, January 15, 2004
- Photograph of Senator Conrad saluting the flag with kindergarteners from Griggs County Central Elementary School, February 19, 2004
- Photograph of Senator Conrad visiting with residents of the Nelson County Health System in McVille (ND), February 19, 2004
- Photograph of Senator Conrad when presented with a chart illustrating the 48 jobs he helped create by securing additional funds from the Medicare bill for Altru Hospital in Grand Forks (ND), February 19, 2004
- Photograph of Senator Conrad greeting children from Griggs County Central Elementary School, February 19, 2004
- Photograph of Conrad with Governor Bill and Jean Guy, n.d.
- Photograph of Conrad’s staff, n.d.
- Photograph of Conrad, Pomeroy and Dorgan, n.d.
- Photograph of Conrad at desk, n.d.
- Portrait of Conrad, n.d.
- Photograph of Conrad with wife Lucy, n.d.
- Photograph of Conrad with Washington, D.C. Staff: Gorman King, Tonja Turitto, Lynn Baker, John Fielding, Ruth Mahan, Rosa Clinkscale, Rachel Solsrud, Brad Perseke, John Vanvig, Dave Wheelihan, Steve Pederson, Tobyn Anderson, Jim Margolis, Tom Hecht, Mary Eccles, Nancy Cuddy and Kent Hall, n.d.
- Photograph of Quentin Burdick with legislators, including Gruening, Church, Bible, Jackson, Kuchel, Allot, and unidentified, n.d.
- Studio portrait of Conrad, probably with staff, n.d.
- Photograph of Conrad speaking, n.d.
- Photograph of Conrad, Dorgan, Governor Hoeven, Pomeroy and unidentified individuals outside the ND State Capitol, n.d.
- Pomeroy, Conrad and Dorgan in the legislative chamber, n.d.
- Conrad, Pomeroy, possibly Floyd Boutrous, unidentified and Dorgan at unidentified event, n.d.
Box 2:
- Framed photograph of Conrad Staff, May 2006
- Framed group photograph (probably Conrad staff), ca. 2006
- Framed and autographed photograph of Conrad with an unidentified man, n.d.
Box 3:
- Artists’ sketch and certificate upon the dedication of the VA Regional Office building, Fargo (ND), May 6, 1994
- Conrad with unidentified man and woman in front of space shuttle (Columbia?), 1995
- Framed caption and background information for the painting “First Pass, Defenders Over Washington” by Rick Herter (119th Fighter Wing, North Dakota National Guard)
- Framed photograph of Conrad with legislators in an office, ca. 2002
- Certificate, Honorary Associate’s Degree in Natural Resource Management, Minot State University Bottineau Campus, May 2003
- Framed photograph of Conrad, Hoeven, Dorgan and others at the Velva (ND) Biodiesel Facility Ribbon Cutting, October 10, 2007
Oversized Items (in Map Case folder)
- legislation to enhance protections relating to the reputation and meaning of the Medal of
Honor, December 20, 2006
- Poster commemorating the Red River Valley flood in Grand Forks (ND), 1997
- Several Conrad political campaign posters
- Several fine art prints of North Dakota scenes from Conrad’s office
Oversized Items (in Map Case drawer)
- Framed copy of legislation that provided for the division of Dakota into two states, 1888
- Framed composite of portraits of United States Senators who have represented North Dakota, 1889-2012
- Framed copy of Joint Resolution commemorating National Medical Research, signed by Conrad as Acting President Pro Tempore, January 6, 1987
- Collage of thank you cards from Winship Elementary School students (Grand Forks, ND) to
Senator Conrad, Senator Dorgan and Congressman Pomeroy, thanking them for their support
during the 1997 Grand Forks flood
- Framed copy of legislation providing for a health care facility on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, January 20, 2004
- Framed copy of Time Magazine article “America’s Ten Best Senators,” featuring Conrad (“the Statistician”), April 24, 2006
- Framed copy of CQ Weekly cover and the cover story “Cultivating His Clout” featuring Conrad, June 25, 2007
- Matted copy of cover article and feature story “The 25 Outdoor Life Leaders” in Outdoor Life (featuring Conrad), December/January 2008
- Framed copy of an Act to extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program through the Social Security Act, January 6, 2009
- Framed copy of an Act for reconciliation pursuant to Title II of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2010
- Framed copy of “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” January 5, 2010
- Framed certificate commemorating national Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Day, June 23, 2010
- Framed painting “First Pass, Defenders Over Washington” by Rick Herter (119th Fighter Wing, North Dakota National Guard)
Box 4:
1 Correspondence, news releases, speeches, miscellaneous, 1987-2006
2 Ephemera, ca. 1992-1993
3 Publications, 1985-2002
4 Staff photos, ca. 1990s
5 VHS: "These Have Been Wonderful Years: ‘The Schafer Era’"
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