Guide to the Barrie M. White, Jr. papers
1953-1956
Collection number: HMC-0598.
Creator: White, Barrie M., Jr., 1923-1995.
Title: Barrie M. White, Jr. papers.
Dates: 1953-1956.
Volume of collection: 1.25 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Statehood-related papers of a delegate to the Alaska Constitutional Convention and president of Operation Statehood.
Biographical note:
Barrie M. White was born in 1923 in Little Falls, New York. He received his B.A. from Harvard University and moved to Anchorage in 1947, where he worked as a businessman with interests in land development. White served as president of Operation Statehood, a non-partisan, grassroots organization dedicated to lobbying for Alaska statehood. He was also a delegate to the Alaska Constitutional Convention in Fairbanks from November 8, 1955-February 6, 1956, where he served on the Committee on Resources, the Committee on Finance and Taxation, and the Advisory Committee on Committees. White died in Anchorage in 1995.
Collection description:
The collection mostly consists of papers relating to Alaska statehood that were kept by Barrie M. White, Jr. during his presidency of Operation Statehood from 1954-1956 and during his service as a delegate to the Alaska Constitutional Convention in 1955-1956. White’s convention papers include a complete transcript of proceedings, copies of selected committee reports, proposals, and amendments, and White’s official convention journals, as well as personal notes and memorabilia kept by White during and after the convention. The Operation Statehood papers in the collection include telegrams and letters from legislators, past presidents, and other public figures in support of Alaska statehood, other correspondence, mailing lists, and pro-statehood memorabilia produced by the organization. The collection also contains clippings about Alaska statehood and sample election ballots for Alaska from 1953-1956.
Digitized copies: Digital copies of collection material not available online. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: Archives owns the copyright to most of the material in the collection.
Preferred citation: Barrie M. White, Jr. papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Separated materials: Newspapers, other publications, and duplicate material were removed from the collection in 2011. Two letters addressed to Daphne White were removed from the collection in 2021 and added to the Daphne Milbank White papers.
Related materials:
For other archival material in Archives & Special Collections that is related to the Alaska Constitutional Convention, refer to the online Research Guide to Alaska Constitutional Convention collections.
Daphne Milbank White papers; 1947-1956. HMC-1377.
Acquisition note: This collection was donated to the Archives by Sami Faulkner Graham in 2002. A deed of gift was signed by Pamela White, Barrie M. White Jr.’s daughter, in 2021.
Processing information: This collection was described by Megan K. Friedel in 2011. The collection guide was updated by Arlene Schmuland in 2021.
Container list:
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| Box 1 | Alaska Constitutional Convention papers: Transcript of proceedings, reports from committees, proposals, and journals from Days 42, 64, and 72 | 1955-1956 |
| 2/1 | Alaska Constitutional Convention papers: Personal notes, other papers, and memorabilia | 1955-1956 |
| 2/2 | Newspaper and magazine clippings regarding statehood | circa 1954 |
| 2/3 | Operation Statehood papers | 1954-1956 |
| 2/4 | Operation Statehood memorabilia | circa 1954-1955 |
| 2/5 | Letter regarding appliances | |
| 2/6 | Sample Alaska election ballots | 1953-1956 |