Guide to the Wilda G. Hudson papers
1953-2001
Collection number: HMC-1169.
Creator: Hudson, Wilda G.
Title: Wilda G. Hudson papers.
Dates: 1953-2001, bulk 1969-1987.
Volume of collection: 3 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Materials in this collection are in English.
Collection summary: Papers of a woman involved in Anchorage civic activities.
Biographical note:
Wilda G. Hudson was born in 1924. Hudson and her husband, Walt, worked for the Corp of Engineers after WWII. Once moving to Anchorage, Wilda Hudson became civically active. She was an active and public member of the League of Women Voters and served as the Anchorage organization’s president. In 1967, Hudson was appointed to the Anchorage City Council. In 1974, she was the assistant executive director of the Alaska Public Offices Commission, later becoming director in 1977. Beginning in 1975, Hudson worked to pass the unification of Anchorage and to create the Municipality of Anchorage. She also served as director of Cultural and Recreation Services under Mayor George Sullivan between 1977 and 1981, and was an elected member of the Anchorage Assembly in 2000. Hudson also served on the Greater Anchorage Area Borough Assembly. She helped start the Anchorage Library Foundation and served as the hospitality committee chair of the Alaska World Affairs Council. She also served as campaign treasurer for Arliss Sturgulewski’s gubernatorial campaigns in 1986 and 1990, and was the Alaska Republican Party’s accountant. Wilda Hudson died in 2012.
Collection description:
The collection contains records of organizations in which Wilda Hudson was involved. The collection includes records relating to the municipality and borough of Anchorage, the Greater Anchorage Borough Charter Commission, the unification and annexation of Anchorage boroughs, and the development of the Headquarters Library, later known as the Loussac Library. A majority of the records in this collection include budget and fiscal information, correspondence, newsletters, meeting minutes, administrative information, and memoranda. The collection also contains campaign bumper stickers and stamps that Wilda Hudson collected.
Arrangement: The collection is arranged in the following series:
Series 1. Organization records; undated, 1967-1987
Series 2. Municipality of Anchorage files; 1953-2001, bulk 1969-1978
Series 3. Greater Anchorage Area Borough files; 1963-1975
Series 4. Unification and Annexation files; 1969-1976
Series 5. Headquarters Library Development records; 1967-1987
Series 6. Campaign ephemera; undated
Digitized copies: This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: Archives holds copyright to material created by Wilda Hudson.
Preferred citation: Wilda G.Hudson papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Works used in preparation of inventory: “Wilda Hudson.” Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame. Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame, 04 Feb. 2012. Web.
Separated materials: Publications were removed and added to Rare Books.
Related materials: Greater Anchorage Area Borough (Alaska). Charter Commission records; 1970-1975. HMC-0438.
Acquisition note: The Wilda G. Hudson papers were donated to Archives and Special Collections by Jane Angvik on behalf of the Hudson family.
Processing information: This collection was described by Veronica Denison in 2014.
Container list:
Series 1: Organization records; undated, 1967-1987. 0.25 cubic feet.
This series contains records relating to various organizations Wilda Hudson was a part.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 1/1 | System of services: Article draft | undated |
| 1/2 | Bonding meeting minutes | 1968 March 19 |
| 1/3 | Budget Advisory Commission: Fiscal year 1970 | 1970 |
| 1/4 | League of Women Voters | circa 1967-1972 |
| 1/5 | Audiocassette: Mary Sarton—award from the Woman’s Building (copyright held by Ishtar Films and Mary Sarton) | 1987 April 10 |
| 1/6 | Wilda Hudson statements before Special Investigative Committee, City Council Assembly, and Local Boundary Commission | 1970 |
| 1/7 | Meeting minutes: Editorial Board, Capture and Record Project | 1976 June 30 |
| 1/8 | Correspondence with Diddy Hutchine | 1976 August |
| 1/9 | News clippings: Native Land Claims | 1969 |
Series 2: Municipality of Anchorage files; 1953-2001, bulk 1969-1978. 0.50 cubic feet.
This series contains records relating to the municipality of Anchorage. Records include information regarding the area-wide police vote, proposed budgets, and Operation Breakthrough.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 1/10-11 | Area-wide police vote file and news clippings | 1974 |
| 1/12 | Citizens Council for Community Improvements | circa 1969-1976 |
| 1/13 | City of Anchorage 1954 proposed budget report | 1953 |
| 1/14 | Municipality and boroughs of Alaska reference file | 1958-1968 |
| 1/15 | “Local Governments in the Anchorage Area” by Robert E. Sharp, City Manager | 1969 February 5 |
| 1/16-17 | Addresses by Gov. Egan and Byron I. Mallott (Local Affairs Agency) before the Alaska Municipal League, Ketchikan, AK | 1972 October 27-28 |
| 1/18 | “Preliminary Concepts for a City Management Structure” | undated |
| 1/19 | City Park Plan preliminary report | 1974 December |
| 1/20 | City of Anchorage: Senate bill statements and notes | 1973 |
| 1/21 | Municipality of Anchorage, Assembly memoranda | 1976 |
| 1/22 | Operation Breakthrough: Timetable, structure, committee | circa 1968-1969 |
| 1/23 | Operation Breakthrough: Information packet | 1978 |
| 1/24 | Anchorage Code of Ordinances | 2001 |
| 1/25 | “Final Report on Borough Government” by the Alaska Legislative Council and the Local Affairs Agency | 1961 |
| 1/26-27 | Local Affairs Agency: newsletters and bulletins | 1961-1963 |
| 1/28 | Sig Strandberg, recommendation of Local Affairs Agency: Wilda’s notes and typed document | 1974 |
Series 3: Greater Anchorage Area Borough files; 1963-1975. 0.90 cubic feet.
This series contains records relating to the drafting of the Greater Anchorage Area Borough charter, as well as the Anchorage Area Borough Assembly charter and amendments. The series includes meeting minutes, memoranda, and newsletters, charter provisions, and amendments.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 1/29 | Anchorage Borough Assembly: Apportionments, memoranda, ordinances, status, news articles | 1973-1974 |
| 1/30 | Anchorage Borough Assembly: Apportionments, affidavits, agendas, resolutions memoranda | 1973-1974 |
| 1/31 | Anchorage Area Borough Assembly: Apportionment and weighted vote | 1968-1971 |
| 1/32 | Anchorage Area Borough Assembly: Voting on charter, proposed service areas | circa 1970 |
| 2/1 | Attorney General’s opinions regarding boroughs | 1963, 1965 |
| 2/2 | John Apslund: Borough chair file | 1970-1972 |
| 2/3-6 | Former Borough-City Study Committee reading file | 1966-1967 |
| 2/7 | Borough-City Study Committee: House and Senate bills, correspondence, reports, meeting notes | 1965-1976 |
| 2/8 | Borough law amendments, municipal code | 1968-1970 |
| 2/9 | News clippings: Anchorage Borough vs the city | 1969 |
| 2/10 | “The Politics Change: The Workings of a Charter Commission” by Jerome Saroff | 1969 |
| 2/11 | Correspondence, charter provisions, memoranda | undated, 1970-1972 |
| 2/12 | Charter Commission articles, provisions, unification, correspondence, press conferences | 1969-1970 |
| 2/13 | Newsletters | 1969 |
| 2/14 | Newsletters, correspondence | 1970-1971 |
| 2/15-16 | Meeting minutes | 1969-1970 |
| 2/17 | News clippings | 1969-1972 |
| 2/18 | Will Key Jefferson: Lawsuit with Anchorage Borough and Charter Commission | 1971 |
| 2/19 | Local Program: Government structure, charters one and two | 1969-1975 |
| 2/20 | Charter | circa 1970 |
| 2/21 | Charter vote timetable, additions, proposals, amendments | 1969-1970 |
| 2/22 | Voting on charter, proposed service areas | circa 1970 |
| 2/23 | Second charter: Correspondence, memoranda, statements, newsletters | 1971 |
| 2/24 | First and third charter: Resolutions submitted by Wilda Hudson and Dave Rose | 1973, 1975 |
Series 4: Unification and Annexation files; 1969-1976. 0.60 cubic feet.
This series primarily contains the records relating to the Local Boundary Commission regarding the unification and annexation of various Anchorage boroughs. The series includes information on Rural 30 and the Home Rule charter. The series also includes proposals, blueprints and plans, resolutions, and correspondence regarding the Campbell Airstrip, Cook Inlet Borough, Matanuska-Susitna, Muldoon Service Area, military reservations (Elmendorf Air force Base and Forth Richardson), and the Ship and Campbell Creek Watershed areas.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 2/25 | Local Boundary Commission: Annexation proposals and memoranda | 1970-1972 |
| 2/26 | Local Boundary Commission: Correspondence, petitions, meetings | 1963-1972 |
| 2/27 | Local Program: Borough structure and services: Unification | 1966-1976 |
| 2/28 | Wilda Hudson speech notes on unification | undated |
| 2/29 | Citizens Committee for Unification: Petitions, speakers, memoranda, members | 1969 |
| 2/30 | Memoranda, military reservations, correspondence, local government | 1969-1970 |
| 2/31 | Merrill and Campbell Airfield projects: correspondence and plans | 1970 |
| 2/32 | News clippings: Annexation of boroughs | 1970 |
| 3/1 | Proposals, plans, blueprints, maps | 1969-1971 |
| 3/2 | Cook Inlet Borough Incorporation: memoranda petitions | 1971-1973 |
| 3/3 | Presentation to Local Boundary Commissions on Cook Inlet Borough | 1973 |
| 3/4 | Analysis of Proposed Charter for the Unified Municipality Of Anchorage | 1970 |
| 3/5 | Rural 30: Correspondence, articles, reports | 1969-1976 |
| 3/6 | Proposed Home Rule charter | circa 1970 |
| 3/7 | “Home Rule Charter of the Unified Municipality for the Greater Anchorage Area”: Draft, proposal, news clippings | circa 1970 |
| 3/8 | Home Rule charter: Anchorage Area Charter Commission | 1971 |
Series 5: Headquarters Library Development records; 1967-1987. 0.60 cubic feet.
This series includes records detailing the development of Headquarters Library, later called Z. J. Loussac Public Library. The series includes fiscal and administrative information, news clippings regarding the library, construction of the library, as well as correspondence, reports, and the staffing needs of the library.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 3/9 | Fiscal information | 1981-1982 |
| 3/10 | Fiscal and administrative information | 1982-1987 |
| 3/11 | Budget information: CIP/funding/cost analysis | 1980-1983 |
| 3/12 | Headquarters Library: Assembly/Library/State actions | 1979-1982 |
| 3/13 | Professional services contracts | 1980 |
| 3/14 | News clippings | 1979-1982 |
| 3/15 | Design, development plan; Library Division, 10/2/79 | 1969-1981 |
| 3/16 | Library information file | circa 1979 |
| 3/17 | Fiscal data, information on Project 80s projects | 1982-1983 |
| 3/18 | News clippings; Library and Performing Arts Center, Knowles Proposal | 1983 |
| 3/19 | Library consulting proposals | 1980-1981 |
| 3/20 | General information, correspondence, history of development | 1980-1982 |
| 3/21 | Construction, budgets, correspondence, reports | 1967-1983 |
| 3/22 | Memorandum regarding staff needs and departmentalization | 1982 |
| 3/23 | TV studio and cable for library | 1982 |
Series 6: Campaign ephemera; undated. 0.10 cubic feet.
This series includes campaign bumper stickers from various republican candidates, as well as stamps used during Arliss Sturgulewski’s gubernatorial campaigns.
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 3/24, Oversize folder 1 | Stamps; Campaign bumper stickers | undated |