Guide to the James Hurley Conference on the Future of Alaska papers
1969-1970
Collection number: HMC-1480.
Creator:
Hurley, James, 1915-2002.
Brookings Institution.
Title: James Hurley Conference on the Future of Alaska papers.
Dates: 1969-1970.
Volume of collection: 0.25 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are entirely in English.
Collection summary: Papers James Hurley collected and created during the 1969 Conference on the Future of Alaska.
Biographical note:
James J. Hurley was born in Oakland, California in 1915. He moved to Palmer, Alaska as an adult. Over his lifetime, he worked as an employee of the United States Department of Agriculture, general manager of the Alaska Rural Rehabilitation Corporation, chemist for Shell Oil, manager of the Alaska Hardwoods Sawmill, vice president of the Matanuska Valley Bank, and president of the Valley Abstract and Title Company. Hurley served in the Alaska Constitutional Convention in 1955, as a Democrat in the House of Representatives in the Alaska’s first State Legislature from 1959 to 1960, and on the Joint Federal-State Land Use Planning Commission in the 1970’s. He was married to Katherine Hurley, who also served in the Alaska Legislature. James Hurley died in 2002 in Hilo, Hawaii.
The Conference on the Future of Alaska was held by the Legislative Council of the State of Alaska in association with the Brookings Institution and the Institute of Social, Economic, and Government Research at the University of Alaska in 1969. The conference was held in a series of four seminars. Seminar One was on the Financial Foundations for Future Alaska. Seminar Two was on the Use of Human Resources in Future Alaska. Seminar Three was on the Ecological Base of an Alaskan Environmental Policy. Seminar Four was on Alternative Futures for the State of Alaska. During the seminars, participants were divided into four policy planning section: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta.
Collection description:
This collection contains papers relating to James Hurley’s participation in the 1969 Conference on the Future of Alaska. His papers include his personal notes from the seminars, seminar schedules, participant rosters and biographies, supporting reports and readings, discussion prompts, correspondence about the conference, and policy section reports from the policy planning sections. Themes discussed include transportation, environmental policy, economics, urban and rural land use planning, education, family life, and oil development.
Arrangement: This collection is arranged by seminar number.
Digitized copies: This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: The Archives does not hold copyright to this collection. If you believe you are the copyright holder to this collection, please contact the Archives.
Preferred citation: James Hurley Conference on the Future of Alaska papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Works used in preparation of inventory:
Wikipedia. “James J. Hurley.” Last accessed October 17, 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_J._Hurley
The Alaska State Legislature. “100 Years of Alaska’s Legislature: James Hurley.” Last accessed October 17, 2024. https://akleg.gov/100years/bio.php?id=1186
University of Alaska. “UA Journey: James J. Hurley.” Last accessed October 17, 2024. https://www.alaska.edu/uajourney/history-and-trivia/alaska-history/creating-alaska/constitutional-convention/delegates/hurley/
Related materials: The Archives also holds the papers of James Hurley’s wife: Katie Hurley, HMC-1405.
Custodial history: This collection was donated to the Palmer Museum in 2021 by Susan Derrera.
Acquisition note: The Palmer Museum transferred the collection to the Archives in 2024.
Processing information: This collection was described by Becky Butler Gallegos in 2024. Duplicate materials, envelopes, and publications were removed from the collection.
Container list:
| Box/Folder | Description | Dates |
| 1/1 | Notes | 1969 |
| 1/2 | Seminar 1: Financial Foundations for Future Alaska materials | 1969 |
| 1/3 | Seminar 2: The Use of Human Resources for Future Alaska materials | 1969 |
| 1/4 | Seminar 3: The Ecological Base of an Alaskan Environmental Policy materials | 1969 |
| 1/5 | Seminar 4: Alternative Futures for the State of Alaska materials | 1969-1970 |