William Henry Meier, 1904-1997 [RG3563.AM]

HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG3563.AM: William Henry Meier, 1904-1997

Papers: 1946-1963
Minden, Kearney County, Neb.: Lawyer; Democratic Party leader
Size: 11 boxes; 10.5 cu.ft.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska on December 23, 1904, William Henry Meier graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1926 with an A.B. degree. He taught English and history in Puerto Rico for a year and then returned to Lincoln. Meier attended the University of Nebraska College of Law, graduating in 1930. From 1932-1934 he worked as a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. William Meier married Mabel Utter on August 12, 1934.

William Meier worked for the Federal Land Bank in Omaha from 1934-1936. In 1936 the Meiers moved to Minden, Nebraska, where he started a private law practice. Meier served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Omaha from 1942-1945. He returned to Minden in 1945, where he remained in private practice until his retirement. Meier was active in the Nebraska Democratic Party, serving for a time as the Chair of the Nebraska Democratic State Central Committee. He was a candidate for U.S. Representative in 1946, but he lost to Carl T. Curtis. Meier ran for U.S. Senate in 1954, but he was defeated by Hazel Abel.

William H. Meier passed away at the Mt. Carmel Home in Kearney, Nebraska, on January 6, 1997. His wife, Mabel, preceded him in death. He was cremated and buried in the Minden Cemetery.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The collection consists of papers relating to William H. Meier’s involvement in the Nebraska Democratic Party. The majority of materials relate to Meier’s service on the Nebraska Democratic State Central Committee. The collection includes correspondence, minutes of meetings, newsletters, financial information, etc. Also included are materials relating to Meier’s campaigns for U.S. House and Senate in 1946 and 1954. The last box of the collection consists of materials relating to Meier’s involvement in the Nebraska Bi-Partisan Committee from 1953-1954.

Note: The collection is mostly unprocessed, but the following inventory is available.

INVENTORY

Box 1
Folder

  1. Democrats State Central Committee, 1957-1959
  2. Democratic County Committee
  3. Democratic Central Committee; Kearney County
  4. Democratic County Convention, May 29, 1958
  5. Delegates to 1954 Convention
  6. Radio
  7. 1952 Budget
  8. Under-Secretary McCormick
  9. Stevenson-Sparkman Fund
  10. Executive Com Meeting, October 5, 1952
  11. P&S
  12. Executive Committee Meeting, Sept. 17, 1952
  13. Veteran’s Committee
  14. Democratic Newsletter
  15. PMA Lists (Dem.)
  16. Sparkman
  17. 1952 Campaign
  18. Candidates (Dem.)
  19. Dem. State Finance
  20. Demo. State Committee (1952) General File
  21. National Committee Reports (Dem.)

Box 2
Folder

  1. Democratic State Committee General File
  2. 1954 Campaign
  3. 1954 Candidates
  4. First Congressional District
  5. Democratic Party
  6. State Committee Meeting
  7. Jefferson-Jackson Day
  8. Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner
  9. Financial Information
  10. Lincoln Co
  11. 1952 Jefferson-Jackson Day – Daily Receipts and Banking records, Donors Names and Addresses
  12. Democratic State Committee
  13. Democratic State Central Committee 1962-1963

Box 3
Folder

  1. Credentials Committee
  2. Finance Committee Audit – Remittances
  3. Paid Bills
  4. Democratic Third Congressional District Convention and Election
  5. Printing
  6. Platform Committee
  7. Women’s Division Packet re. Meetings, Etc.
  8. State Committee Meeting, Oct. 18, 1952
  9. Post Primary Convention, Hastings (1954)
  10. Next Executive Committee Meeting
  11. Convention Arrangements
  12. Finances
  13. YD Magazine
  14. Democratic Digest
  15. State Committee Vacancies
  16. National Advisory Council
  17. 1953 YD State Convention
  18. Contributions to Democratic State Committee
  19. State Central Committee Meeting Nominating US Senator
  20. Executive Committee Meeting, May 15, 1954
  21. 1953 National Committee Reports & Publicity
  22. Personal (Dem.)
  23. PM & Rural Routes

Box 4
Folder

  1. Committee List – 2nd Cong.
  2. Midterm Democratic Convention 1959, Resolutions Committee
  3. Platform
  4. Committee on Revision of Official Rules, Democratic Party in Nebraska
  5. Democratic National Convention
  6. Agriculture
  7. Bipartisan Committee
  8. Jefferson-Jackson Day Programs, Procedures

Box 5
Folder

  1. Primary (Dem.)
  2. State Pre-Primary Convention (Democratic) 1952
  3. Democratic State Convention – Resolutions Committee
  4. Democratic State Central Committee 1962
  5. Nebraska Democratic Platform 1962
  6. Platform and Development of Issues – Democratic National Committee Training School – Omaha
  7. Democratic State Central Committee
  8. Dollars for Democrats Drive booklets

Box 6
Folder

  1. Adams County
  2. Antelope
  3. Arthur
  4. Banner
  5. Blaine
  6. Boone
  7. Box Butte
  8. Boyd
  9. Brown
  10. Buffalo
  11. Burt
  12. Butler
  13. Cass
  14. Cedar
  15. Chase
  16. Cherry
  17. Cheyenne
  18. Clay
  19. Colfax
  20. Cuming
  21. Custer
  22. Dakota
  23. Dawes
  24. Dems Bills – Unpaid
  25. Dawson
  26. Deuel
  27. Dixon
  28. Dodge
  29. Douglas
  30. Fillmore
  31. Franklin
  32. Frontier
  33. Gage
  34. Garden
  35. Garfield
  36. Gosper
  37. Grant
  38. Greeley
  39. Hall
  40. Hamilton
  41. Hayes
  42. Hitchcock
  43. Hooker
  44. Howard
  45. Jefferson
  46. Johnson
  47. Kearney
  48. Keith
  49. Keya Paha
  50. Kimball
  51. Knox
  52. Lancaster
  53. Logan
  54. Loup
  55. McPherson
  56. Madison
  57. Merrick
  58. Morrill
  59. Nemaha
  60. Nuckolls
  61. Otoe
  62. Pawnee
  63. Perkins
  64. Phelps
  65. Pierce
  66. Platte
  67. Polk
  68. Red Willow
  69. Richardson
  70. Rock
  71. Saline
  72. Sarpy
  73. Saunders
  74. Scotts Bluff
  75. Seward
  76. Sheridan
  77. Sherman
  78. Sioux
  79. Stanton
  80. Thayer
  81. Thomas
  82. Thurston
  83. Valley
  84. Washington
  85. Wayne
  86. Webster
  87. Wheeler
  88. York

Box 7
Folder

  1. Democratic State Committee – General File
  2. Democratic State Committee (1952) – General File
  3. Kerr (Dem.)
  4. Democratic Delegates to National Convention
  5. Next Executive Committee Meeting
  6. State Convention; June 13, 1950 – Pre-Primary
  7. Doctors
  8. Personal Congratulations Dems State Organization
  9. Democratic County Pre-Primary Conventions
  10. Rep. Miller, R., 4th Nebraska
  11. Former Rep. Buffett., R., 2nd, Nebraska
  12. Rep. Stefan, R., 3rd. Nebraska
  13. Jefferson-Jackson Day Contributors – 1951 by Counties – w/ Amounts for 1948, 1949, 1950
  14. Candidates Committee
  15. 1953 Jefferson-Jackson Day (Dems)
  16. Pre-Primary Conference
  17. 1953 Democratic State Committee, General File

Box 8
Folder

  1. Meier for Congress, 1946
  2. 1st District Newsletter, 1947-1948
  3. Meier for US Senate Short Term, 1954
  4. Lincoln Telephone Directory, Nov. 1946
  5. Political Payments
  6. Nebraska Public Works
  7. General Election Material
  8. Political Advertising
  9. Questionnaires, Political
  10. Agriculture and REA
  11. Communism
  12. International
  13. Labor
  14. Taxes & Government Economy
  15. Printed Circular

Box 9
Folder

  1. State Wide Appointments
  2. Jackson Day Dinner & Committee, 1951
  3. County Chairmen – Letter No. 1
  4. County Chairmen – Form Letter No. 2
  5. County Chairmen – Follow Up Cards
  6. 1951 Jefferson-Jackson Day, finances
  7. Resolutions Committee
  8. Executive Secretary Democratic Committee
  9. Post-Primary Convention, State Delegates & Proceedings
  10. Post-Primary Convention & Conferences
  11. National Convention
  12. Jefferson-Jackson Day
  13. 1952 Post-Primary Convention

Box 10
Folder

  1. 1st District Democratic Newsletter
  2. Meier for US Senator
  3. Mrs. George P. Abel
  4. National Committee Reports & Publicity
  5. Research Division Reports
  6. Meier for Senate, Adv. Media
  7. Indiana
  8. Senatorial Clip Sheet

Box 11 Nebraska Bi-Partisan Committee
Folder

  1. Correspondence, 1953, June 23
  2. Correspondence, 1953, July
  3. Correspondence, 1953, Aug.
  4. Correspondence, 1953, Sep.
  5. Correspondence, 1953, Oct.
  6. Correspondence, 1953, Nov.
  7. Correspondence, 1953, Dec.
  8. Correspondence, 1954, Jan.
  9. Correspondence, 1954, Mar.
  10. Correspondence, 1954, Apr.
  11. Correspondence, 1954, June-Sept.
  12. Jefferson-Jackson Day Receipts, 1954, June
  13. Bicameral Initiative Petition, 1953-1954
  14. In-Party Tally Sheets, 1954
  15. Pro-Bicameral Printed Matter, 1953, Oct.

Subject headings:

Meier, William Henry, 1904-1997
Nebraska Bi-Partisan Committee
Nebraska Democratic Party
Politics — Nebraska

TMM/bl 10-22-2008
Revised TMM 11-01-2010
Encoded TMM 11-01-2010

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