Helen G. Boosalis, 1919-2009 [RG0743.AM]

HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG0743.AM: Helen G. Boosalis, 1919-2009

Misc papers/ephemera: 1959-1999
Lincoln, Lancaster County, Nebraska: Mayor; city council member
Size: 12.5 cu.ft.; 10 boxes & 13 oversized volumes

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Born August 28, 1919 as Helen Geankoplis in Minneapolis, Minnesota, she married Michael Boosalis in 1945. The Boosalis family moved to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1951. Helen was elected to the Lincoln City Council in 1959 and was re-elected three times. Boosalis then defeated Sam Schwartzkopf in 1975 to become Lincoln’s first female mayor.

After completing her tenure as Mayor in 1983, Boosalis was appointed Director of the Nebraska Department of Aging in the Cabinet Governor Bob Kerrey. In 1986 Boosalis announced her candidacy for Governor of Nebraska. She lost the election to then-State Treasurer Kay Orr. This was the first state gubernatorial election in U.S. history where the candidates of both major national parties were women. She went on to serve on the AARP National Legislative Council and as Chairman of the AARP Board of Directors.

Helen G. Boosalis died on June 15, 2009 at the age of 89.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The manuscript collection consists of ten boxes and thirteen oversized volumes containing various items relating to Boosalis’ political career as Lincoln City Council member, Mayor and Gubernatorial candidate. The bulk of the collection consists of volumes of newspaper clippings with some correspondence, speeches and ephemera interspersed. Also included are materials from her time as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aging and her service on the AARP National Legislative Council and Chairman of the AARP Board of Directors. The materials in the collection date from ca. 1959-1999. The collection is organized roughly by year and position held by Boosalis at the time.

The last three folders in Box 10 and oversized volumes 5-13 listed at the end of the inventory were added after the bulk of the collection was processed.

Note: For more information about Helen Boosalis, see the Library collection for the following publications:

Prairie politics : Kay Orr vs. Helen Boosalis, the historic 1986 gubernatorial race, edited by John Barrette, 1987. [324.9 B274p]

Mayor Helen Boosalis: my mother’s life in politics by Beth Boosalis Davis, 2008. [921 B724m]

See the public records collection RG301 for official records of the Lincoln City Council and Mayor’s office. See RG0084 for official records of the Nebraska Department on Aging.

INVENTORY

Box 1
Folder

1. 1959-1975, City Council
2. 1975-1979, Mayor
3. 1975, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 1)
4. 1975, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 2)
5. 1975, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 3)
6. 1975, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 4)

Box 2
Folder

1. 1975, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 4, cont.)
2. 1975-1976, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 5)
3. 1976, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 6)
4. 1976, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 7)
5. 1976, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 8)
6. 1976, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 9)
7. 1977, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 9a)
8. 1977, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 10)
9. 1977, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 11)
10. 1977, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 12)

Box 3
Folder

1. 1977, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 13)
2. 1977, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 14)
3. 1977-1978, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 15)
4. 1978, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 16)
5. 1978, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 17)
6. 1978, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 18)
7. 1978, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 19)
8. 1978, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 20)
9. 1978, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 21)
10. 1979, Mayor Campaign

Box 4
Folder

1. 1979-1983, Mayor
2. 1979-1983, Mayor (cont.)
3. 1979-1983, Mayor (cont.), Cornhusker Project
4. 1979-1996, speeches, City and misc.
5. 1979-1996, speeches, City and misc. (cont.)
6. 1979, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 22)

Box 5
Folder

1. 1979, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 23)
2. 1979, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 24)
3. 1979, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 25)
4. 1979, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 26)
5. 1979, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 27)
6. 1979, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 28)
7. 1980, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 29)
8. 1980, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 30)
9. 1980, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 31)
10. 1980, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 32)
11. 1980, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 33)
12. 1980, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 34)
13. 1980, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 35)
14. 1980, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 36)

Box 6
Folder

1. 1980, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 37)
2. 1981, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 38)
3. 1981, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 39)
4. 1981, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 40)
5. 1981, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 41)
6. 1981, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 42)
7. 1981, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 43)
8. 1981, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 44)
9. 1981, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 45)
10. 1981, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 46)
11. 1981, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 47)
12. 1981, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 48)
13. 1981, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 49)
14. 1981-1982, President, U.S. Conference of Mayors

Box 7
Folder

1. 1981-1982, President, U.S. Conference of Mayors (cont.)
2. 1982, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 50)
3. 1982, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 51)
4. 1982, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 52)
5. 1982, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 53)
6. 1982, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 54)
7. 1982, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 55)
8. 1982, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 56)
9. 1982, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 57)
10. 1982, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 58)
11. 1982, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 59)
12. 1982, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 60)
13. 1982, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 61)
14. 1983, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 62)
15. 1983, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 63)
16. 1983, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 64)
17. 1983, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 65)
18. 1983, Mayor, newspaper clippings (v. 66)

Box 8
Folder

1. 1983-1986, Director, Nebraska Department on Aging
2. 1983-1986, Director, Nebraska Department on Aging
3. 1986, Governor campaign
4. 1986, Governor campaign, issues/events
5. 1986, Governor campaign, speeches

Box 9
Folder

1. 1986, Governor campaign, speeches
2. 1986, Governor campaign, speeches
3. 1986, Governor campaign, speeches/debates
4. 1986, Governor campaign, v. 1-4 (See Oversize)
5. 1986-1987, Greek speeches and events
6. 1986-1997, Community activities (non AARP)

Box 10
Folder

1. 1996-1998, AARP, Chairman of the Board
2. 1993-1997, AARP, speeches
3. 1998-1999, AARP, speeches

Addendum

4. 1979-1983, bio
5. 1979-1996, speeches: Women
6. 1982-1989, misc. speeches

Oversized volumes

1. 1986, Governor campaign (from Box 9)
2. 1986, Governor campaign (from Box 9)
3. 1986, Governor campaign (from Box 9)
4. 1986, Governor campaign (from Box 9)
5. Clippings, 1975-1976
6. Clippings, 1975-1979
7. Clippings, 1975-1979
8. Clippings, 1975-1979
9. Clippings, 1975-1979
10. Clippings, 1979-1982
11. Clippings, 1979-1982
12. Clippings, 1980-1982
13. Clippings, 1981-1983

Subject headings:

Boosalis, Helen G., 1919-2009
Mayors — Nebraska — Lincoln
Nebraska — Politics and government
Nebraska Democratic Party
Politics — Nebraska

TMM 04-04-2012
Encoded 04-04-2012
Revised 07-07-2014
Revised 09-09-2015