Secretary of the Interior Fred Seaton Presents Eisenhower with Evidence Supporting Alaska Statehood (1958)

Date: June 24, 1958

Created By: Fred A. Seaton

Original or Replica: Original

Era: Alaska & Hawaii Statehood, The Presidency

Collection: Eisenhower Presidential Library

Citations: DDE’s Papers as President, Administration Series, Box 32, Seaton, Fred (2); NAID #12012381

In this June 24, 1958 letter, Secretary of the Interior Fred A. Seaton provides President Dwight D. Eisenhower with information supporting Alaska statehood. Responding to questions about whether Alaska possessed the population and financial resources necessary to become a state, Seaton argues that the evidence demonstrates Alaska’s readiness. He also endorses H.R. 7999, the statehood bill passed by the House of Representatives, describing it as an acceptable compromise among competing interests.

The attached memorandum estimates Alaska’s population at approximately 220,000, including about 50,000 military personnel. It highlights an expanding economy based on fisheries, timber, minerals, and fur production, noting that natural-resource output reached approximately $161.8 million in 1957. Alaskans also contributed about $65 million in federal taxes, while the territory’s per-capita general revenue exceeded that of 39 existing states. Significantly, Alaska had no outstanding government debt at the end of fiscal year 1957. The memorandum estimates that assuming governmental responsibilities previously handled by the federal government would produce a relatively modest net cost, with future oil and gas revenues expected to help offset expenses. Together, the documents present the Eisenhower administration with an economic and fiscal argument that Alaska was capable of assuming the responsibilities of statehood.