Alaskans Appeal to Eisenhower for Statehood (1954)

Date: May 27, 1954

Created By: Barrie White

Original or Replica: Original

Era: Alaska & Hawaii Statehood, The Presidency

Collection: Eisenhower Presidential Library

Citations: DDE’s Records as President, Official File, Box 629, OF-147-D Alaska (2); NAID #12010334

By the 1950s, Alaska and Hawaii had spent years seeking admission to the United States as states. Under Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, Congress has the authority to admit new states into the Union. Although Congress controlled the formal process, presidential support could influence lawmakers, public opinion, and the national debate. As a result, advocates for both Alaska and Hawaii sought the public and political support of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

This letter was written by the leader of a delegation of Alaskans following a private meeting with President Eisenhower at the White House. The author thanks Eisenhower for meeting with the delegation and attempts to clarify portions of their conversation that may have become tense. He expresses hope that Eisenhower understood the group’s strong words as evidence of their passion for Alaskan statehood rather than hostility toward the president.

The author also praises Eisenhower’s leadership beyond the issue of statehood, particularly his actions concerning civil rights following the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education. By connecting Alaskan statehood with broader questions of equality and citizenship, the letter demonstrates how advocates attempted to persuade political leaders to support their cause.