Leland H. Schoonover Papers, 1885-2011 (bulk 1945-1979)

This series contains biographical information about Schoonover, and includes self-reporting biographical statements for his political activities and some correspondence with the Veteran's Administration.

This series contains Schoonover's personal diaries/appointment calendars. These document daily personal and professional events, including meetings, activities, and some comments on the weather.

This series contains Schoonover's professional correspondence. Most of the series deals with either his involvement with teachers' organizations in Montana, his term in the Montana legislature, and his involvement with conservation-oriented groups. Much of the correspondence concerns insurance claims for the Lower Flathead Teachers' Welfare Association. Legislative correspondence is mostly from constituents and focuses on his involvement with the Montana Legislative Council, Subcommittee on Pesticides. There are few or no personal letters in the series.

The first item in the series is Schoonover's master's thesis, A Study of the Educational, Cultural, and Social Values of the Pageant-Drama in Montana, which he completed in 1955. This thesis focused in large part on Bert Hansen's pageants done as part of the Montana Study. The remainder of the series consists of Schoonover's speeches, delivered on a number of occasions, mostly for local and Montana organizations.

This series consists of files on subjects of interest to Schoonover. Subjects range from basketball officiating to air pollution and pesticides.

This series contains materials that represent Schoonover's many political, community, conservation, education and business activities. Political interests are represented by the Schoonover for Representative Club, Lake County Democratic Central Committee, and Montana Legislative Council, Subcommittee on Pesticides materials. His continuing interest in education is shown in the State Schoolmasters Association and Montana Citizens Committee on Education materials; he was also secretary of the Lower Flathead Teachers' Welfare Association, which provided teachers with insurance.

The largest group of materials represent his conservation interests. These include materials from the Lake County Citizens Committee, Lake County Conservation District, and Montana Wildlife Federation. Materials from the Pacific Northwest Conservation Council document his service to this organization for Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Lastly, materials for the Senior Citizens of Polson document his later efforts on behalf of seniors in his community.

Schoonover was owner and manager of ENVECO, which provided land development and public relations services in the Polson area. The Flathead Reservation Area Development Council (FRADC) was one of ENVECO's clients.

This series, which was added in 2024, contains materials that span Schoonover's personal and family life, his education, military service, elections, and other miscellaneous aspects. Of note in this series is an autobiography; drafts of Schoonover's eulogy; and scrapbook pages that cover his ancestry, personal life, and professional accomplishments, prepared after his death, presumably by his wife Dorothy.