Michael Wetherell Papers

Michael Wetherell Papers, 1963-1977

Overview of the Collection

Title: Michael Wetherell Papers
Dates: 1963-1977 (inclusive)
19631977
Quantity: 10 linear feet, (10 boxes)
Collection Number: MSS 247
Summary: The Michael Wetherell Papers consists of materials Wetherell's work as a legislative, administrative, and campaign aide to Senator Frank Church, 1967-1977, including articles and research, correspondence, and other documents pertaining to the management of the office. The largest subject file relates to atomic energy issues. There is information on Church's congressional colleagues Steve Symms, George Hansen, and James McClure. Also included are materials from Frank Church's senatorial and 1976 Presidential campaigns.
Repository: Boise State University Library, Special Collections and Archives
Special Collections and Archives
1910 University Drive
Boise ID
83725
Telephone: 2084263990
archives@boisestate.edu
Access Restrictions: Collection is available for research.
Languages: English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Judge Michael Wetherell was born on March 2, 1945, in Redding, California, to Robert and Rose Wetherell. He worked on an improvement crew for the Idaho Bureau of Land Management in 1964, and as a copywriter for Boise's KBOI Radio and Television from 1966-1967. Wetherell graduated from the University of Idaho in 1967 and received a law degree from George Washington University in 1972. He passed the Idaho State Bar in 1972.

Wetherell worked for Senator Frank Church in Washington, D.C., from 1967 until 1977. He served as Church's legislative assistant from 1967-1972, chief legal counsel from 1972-1974, and administrative assistant from 1975-1977. As his assistant and counsel, Wetherell attended meetings with and for Senator Church, researched and provided material and information for Church's speeches and meetings, helped write speeches, and handled correspondence and scheduling. Wetherell was also an active participant on Church's 1976 Presidential campaign.

Wetherell resigned from Senator Church's office in 1977 and opened a law practice in Boise, Idaho. The following year he joined the law firm of Martin, Chapman & Hyde. Wetherell served as a member of the Boise City Council from 1988-1992 and again from 2002-2003. Wetherell was elected as a district judge in 2003, a position he continues to serve in.

Wetherell continued to be active in politics, serving as a delegate to the Idaho state Democratic Conventions in 1979, 1983, 1984, and 1986, and the national Democratic Convention in 1992. He also served as chairman of the Idaho State Democratic Party from 1991-1993.

Wetherell married Karen L. Mackenzie in August 1969. They have three children. He currently resides in Boise, Idaho.

Sources: Congressional Staff Directory, 1973. Who's Who in America, 2005.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Michael Wetherell Papers consists of materials Wetherell's work as a legislative, administrative, and campaign aide to Senator Frank Church, 1967-1977, including articles and research, correspondence, and other documents pertaining to the management of the office. The largest subject file relates to atomic energy issues. There is information on Church's congressional colleagues Steve Symms, George Hansen, and James McClure. Also included are materials from Frank Church's senatorial and 1976 Presidential campaigns. An item of particular note is Wetherell's 1977 resignation memo to Frank Church. He outlined the challenges Church faced in his 1980 reelection bid, some which proved to be prophetic (Box 5, Folder 28).

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

[item description], Michael Wetherell Papers, Box [number] Folder [number], Boise State University Special Collections and Archives.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Donated by Judge Michael Wetherell in 2005.

Related Materials

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
1	1	Atomic Energy: Congressional Records, Nuclear Power	1970-1972
1	2-10	Atomic Energy: Correspondence	1969-1973
1	11	Atomic Energy: Notes
1	12	Atomic Energy: Press Releases
1	13-19	Frank Church Speech: The Atom: It's Dangerous Aftermath	1970
1	20	Speech: Atomic Energy Commission Funding	1971
1	21-23	Articles	1965-1974
1	24	Conference, Hazards in the Industrial Environment	1969-1970
1	25	Congressional Hearings, Industrial Radioactive Waste Disposal	1959
1	26	Congressional Report, Authorizing Appropriations for the Atomic Energy Commission	1970-1971
1	27	Environmental Statement, Calcined Solids Storage Additions, National Reactor Testing Station	1973
1	28	Heating Methods for Fluidized Bed Wast Calcination Sheet with Samples
1	29	Lapp, Ralph, Articles and Lectures	1970
1	30	Library of Congress Research, Nuclear Power/Waste in the Congressional Record	1967-1970
1	31	Miscellaneous
1	32	NASA Authorizations and Appropriations	1959-1969
1	33	Newsletter, Environmental Action	1970
1	34	Publications, Atomic Energy Commission
1	35-37	Publications, Advanced Test Reactor, National Reactor Testing Station
1	38	Publications, "Nuclear News," American Nuclear Society	1969-1970
1	39	Publications, The Waste Calcining Facility at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant
1	40	Report, Atomic Energy Commission's Environmental Monitoring Report	1968-1969
1	41	Report, Committee on Geological Aspects of Radioactive Waste Disposal	1966
1	42	Report, Contributions of Geology to the Problem of Radioactive Waste Disposal	1959
1	43	Report, Evaluation of Geologic & Hydrologic Conditions Related to the Disposal of Radioactive Waste at the Burial Ground, NRTS, Idaho	1970
1	44	Report, The Examination of the Waste Treatment and Disposal Operations at the NRTS, Idaho Falls	1970
1	45	Report, Hydrology of the National Reactor Testing Station, Idaho	1966
1	46	Report, Inflow to the Snake River Between Milner & King Hill, Idaho	1969
1	47	Report, Operation of the National Reactor Testing Station Burial Ground and Radioactive Waste Disposal Data for the National Reactor Testing Station	1969
1	48	Report, Opportunity for Atomic Energy Commission to Improve Its Procedures for Making Sure That Containers Used for Transporting Radioactive Materials Are Safe	1973
1	49	Report, Plan for the Management of Atomic Energy Commission Generated Radioactive Wastes	1973
1	50	Report, Public Health Aspects of the National Reactor Testing Station	1970
1	51	Report, Radioactive Waste Management: An Interim Report on Radioactive Waste Management
1	52	Report, Seismic Risk Studies in the United States	1970
1	53	Report, Solid Radioactive Waste Retrieval Test	1972
1	54	Report, Stage Discharge Relations on Big Lost River	1969
1	55	Report, Idaho Office of the Atomic Energy Commission's Comments on the Federal Water Quality Administration's Report on National Reactor Testing Station	1970
1	56	Slansky, C.M., Speech: Radioactive Waste Management and the Environment	1972
1	57-58	Articles and photos, Atomic Energy	1969-1974
2	1	Abortion Legislation	1973
2	2	Aging	1970-1977
2	3	Agriculture and timber	1970-1975
2	4	Alternate power sources	1973-1974
2	5	Anti-Communist Matchbook, "We Still Don't Know"
2	6	Art Advisory Panel Reception	1970
2	7-13	Artist Tax Reform	1968-1973
2	14	Business, Good Stories	1973
2	15	CHROMS Water Monitoring System	1977
2	16-20	Church, Frank: interviews and speeches	1971-1973
2	21	Cinque, Field Marshall
2	22	Articles, general interest	1972-1976
23		Corporate ownership	1970-1972
	Folder
2	24	Declaration of Interdependence	1977
2	25	Department of Correction Work Release Program	1973
2	26	Disarmament/Proliferation	1967-1969
2	27	Dredge Mining, St. Joe River	1976
2	28-29	Education	1974
2	30	Eisenhower Coins	1968-1971
2	31	Executive Privilege	1973
2	32-35	Farming and Farmers	1967-1977
2	36	Firearms	1971
2	37-38	Gasoline shortage	1973-1974
3	1	General	1969-1973
3	2	Genocide	1973-1974
3	3	Government Horror Stories	1974
3	4	Gun control	1968-1977
3	5	Hathaway, Stanley K., Confirmation Materials	1975
3	6-7	Health care and insurance	1973-1974
3	8-9	Hells Canyon	1973
3	10	Heyburn State Park lawsuit	1977
3	11	Hydrogen Economy	1973
3	12	Idaho Economy	1974
3	13	Industry Horror Stories	1973-1974
3	14	John Birch Society, Senator Church Smear Campaign	1964-1974
3	15	John Birch Society, Ezra Taft Benson/Latter Day Saints Controversy	1963
3	16	Kennedy, Robert F., Address to National Farmer's Union Convention	1967
3	17	Kootenai Environmental Alliance	1975
3	18	Lower Monument Dam	1975
3	19-26	McClure, James	1970-1975
3	27	Metric system	1974
3	28	Military	1969-1974
3	29	Mining and Mine Safety	1970-1974
3	30	Miscellaneous	1967-1977
3	31	National Alliance of Senior Citizens	1975
3	32	National Energy Policy (Suggested)	1977
3	34	Native Americans	1974
3	34	Nixon, Richard	1973-1974
4	1	Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)	1970-1974
4	2	Off Road Vehicles on Public Lands, Executive Order 11644	1977
4	3-6	Panama Canal	1976-1977
4	7	Pentagon	1971
4	8	Pollution	1970
4	9	Potato futures	1972-1977
4	10	Power	1973-1976
4	11	Predator Control	1972-1973
4	12	Public Lands	1973-1974
4	13	Ruhe, Karl, Literary Papers and Tax Materials	1966-1970
4	14-15	Rural Economy	1969-1973
4	16	Solar Energy	1973-1974
4	17	Sunshine Mine	1972
4	18-19	Symms, Steve	1973-1976
4	20	Tax Reform	1968-1972
4	21	Taxes	1971-1974
4	22-25	Timber	1971-1974
4	26	Transportation	1969-1972
4	27	Vietnam	1963-1973
4	28	Water	1969-1973
4	29	Water and Power	1972-1973
4	30	Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness Proposal
4	31	Wild Horses	1974
4	32-34	Wilderness	1961-1974
5	1	Administrative	1973-1977
5	2	Articles	1973
5	3	Calendar	1972
5	4-6	Congressional Records	1967-1977
5	7	Idaho trip	1976
5	8	Opinion Research Corporation Survey	1975-1976
5	9-15	Political Correspondence	1976-1977
5	16	Political Participation of Federal Employees	1974
5	17	Political writing
5	18-20	Press releases	1967-1977
5	21	Proposed staff reorganization
5	22	Rules for new committee assignment	1975
5	23-24	Voting records: Church, Symms, Hansen	1976
5	25-27	Wetherell, Mike: letters and notes	1972-1975
5	28-29	Wetherell, Mike: resignation	1977
6	1-3	Election	1968-1972
6	4-19	Campaign	1974
6	20-21	Election	1976, 1980
6	22-27	County contact material
6	28	Miscellaneous
6	29	Idaho's Cemocratic Voice (newsletter)	1974-1976
7-9		Presidential Campaign, daily files	1975-1976
10		Photos: Presidential Campaign, US Senate Committee on Aging Hearing	1976

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Elections
Idaho--Politics and government
Nuclear Energy
Political Campaigns

Personal Names

Church, Frank, 1924-1984

Geographical Names

Boise (Idaho)

Form or Genre Terms

Photographs

Archives West Finding Aid

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