Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Gracie Pfost Papers, 1936-1973
Overview of the Collection
- Title
- Gracie Pfost Papers
- Dates
- 1936-1973 (inclusive)19361973
- Quantity
- 2 linear feet, (3 boxes, plus oversize material)
- Collection Number
- MSS 175
- Summary
- Chiefly memorabilia in the form of clippings, photos, invitations, tickets, programs, campaign literature, and the like; together with copies of several Congressional speeches, press releases, and bills sponsored by Idaho Representative Gracie Bowes Pfost.
- 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
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Gracie Bowers Pfost, the first woman elected to Congress from Idaho, was born in Arkansas in 1906 and moved with her family to a farm in the Boise Valley in 1911. She attended Idaho public schools and graduated from Links Business College in Boise. In 1923 she married John (Jack) Pfost. They pronounced their last name Post, with the "f" silent. After working as a chemist for a few years, she served as deputy clerk, auditor, and recorder for Canyon County, Idaho. Later, she opened her own real estate office. Pfost participated in numerous civic organizations, including the Business and Professional Women's Club and the Soroptimist Club. She was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1944, and to every succeeding national convention through 1960.
In 1940 Pfost was elected treasurer of Canyon County, Idaho. She held that position for 10 years. In 1950 she sought the seat for Idaho's First Congressional District. She lost in a close race to her opponent, Dr. John T. Wood. Not one to accept defeat, she ran again for the same seat in 1952. This time she defeated Wood. She was reelected in 1954 and again 1956, 1958, and 1960.
While in Congress, Pfost served on the Public Works and the Interior and Insular Affairs committees. She was chairman of the Subcommittee on Public Lands. She was the chief sponsor of a bill to authorize federal construction of a high dam at Idaho's Hells Canyon, which earned her the nickname "Hell's Belle." She also worked to improve retirement benefits for civil service employees, protect the lead and zinc mining industries, and protect the agricultural sector.
In 1962, Pfost ran for the U.S. Senate, but lost to Republican Len B. Jordan. In 1963 President Kennedy appointed her as Special Assistant for Elderly Housing in the Federal Housing Administration. She served in that capacity until her death in 1965 from Hodgkin's Disease.
Sources:
Aiken, Katherine G. "Gender and the Congressional Career of Idaho's Gracie Pfost." Journal of the West 42 (2003), 44-51.
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1776-1989. Washington DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1989.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Gracie Pfost Papers consists chiefly of memorabilia from Pfost's political career in Canyon County, Congress, and the Federal Housing Administration. The papers include clippings, photos, invitations, tickets, programs, campaign literature, and the like. The collection also includes copies of several speeches before Congress, press releases, and pieces of legislation Pfost sponsored. The most notable of these are items centered on the Hells Canyon Bill, for which Pfost was the principal sponsor. Featured items also include a program from the 1945 Inaugural Dinner for President Franklin D. Roosevelt (autographed by Bob Hope and other entertainment figures), photos with President Eisenhower and Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn, and a telegram from President Kennedy congratulating her on her distinguished career as a Member of Congress.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
[item description], Gracie Pfost Papers, Box [number] Folder [number], Boise State University Special Collections and Archives.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
1: MemorabiliaReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Canyon County Treasurer |
1939-1949 |
| 1 | 2 | Idaho Business Women Newsletter |
1943 |
| 1 | 3 | Clippings |
1943 |
| 1 | 4 | Democratic National Convention (Chicago) |
1944 |
| 1 | 5 | Clippings |
1944 |
| 1 | 6 | 1000 Club Dinner Booklet |
1945 |
| 1 | 7 | Presidential Inauguration Material (Roosevelt) |
1945 |
| 1 | 8 | Clippings |
1948 |
| 1 | 9 | Democratic Digest |
1949 |
| 1 | 10 | Clippings |
1949 |
| 1 | 11 | Congressional Campaign |
1950 |
| 1 | 12 | Correspondence |
1950 |
| 1 | 13 | Miscellaneous |
1950 |
| 1 | 14 | Clippings |
1951 |
| 1 | 15 | Congressional Campaigns |
1952 |
| 1 | 16 | Congressional Campaigns Multiple Years |
1952-? |
| 1 | 17 | Presidential Inauguration Material (Eisenhower) |
1953 |
| 1 | 18 | National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs Luncheon |
1953 |
| 1 | 19 | Clippings |
1953 |
| 1 | 20 | Congressional Voting Records |
1953-1955 |
| 1 | 21 | Congressional Campaign |
1954 |
| 1 | 22 | Hells Canyon Dam |
1954 |
| 1 | 23 | Miscellaneous |
1954 |
| 1 | 24 | Speeches and Floor Remarks |
1954 |
| 1 | 25 | Clippings |
1955 |
| 1 | 26 | Hells Canyon Dam Bill |
1955 |
| 1 | 27 | Miscellaneous |
1955 |
| 1 | 28 | Report to the People |
1955 |
| 1 | 29 | Speeches and Floor Remarks |
1955 |
| 1 | 30 | Clippings |
1955 |
| 1 | 31 | Congressional Campaign |
1956 |
| 1 | 32 | Democratic National Convention (Chicago) |
1956 |
| 1 | 33 | Miscellaneous |
1956 |
| 1 | 34 | Report to the People |
1956 |
| 1 | 35 | Clippings |
1956 |
| 1 | 36 | Articles |
1957 |
| 1 | 37 | Invitations |
1957 |
| 1 | 38 | Press Release |
1957 |
| 1 | 39 | Report On Civil Service Retirement Annuity Increases |
1957 |
| 1 | 40 | Report to the People |
1957 |
| 1 | 41 | Clippings |
1957 |
| 1 | 42 | Articles |
1958 |
| 1 | 43 | Brussels, Belgium Trip |
1958 |
| 1 | 44 | Congressional Campaign |
1958 |
| 1 | 45 | Congressional Committee Reports w/Accompanying Letter |
1958 |
| 1 | 46 | Congressional Records and Public Acts |
1958 |
| 1 | 47 | Correspondence |
1958 |
| 1 | 48 | Florida Trip |
1958 |
| 1 | 49 | Invitations |
1958 |
| 1 | 50 | Press Release |
1958 |
| 1 | 51 | Clippings |
1958 |
| 1 | 52 | Articles |
1959 |
| 1 | 53 | Correspondence |
1959 |
| 1 | 54 | Invitations |
1959 |
| 1 | 55 | Miscellaneous |
1959 |
| 1 | 56 | Press Releases |
1959 |
| 1 | 57 | TV Spot Script |
1959 |
| 1 | 58 | Speech, Virgin Islands |
1959 |
| 1 | 59 | Clippings |
1959 |
| 1 | 60 | Biographical Sketch |
1960 |
| 1 | 61 | Congressional Campaign |
1960 |
| 1 | 62 | Correspondence |
1960 |
| 1 | 63 | Democratic National Convention (Los Angeles) |
1960 |
| 1 | 64 | Invitations |
1960 |
| 1 | 65 | Press Releases |
1960 |
| 1 | 66 | Speeches and Floor Remarks |
1960 |
| 1 | 67 | Clippings |
1960 |
| 1 | 68 | Articles |
1961 |
| 1 | 69 | Congressional Voting Record |
1961 |
| 1 | 70 | Correspondence |
1961 |
| 1 | 71 | Presidential Inauguration Material (Kennedy) |
1961 |
| 1 | 72 | Invitations |
1961 |
| 1 | 73 | Miscellaneous |
1961 |
| 1 | 74 | Press Releases |
1961 |
| 1 | 75 | Speeches and Floor Remarks |
1961 |
| 1 | 76 | Clippings |
1961 |
| 1 | 77 | Correspondence re: Books Gracie Sent to Libraries/Schools |
1961-1963 |
| 1 | 78 | Capitol Hill Comment |
1962 |
| 1 | 79 | Correspondence |
1962 |
| 2 | 1 | Inaugural Anniversary Dinner |
1962 |
| 2 | 2 | Invitations |
1962 |
| 2 | 3 | J.F.K.'s Remarks for Gracie Pfost Testimonial Dinner |
1962 |
| 2 | 4 | Miscellaneous |
1962 |
| 2 | 5 | Press Releases |
1962 |
| 2 | 6 | Senate Campaign |
1962 |
| 2 | 7 | Speeches and Floor Remarks |
1962 |
| 2 | 8 | Women of the 87th Congress Publications |
1962 |
| 2 | 9 | Clippings |
1962 |
| 2 | 10 | Certificates & Citations |
1963 |
| 2 | 11 | Correspondence |
1963 |
| 2 | 12 | Federal Housing Administration |
1963 |
| 2 | 13 | Federal Housing Administration Review (FHA Newsletter) |
1963 |
| 2 | 14 | Inaugural Anniversary Salute Pamphlet |
1963 |
| 2 | 15 | Miscellaneous |
1963 |
| 2 | 16 | Clippings |
1963 |
| 2 | 17 | Aging & Social Policy from the White House Conference on Aging |
1964 |
| 2 | 18 | Biographies |
1964 |
| 2 | 19 | Correspondence |
1964 |
| 2 | 20 | Invitations |
1964 |
| 2 | 21 | Memorabilia |
1964 |
| 2 | 22 | Notes (Handwritten) |
1964 |
| 2 | 23 | Press Releases |
1964 |
| 2 | 24 | What's New in Housing the Elderly? Booklet |
1964 |
| 2 | 25 | Clippings |
1964 |
| 2 | 26 | Calendar/Appointments |
1965 |
| 2 | 27 | Obituaries/Memorials |
1965-1973 |
2: PhotosReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 3 | 1 | 1941 | |
| 3 | 2 | 1950 | |
| 3 | 3 | 1952 | |
| 3 | 4 | 1953 | |
| 3 | 5 | 1954 | |
| 3 | 6 | Hawaii Photos |
1954 |
| 3 | 7 | 1955 | |
| 3 | 8 | 1956 | |
| 3 | 9 | 1957 | |
| 3 | 10 | 1958 | |
| 3 | 11 | Grace Mine Photos |
1958 |
| 3 | 12 | Florida Photos |
1958 |
| 3 | 13 | Brussels, Belgium Photos |
1958 |
| 3 | 14 | National Onion Association Photos |
1958 |
| 3 | 15 | 1959 | |
| 3 | 16 | Yellowstone Earthquake Photos |
1959 |
| 3 | 17 | 1960 | |
| 3 | 18 | 1961 | |
| 3 | 19 | Photos, smaller than 6 × 9 |
1962 |
| 3 | 20 | Photos, larger than 6 × 9 |
1962 |
| 3 | 21 | 1963 | |
| 3 | 22 | 1964 | |
| Map Case | drawer | ||
| 9037 | 9 | Poster, Canyon County Democratic Ticket (with photos) |
1936 |
| 9037 | 9 | Poster, Canyon County Democratic Ticket (with photos) |
1940 |
| 9037 | 9 | Poster, Canyon County Democratic Ticket (with photos) |
1942 |
| 9037 | 9 | Poster, Canyon County Democratic Ticket (with photos) |
1944 |
| 9037 | 9 | Chart, Idaho Legislative and County Officials (Caxton Printers) |
1947-1948 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Idaho--Politics and government
- Legislators
- Older people--Government policy
- Political Campaigns
- Women legislators
- Women--Idaho
Personal Names
- Pfost, Gracie Bowers, 1906-1965
Form or Genre Terms
- Photographs
Occupations
- Politicians
Collection processed by Olivia Umphrey
2007; updated 2023
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
