University of Wyoming
Carl A. Rott was born in Sauk County, Wisconsin in 1902 and graduated from the Univeresity of Wisconsin in 1928 with an M.A. in journalism and economics. He worked for several papers in Wisconsin before becoming acquainted with Alf Landon in 1932. Landon had just been elected governor of Kansas, and Rott served as Landon's personal secretary from 1932-1939. He also served as one of Landon's speechwriters during his 1936 presidential campaign. From 1939-1940, Rott was the personnel director for the Kansas State Highway Commission. From 1940-1946, Rott worked as the editor of the Hastings, Nebraska "Tribune," and editor and general manager of the Winfield, Kansas "Courier." Both papers were owned by Fred A. Seaton of Hastings, Nebraska, who would later become one of Nebraska's U.S. senators, a personal secretary for President Eisenhower, and Secretary of the Interior. Seaton purchased the Sheridan, Wyoming "Press" in 1946, and Rott became its editor and publisher, a position he held until his death in 1969. Rott also served a staggering term on the Wyoming State Highway Commission during the 1950s, and also operated the 4Z Ranch outside of Sheridan. Rott was unsuccessful in his bid to be Sheridan County's state representative in 1958.
Arranged alphabetically by file name. The collection contains materials related to Rott's career in politics and journalism. A large portion of the collection consists of correspondence, especially between Rott and Fred Seaton, as well as with other Wyoming politicians including William Henry Jackson, J.J. Hickey, Milward Simpson, and Frank Barrett. There is also a significant amount of material related to Alf Landon, including campaign speeches given by Landon and correspondence between Rott and Landon primarily regarding political issues in Kansas, Wyoming, and the nation. Additional correspondence includes letters between Rott's wife Dorothy and Theo Cobb Landon (Landon's wife) and Josephine Cobb (Landon's mother-in-law). These letters primarily deal with Landon's political career and family matters.
Rott's activies with the Wyoming State Highway Commission are especially well documented, and include minutes, speeches, and reports concerning the planning and implementation of the U.S. interstate system in Wyoming, especially with regards to the location of what is now I-90 between Gillette and Buffalo. The collection also contains materials related to Rott's organizational memberships, including the Wyoming Citizens Committee on Educational Problems and the Wyoming Republican State Committee's 1954 survey of Wyoming's opinions regarding Preseident Eisenhower, as well as materials related to Rott's 1958 legislative campaign. The collection contains few materials pertaining to Rott's operation of the Sheridan "Press." The collection also contains some material relating to William Bayard Weir, a U.S. Army officer who was killed during the Ute Indian War of 1879.
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
There are no known other archival collections created by Carl A. Rott at the date of processing.
This material was received from Dorothy Rott (wife) in 1972 and 1976.
The collection was processed by Mark Shelstad in November 1995 and updated by Emily Christopherson in May 2011.
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.