Category Archives: Politics

Victory and Remembrance: Wyoming and the End of World War I

By the autumn of 1918 during World War I, Germany found itself bereft of manpower and supplies and was faced with imminent invasion. The country’s leaders requested an armistice from the Allies to end fighting on land, sea and air. Also … Continue reading

Posted in found in the archive, military history, Politics, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming history, World War I, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Nguyen Cao Ky: A Prime Minister’s Voice in the Vietnam War

Primary sources are incredibly valuable to historians studying specific topics. Those who would like to understand the myriad of perspectives from the Vietnam War may wish to turn their gaze to the American Heritage Center. Nguyen Cao Ky was the … Continue reading

Posted in International Collections, International relations, military history, oral histories, Politics, Uncategorized, Vietnam War | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Spotlighting Communism & Hollywood in the papers of Sesame Street’s Mr. Hooper

One of the most recognizable figures of the first thirteen years (1969-1982) of PBS’s Sesame Street was Mr. Hooper the grocer, played by veteran actor Will Lee. He was one of the four original human characters on the show. Before … Continue reading

Posted in Blacklisting, Cold War, Communism, Hollywood history, Motion picture actors and actresses, motion picture history, Political history, Politics, popular culture, Social justice, television history, Uncategorized, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Privy to Scandal: The Ralph O. Dietler Papers

One of the biggest scandals to ever rock the petroleum industry was the fraudulent leasing of United States oil reserves at Wyoming’s Teapot Dome, and the discovery of the Continental Trading Company, a Canadian corporation organized in 1921 to funnel … Continue reading

Posted in Economic Geology, energy resources, found in the archive, mining history, oral histories, Politics, Scandals, Teapot Dome scandal, Uncategorized, Western history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ted and Johanna Gostas: Resilience Amidst Adversity

Johanna Gostas served as Wyoming coordinator for the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia. Her husband, U. S. Army Maj. Theodore W. Gostas, was taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese during the Tet Offensive … Continue reading

Posted in American history, military history, Politics, Prisoners of War, Uncategorized, Vietnam War, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Celebrating a Wyoming Irishman: U.S. Senator Joseph C. O’Mahoney

Joseph O’Mahoney (1884-1962) was a journalist, lawyer, and politician. A Democrat, he served four complete terms as a U.S. Senator from Wyoming on two occasions, first from 1934-1953 and then again from 1954-1961. O’Mahoney was Irish to the core. He was born … Continue reading

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A Glimpse into History: FDR’s 1933 Inauguration Through Grace Robinson’s Eyes

On March 4, 1933, newly elected President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave the first of many inaugural addresses. This inauguration came in the midst of turmoil for the United States as the Great Depression was upon the country, causing life to … Continue reading

Posted in American history, Journalism, Politics, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In the Midst of McCarthyism: Wyoming Senator Edward Crippa’s Brief Senate Stint

Though a small collection, the Edward D. Crippa papers are of historical interest.  Crippa (1899-1960), who had served in World War I and been Wyoming state highway commissioner from 1941 to 1947, was appointed to represent Wyoming in the U.S. … Continue reading

Posted in Alan K. Simpson Institute for Western Politics and Leadership, Cold War, Communism, Politics, Uncategorized, western politics and leadership, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Brassy Barbara Stanwyck and Pre-Code Hollywood

In 1934, the Hays Code began to be strictly enforced in Hollywood to clean up alleged indecency in movies. All evil-doers had to meet their just rewards. What spurred the prudish policing? Hardboiled flicks like Baby Face. This 1933 film had … Continue reading

Posted in Hollywood history, Motion picture actors and actresses, motion picture history, Politics, popular culture, Uncategorized, Women in Hollywood, women's history | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Terror in the Theater – Fifties Fears

Science fiction films of the 1950s commonly expressed several themes: fear of technology leading to unintended consequences; invasion of the planet by aliens; and the effects of atomic radiation. Because science fiction movies were not constrained by reality, more imaginative … Continue reading

Posted in Cold War, Fantasy, Horror, motion picture history, Politics, Pop Culture, popular culture, science fiction, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments