D'Ewart, Wesley Abner, 1889-1973

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Wesley A. D'Ewart was born in Worcester, Massachusetts on October 1, 1889. He attended the public schools of Massachusetts and Washington State College in Pullman, Washington. He later moved to the Wilsall, Montana area and worked for the Forest Service and in ranching. In 1936, D'Ewart was elected to the Montana House of Representatives and then to the to the State Senate in 1940. In 1945, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives by special election, representing Montana's Eastern District. He took the seat vacated due to the death of Representative James F. O'Connor. D'Ewart was reelected to 4 succeeding Congresses but failed to win a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1954. D'Ewart was an avowed opponent of Socialism and Communism from his earliest political campaigns. In the early 1950s, he supported U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist crusade. In 1954, D'Ewart unsuccessfully campaigned for the U.S. Senate seat held by Montana's Democratic U.S. Senator, James Murray. D'Ewart delivered speeches linking Sen. Murray with the Communist movement. The Montana for D'Ewart Committee compiled and published a booklet entitled "Senator Murray and the Red Web Over Congress." D'Ewart served as Assistant to the Secretary of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. from January 1955 to September 1955. He then took the post of Assistant Secretary of the Interior until July 1956, when the Senate Committee on the Interior declined to re-approve him, largely due to partisan efforts against him. D'Ewart's anti-Communist campaign against Senator James Murray for the U.S. Senate had angered both Murray and the Democratic Party. The controversy over D'Ewart's nomination for Ass. Sec. of the Interior generated a great deal of coverage and correspondence. Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson appointed D'Ewart to the position of Special Representative to the Secretary of Agriculture from August 1956 to October 1958. D'Ewart continued to be deeply involved in land and water issues during his retirement from political life. He was a serious follower of Montana elections from 1936 to the 1970s and took an active role in Republican politics, not only as a political candidate, but as a Republican Party activist and strategist.

From the guide to the Wesley A. D'Ewart Papers, 1936-1973, (Montana State University-Bozeman Library, Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections)

U.S. representative from Montana and government official.

From the description of Wesley A. D'Ewart papers, 1936-1973. (Montana State University Bozeman Library). WorldCat record id: 70959545

Five term U.S. congressman from Montana. Avowed opponent of Socialism and Communinism. Also served in the Dept. of the Interior. Even after retiring to his ranch in Wilsall he continued to be active in Montana politics and water resource issues.

From the description of Wesley D'Ewart papers, 1936-1973. (Montana State University Bozeman Library). WorldCat record id: 42927343

Government official.

From the description of Reminiscences of Wesley Abner D'Ewart : oral history, 1967. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 122608236

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf D'Ewart, Wesley. Wesley D'Ewart papers, 1936-1973. Montana State University (Bozeman, Mont.). Library
creatorOf D'Ewart, Wesley Abner, 1889-1973. Reminiscences of Wesley Abner D'Ewart : oral history, 1967. Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries
creatorOf Stigler, William Grady, 1891-1952. Congressional Papers, 1934-1952, bulk 1944-1952. University of Oklahoma, Bizzell Memorial Library
referencedIn Yellowtail, Robert. Papers, 1825-1986. Little Big Horn College Library
creatorOf D'Ewart, Wesley Abner, 1889-1973. Wesley A. D'Ewart papers, 1936-1973. Montana State University (Bozeman, Mont.). Library
creatorOf Stigler, William Grady, 1891-1952. Congressional papers, 1934-1952. University of Oklahoma, Bizzell Memorial Library
creatorOf Wesley A. D'Ewart Papers, 1936-1973 MSU-Bozeman Library, Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Aronson, J. Hugo (John Hugo), 1891-1978 person
associatedWith Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969 person
associatedWith Goldwater, Barry M. (Barry Morris), 1909- person
associatedWith Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994 person
associatedWith Stigler, William Grady, 1891-1952. person
associatedWith United States-Congress-House corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Congress. House. corporateBody
associatedWith United States-Dept. of the Interior corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Dept. of the Interior. corporateBody
associatedWith Yellowtail, Robert. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
United States
Montana
United States
Washington (State)
United States
Montana-Politics and government-20th century
Yellowstone National Park
Grand Coulee Dam (Wash.)
United States-Politics and government-1945-1989
Montana
Yellowstone National Park-Photographs
Montana--Park County
Grand Coulee Dam (Wash.)
Subject
Anti-communist movements
Political campaigns
Civic Activism
Communism
Conservation of natural resources
Elections
Elections
Erosion
Erosion
Government executives
Indians of North America
Legislators
Montana
National parks and reserves
Parks and Recreation
Photographs
Public lands
Public lands
Ranches
Ranches
Ranching
Sound recordings
Water and Water Rights
Water resources development
Water-supply
Water-supply
Occupation
Legislators
Activity

Person

Birth 1889-10-01

Death 1973

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