J. Hugo Aronson was governor of Montana (1953-1961) and served in Montana House of Representatives (1938-1944) and the Montana State Senate (1944-1952). The bulk of the collection consists of campaign/political materials, correspondence, speeches, press releases, subject files, reports, and scrapbooks concerning his two terms as governor. The collection also contains J. Hugo Aronson's business and personal papers including financial documents, correspondence and subject material. [Artifacts, motion pictures and printed materials have been separated to the Museum, Photo Archives, and Library respectively.] J. Hugo Aronson papers consist of documents relating to the life and career of the former governor. Series 1-2: These series contain the personal files of J. Hugo Aronson and his family. These files contain biographical material of J. Hugo Aronson, Matilda Lengage Aronson, and Rose McClure Aronson; correspondence to and from Rose, Rika, and J. Hugo Aronson including condolence letters to J. Hugo for the death of his first wife, Matilda, reaction towards the articles "What America Means to Me" and "Montana's Galloping Swede," and Christmas letters from 1961. The series also includes financial statements and balance sheets for C. A. F. Oil Co., A. E. Crumley, and Hagerty Oil Co., M. H. O. Co., and legal documents including contracts with the Northern Pacific Railroad for the transportation of livestock, the United States for construction of water storage facility, and oil and gas leases. Series 3-4: These small series contains material from J. Hugo's time in the Montana House of Representative and the Senate. The series contain subject files on the sale of State owned lots in Glacier County and conscientious objection and the First Methodist Church during the Korean War. Series 5: Campaign materials consist of campaign letters from Aronson for Governor Club, campaign speeches, subject files focusing on campaign issues including oil and gas lease program for schools and Montana highway program. The series also contain John Bonner and Arnold Olsen's campaign speeches when they ran against J. Hugo. Series 6: The bulk of this series documents J. Hugo's governorship. Much of the correspondences in this series are congratulatory of election and reelection victories with little information on policy and strategy. Speeches include dedications; the Governors message to the Legislature for 1955, 1957, 1959; keynote addresses to Montana Republican Convention; and to the Montana AFL-CIO, Montana Press Association, panel on Natural resources, stockgrowers, United States Senate on Interior and Insular Affairs, and the woolgrowers. The series also contains subject files on various state agencies including but not limited to the Highway Commission, Highway Patrol, State Board of Education, State Board of Examiners, and State Board of Land Commissioners. Scrapbooks, which date from 1952-1961 and specifically focus on his governorship. (Manuscript Collection 338)
