SCOPE AND CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION
The Victor C. Rivers Family Collection primarily relates to his professional and political life. The collection centers an his engineering and construction business, military and political careers, the Constitutional Convention, and the Alaska Statehood Movement. The major portion of the papers are from the period between 1939 and 1959. In addition, there are records pertaining to his community activities, as well as miscellaneous papers relating to family history.
The collection is divided into twelve series. The first and largest series contains Vic Rivers' papers. It is subdivided into six sub-series: A. Personal Papers; B. Business and Professional Papers; C. Correspondence; D. Politics; E. World War II; and F. Printed Materials. Series II through VIII contain papers relating to various family members. Series IX contains photographs while Series X through XII are scrapbooks, news clippings, and newspaper sections.
The personal papers (sub-series I-A) include his work history, documents of membership in various organizations, and other personal items. Some aspects of Vic Rivers' engineering and construction work are documented in series I-B by sketches of the projects and proposed projects of his company, the Engineer- Architect Services. Also included are papers relative to membership in professional organizations.
The correspondence (sub-series I-C) traces some of his assignments and appointments by the War Department during World War II. Several letters concern the political plans of Vic and Ralph Rivers with comments on some of the political issues. An important 1944 letter records some of Vic Rivers' work history, and other letters relate to family matters.
Vic Rivers' political papers (sub-series I-D) are of special interest since he was a Territorial Senator and then President of the Territorial Senate. A signed copy of the Constitution as well as resolutions, booklets, and certificates from the Constitutional Convention and the Statehood Movement are in these files. Vic Rivers campaigned to be the Democratic candidate for the first governor of the State of Alaska and some of his budgets, contribution records, and travel itineraries are found in this series. Also included are handbills and posters from the campaign. Campaign photographs are in Series IX. The scrapbooks, newsclippings, and newspaper sections in Series X through XII provide additional data on these subjects.
One of the documents in sub-series I-E on World War II is a translation of a Japanese diary with a handwritten note by Vic Rivers. Of special interest are travel applications and reports of his travel and work in the Aleutians and other Alaskan areas during the war. These documents and the World War II photographs in Series IX help document an interesting segment of the war. There are only a few newspapers from the World War 11 era.
Printed materials in sub-series I-F contain articles by and about him. A few articles about the Alaska Board of Engineering, World War II, and Statehood are also in this section.
The second series highlights aspects of Elleighfare "Rusty" Rivers I life. A few papers and news accounts detail some of the honors she received from the Red Cross and an Anchorage radio station. In Series III through VIII there are a few papers concerning Vic's father, Julian Guy, and his brothers and sisters, Ralph, Virginia, Russell Guy, Richard Lawrence, and Fern. The files for the brothers and sisters are sparse, but there is information about them in partial work histories. Further information on various family members is found in Vic Rivers' Personal Papers (Series I-A), Photographs (Series IX) and in some newspaper items (Series XI and XII). A booklet honoring Ralph Rivers in Series IV presents some information on his life and accomplishments. There are a few papers relating to his plan to remarry. Series IX contains a few photographs of him.
The majority of the 321 photographs in Series IX are of activities in the Aleutians during World War II when Vic Rivers was serving with the U.S. Corps of Engineers under Col. B. B. Talley and was Principal Engineer in charge of the Civilian Engineers and Army Construction in Alaska. Most of the World War II photographs are of the Aleutians showing road construction, airplanes, ships, Japanese equipment, and military personnel. A few items relate to a farewell party for Col. B. B. Talley in Anchorage.
Series IX also contains dated and undated photographs of buildings under construction with some of them in the 1930's at McKinley National Park. A few photographs in the politics file are of the Alaska Territorial Senate and the Constitutional Convention; in addition there is Vic Rivers' governor's campaign photo. There are a few photographs of Ralph Rivers and of Virginia Rivers Proffitt. Most of the 41 negatives in the collection are of photographs in the first three sub-series of Series IX.
The two scrapbooks in Series X contain newsclippings with a few assorted items such as engineer sketches of potential construction, articles of family activities, and social invitations. Series XI contains clippings and printed matter relating to Rivers's personal life, business activities, and political efforts as well as to other members of his family and political associates.
The newspaper and front page section (Series XII) includes scattered issues between 1943 and 1960. The majority of the newspaper sections are the Anchorage Daily Times and the Anchorage Daily News; and a few partial issues of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Seattle Sunday Times, Ketchikan Alaska Chronicle, and several other small newspapers. There are very few newspapers from the World War II era; but there are early issues of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner that contain information and pictures on early Alaska. Articles with pictures about the Constitutional Convention can be found in the newspapers of 1955 and 1956. There are newspapers that concern the 1958 push for statehood and the campaign for the election of the first Governor of Alaska. The obituary and tributes to Vic Rivers can be found in 1959 newspapers.
The Victor C. Rivers Family Collection is a varied and useful resource. It documents an Alaskan Civil Engineer who contributed to the area's development professionally both in peace time and during World War II. In addition, it records some of his political accomplishments and contributions. It is a valuable body of materials concerning one of the many self made men who helped build this State of Alaska.