ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202

WILLIAM L. NUESSLE PAPERS

COLLECTION: OGL #44

DATES: 1904-1959

SIZE: 6.25 linear feet

INTRODUCTION

ACQUISITION: The William L. Nuessle Papers were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection by Dr. Robert F. Nuessle in 1969. The collection was opened for research in 1983.

ACCESS: Available for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

William L. Nuessle was born May 5, 1878 in North Boston, New York. He was the son of Christopher and Mary (Vail) Nuessle. His family moved to the Dakota Territory in 1886, and settled on a farm near Emerado. Nuessle was educated at public schools in the area, and attended the University of North Dakota following his graduation from high school.

While at UND, Nuessle played tackle on the undefeated 1899 football team. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1899. He also completed a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1901, and was admitted to the North Dakota Bar that same year. He practiced in Grand Forks for a short time before moving to McLean County in 1902. He married Emma Weiss in Crystal, North Dakota, on December 28, 1904. The couple had four children: William, Robert, Francis, and Mary Louise.

Nuessle was elected the State's Attorney for McLean County in 1904, and served in this position until 1909. He was elected to District Court in 1913. He served in the Sixth and Fourth Judicial Districts, and gained notoriety for his decision against Governor Frazier's take over of the coal mines in 1919. He was elected to the North Dakota Supreme Court in 1922. He retired from the Court when his last term expired on December 31, 1950. Nuessle acted as the Court's Chief Justice in 1928-1929, 1933, 1939-1941, and from 1949-1950.

Nuessle was active in the Boy Scouts of America, and received the Silver Beaver Award from the Missouri Valley Scout Council. He acted as a trustee for the Bismarck Hospital for over twenty five years. He was also an active member in the American and North Dakota Bar Associations, as well as the Masons, Elks, and the Rotary. Nuessle was awarded an Alumni Achievement Citation by the UND Alumni Association in 1956.

William L. Nuessle died in Bismarck on March 30, 1959.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The William L. Nuessle Papers date from 1904-1959 and consist almost exclusively of correspondence. Included are letters related to Nuessle's 1940 campaign for the North Dakota Supreme Court, letters regarding Nuessle's agricultural interests in McLean and Oliver counties, and correspondence to the Judicial Council. The vast majority of the collection consists of Nuessle's general correspondence file. Included are business, legal, and personal letters, with a fair amount of the correspondence taking the form of a regular "Newsletter" Nuessle wrote to his family. The newsletters discuss everyday events in Nuessle's life and career, as well as current events, local happenings, politics, and the weather. Nuessle also used the newsletters to provide updates on various members of the Nuessle family.

BOX AND FOLDER INVENTORY

Box 1
Folder

  1. Campaign Correspondence, S-Z: 1940
  2. Campaign Correspondence, S-Z: 1940
  3. Campaign Correspondence, S-Z: 1940
  4. McLean County Farm Correspondence
  5. McLean County Farm Correspondence
  6. McLean County Farm Correspondence
  7. McLean County Farm Correspondence
  8. McLean County Farm Correspondence
  9. McLean County Farm Correspondence
  10. Judicial Council
  11. Judicial Council
  12. Judicial Council
  13. Judicial Council
  14. Oliver County Farm Correspondence
  15. Oliver County Farm Correspondence
  16. Defense Joint Civilian Orientation Conference Number 14
  17. Defense Joint Civilian Orientation Conference Number 14
  18. General Correspondence: 1904 - June 1905
  19. General Correspondence: July - August 1905
  20. General Correspondence: September - October 1905
  21. General Correspondence: November - December 1905
  22. General Correspondence: undated (but from 1905)

Box 2
Folder

  1. General Correspondence: 1917, 1922-1925
  2. General Correspondence: 1926-1927
  3. General Correspondence: 1928
  4. General Correspondence: 1929
  5. General Correspondence: 1930
  6. General Correspondence: January - June 1931
  7. General Correspondence: July - December 1931
  8. General Correspondence: January - June 1932
  9. General Correspondence: July - December 1932
  10. General Correspondence: January - June 1933
  11. General Correspondence: July - December 1933
  12. General Correspondence: January - June 1934
  13. General Correspondence: July - December 1934
  14. General Correspondence: January - June 1935
  15. General Correspondence: July - December 1935
  16. General Correspondence: January - June 1936
  17. General Correspondence: July - December 1936

Box 3
Folder

  1. General Correspondence: January - June 1937
  2. General Correspondence: July - December 1937
  3. General Correspondence: January - June 1938
  4. General Correspondence: July - December 1938
  5. General Correspondence: January - June 1939
  6. General Correspondence: July - December 1939
  7. General Correspondence: January - June 1940
  8. General Correspondence: July - December 1940
  9. General Correspondence: January - June 1941
  10. General Correspondence: July - December 1941
  11. General Correspondence: January - June 1942
  12. General Correspondence: July - December 1942
  13. General Correspondence: January - June 1943
  14. General Correspondence: July - December 1943
  15. General Correspondence: January - June 1944
  16. General Correspondence: July - December 1944
  17. General Correspondence: January - June 1945
  18. General Correspondence: July - December 1945

Box 4
Folder

  1. General Correspondence: 1946
  2. General Correspondence: January - June 1947
  3. General Correspondence: July - December 1947
  4. General Correspondence: January - June 1948
  5. General Correspondence: July - December 1948
  6. General Correspondence: January - June 1949
  7. General Correspondence: July - October 1949
  8. General Correspondence: November - December 1949
  9. General Correspondence: January - June 1950
  10. General Correspondence: July - December 1950
  11. General Correspondence: 1951 - 1952
  12. General Correspondence: January - June 1953
  13. General Correspondence: July - December 1953

Box 5
Folder

  1. General Correspondence: January - June 1954
  2. General Correspondence: July - December 1954
  3. General Correspondence: January - June 1955
  4. General Correspondence: July - December 1955
  5. General Correspondence: January - June 1956
  6. General Correspondence: July - December 1956
  7. General Correspondence: January - June 1957
  8. General Correspondence: July - December 1957
  9. General Correspondence: 1958 - 1959
  10. Bartels Oil Company vs. Johnson
  11. Bartels Oil Company vs. Johnson
 Original Donation  First Addition:1900-1959

Return to: Legal

Special Collections Home Page Contact Special Collections Chester Fritz Library Home Page