The Papers Congressman K. Gunn McKay
COLL MSS 86
Biographical Sketch:
K. Gunn McKay was born February 23, 1925 in Huntsville, Utah, the first of eight children to James Gunn McKay and Elizabeth (Bessie) Peterson McKay. During his youth McKay worked on the family dairy farm while attending Weber High School. After graduating from high school McKay served in the US Coast Guard. Upon completing his military service, McKay served as a missionary for two years in England for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On May 5, 1950 McKay married Donna Biesinger. During the 1950s McKay operated a farm in Fairfield, Utah and taught history in various Ogden, Utah high schools.
In the late 1950s McKay enrolled in Utah State University and in 1962 McKay received a BA in Education. That same year McKay became active in politics of the Democratic Party and was elected to the Utah Legislature and served two terms. In 1968 he became an administrative assistant to Governor Calvin L. Rampton. In 1970 McKay was elected to Utah’s 1st District of the House of Representatives and served in this capacity for a decade. During this time he was appointed by House Speaker Carl Albert to the Appropriations Committee.
During his political career McKay was a strong advocate of resource development in Utah but also worked to ensure Utah’s natural wonders. McKay secured funding that further developed the Glen Canyon, Arches, and Zion National Parks. He also drafted language making Utah’s Lone Peak Wilderness Area a model and succeeded in modifying language in the Clean Air Act.
During this time period McKay also served as chairman of the Military Construction Subcommittee, which allowed him to reopen Utah’s Minute Man Missile production line for an additional year and secure the F-16 fighter mission for Hill Air Force Base, Utah. McKay was highly influential in strengthening work at Hill Air Force Base, bringing the base to a 37-year high in activity in 1978. His committee also appropriated $17 million dollars to increase security at Tooele, Utah’s nerve gas storage facility.
In 1980, less than a month after McKay had left Congress, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called McKay to serve for three years as a Mission President over the Scotland-Northern Ireland Mission. After completing his term as a Mission President, McKay and his wife volunteered to serve a two-year mission in Kenya, Africa and later a second two-year mission in Malaysia. McKay and his wife also served a third mission in Pakistan, but returned home early due to illness. Thereafter McKay and his wife resided in Huntsville. Gunn McKay passed away at his home in Huntsville on October 6, 2000.
Source: Obituary, Deseret News, 10/08/2000.
Provenance Note:
The materials that comprise this collection were donated to USU Special Collections & Archives in 1981 by Congressman Gunn McKay.
Scope and Content Note:
This collection contains the papers of former Congressman Gunn McKay and forms a substantial portion of USU Special Collections & Archive’s holdings. This 506 box collection contains McKay’s correspondence files, case files (included here are military liaison files and Ogden constituent files), legislative files, central files, public affairs files, personal files, and Democratic Party files accumulated during five sessions of the U.S. Congress. These materials document much of the government involvement in Utah during the 1970s. Some of the topics covered in McKay’s papers are; environmental issues, including materials concerning the Golden Spike National Historic Site upgrade, the creation of several of the national parks in southern and eastern Utah, the question of wilderness policy in the West, the growth of the Central Utah Project; defense issues, including materials which discuss the planned deployment of the Mx missile system, the ongoing controversy over the army's testing of nuclear bombs in the 1950s, copies of the radiation victims hearings held in Utah, and materials concerning Hill Air Force Base. In addition to these Utah topics, the collection contains material about the Vietnam War, the environmental movement, Watergate and other national issues of the time.
The material in this collection has been arranged to reflect and retain McKay's original office filing system. Within each congress (92nd - 96th), there are roughly five repeating series, such as: correspondence files, case files (included here are military liaison files and Ogden constituent files), legislative files, central files, public affairs files, personal files and Democratic Party files. The files, with the exception of the central files, are all filed alphabetically by subject or surname and usually run for one session of a congress and then start over for the next session. Thus, for example they are designated as being from the 93rd Congress, 2nd Session. The central files which contain research material about different issues have two different filing systems. In the 92nd and the 96th congresses the records are filed alphabetically by subject. In the 93rd - 95th congresses the filing system changed to a numeric system that indicates the year the file was established and the number of its creation. This second number runs consecutively through the three congresses for example, 73- 401 and 74-402.
Use Restrictions. Because of the sensitive nature of a congressional collection certain problems of constituent confidentiality arise. With this in mind the records entitled case files (these being the files in which McKay was called upon by a constituent to aid them with problems they were having with the federal government) are restricted. Also restricted are the correspondence files that contain carbon copies of all of McKay’s outgoing correspondence. These latter files may be used upon consultation with the staff of Special Collections & Archives.
Boxes 1 - 84 concern the 92nd Congress
Boxes 85 - 224 concern the 93rd Congress.
Boxes 225 - 347 concern the 94th Congress.
Boxes 348 - 462 concern the 95th Congress.
Boxes 463 - 506 concern the 96th Congress.
Inventory:
NINETY-SECOND CONGRESS, FIRST AND SECOND SESSION, 1971-1972. OUTGOING CORRESPONDENCE FILED ALPHABETICALLY BY NAME FOR THE 1ST SESSION OF THE 92ND CONGRESS.
Box 1: Outgoing correspondence, 1st Session of the 92nd Congress, (by last name) A-Bro.
Box 2: Outgoing correspondence, 1st Session of the 92nd Congress, Bru-El.
Box 3: Outgoing correspondence, 1st Session of the 92nd Congress, Eh-Har.
Box 4: Outgoing correspondence, 1st Session of the 92nd Congress, He-Ku.
Box 5: Outgoing correspondence, 1st Session of the 92nd Congress, L-Na.
Box 6: Outgoing correspondence, 1st Session of the 92nd Congress, Ne-Ro.
Box 7: Outgoing correspondence, 1st Session of the 92nd Congress, Ros-Th.
Box 8: Outgoing correspondence, 1st Session of the 92nd Congress, To-Z.
MILITARY LIASON CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE 92ND CONGRESS
Box 9: Military liaison correspondence, 92nd Congress, 1971, A-S
Box 10: Military liaison correspondence, 92nd Congress, 1971, T-Z and 1972, A-K
Box 11: Military liaison correspondence, 92nd Congress, 1972, J-Z.
CASE FILES FROM THE FIRST SESSION OF THE 92ND CONGRESS, 1971.
Box 12: Agriculture-Defense (12 Folders).
Fd 1: Agriculture
Fd 2: Agriculture
Fd 3: Agriculture - Regarding Migrant Labor Housing
Fd 4: Army case file
Fd 5: Banking and Currency
Fd 6: Bureau of Land Management
Fd 7: Civil Aeronautics Board
Fd 8: Civil Service
Fd 9: Commerce
Fd 10: Defense
Fd 11: Economic Development Administration
Fd 12: Economic Opportunity, Office Of
Box 13: Farmers - Housing & Urban Development (12 Folders).
Fd 1: Farmers Home Administration
Fd 2: Federal Aviation Administration
Fd 3: Federal Communication Commission
Fd 4: Federal Housing Administration
Fd 5: Federal Trade Commission
Fd 6: Food and Drug Administration
Fd 7: Forest Service
Fd 8: General Services
Fd 9-11: Health, Education, and Welfare
Fd 12: Housing and Urban Development
Box 14: Immigration – Labor (11 Folders).
Fd 1: Immigration File
Fd 2-4: Interior Department
Fd 5: Internal Revenue Service
Fd 6-9: Jobs
Fd 10: Justice
Fd 11: Labor, Department of
Box 15: Miscellaneous – Welfare (14 Folders)
Fd 1-2: Miscellaneous
Fd 3: National Park Service
Fd 4: Passport Cases
Fd 5: Post Office
Fd 6: Postmasters List
Fd 7: Public Works Environment
Fd 8: Small Business Administration
Fd 9-10: Social Security Administration
Fd 11: Transportation Department
Fd 12: Unemployment and Labor
Fd 13: Veteran's Administration
Fd 14: Welfare and Institutions
CASE FILES FROM THE SECOND SESSION OF THE 92ND CONGRESS, 1972.
Box 16: Agriculture – Economic (10 Folders).
Fd 1: Agriculture
Fd 2: Army
Fd 3: Banking and Currency
Fd 4: Bureau of land Management
Fd 5: Civil Service
Fd 6: Civil Aeronautics Borad
Fd 7: Commerce
Fd 8-9: Defense
Fd 10: Economic Development Administration
Box 17: Economic - General Services Administration (13 Folders).
Fd 1-2: Economic Opportunity, Office of
Fd 3: Environmental Protection Administration
Fd 4: Farmers Home Administration
Fd 5: Federal Aviation Administration
Fd 6: Federal Communications Commission
Fd 7: Federal Power Commission
Fd 8: Federal Trade Commission
Fd 9: Food and Drug Administration
Fd 10-11: Forest Service
Fd 12-13: General Service Administration
Box 18: Health – Housing (7 Folders).
Fd 1-4: Health, Education and Welfare
Fd 5: Higher Education
Fd 6: Hill Air Force Base
Fd 7: Housing and Urban Development
Box 19: Housing – Interior (9 Folders).
Fd 1: Housing and Urban Development
Fd 2: Housing and Urban Development - Provo Sewer System
Fd 3-4: Immigration
Fd 5-9: Interior Department
Box 20: Internal – Jobs (7 Folders).
Fd 1: Internal Revenue Service
Fd 2-6: Jobs
Fd 7: Jobs - Donald Ellison
Box 21: Justice - Post Office (10 Folders).
Fd 1: Justice
Fd 2: Labor, Department of
Fd 3-4: Local Matters Case File Lower Logan River Land Owners Association, Logan River Blacksmith Fork River, Cache County, Mr. W. B. McCool - Secretary of the Atomic Energy Commission, Geneva Steel, Utah County, Ogden, Amtrak, Upper Colorado River Commission
Fd 5-7: Miscellaneous Case Files
Fd 8: National Park Service
Fd 9: Pay Board--Price Commission
Fd 10: Post Office
Box 22: Small Business Administration - Welfare (9 folders).
Fd 1: Small Business Administration
Fd 2-3: Social Security Administration
Fd 4: State Department
Fd 5: Transportation, Department of
Fd 6: Unemployment and Labor
Fd 7-8: Veteran's Administration
Fd 9: Welfare and Institutions
LEGISLATIVE FILES FROM FIRST SESSION OF THE 92ND CONGRESS, 1971.
Box 23: Agriculture - Appropriations (21 Folders).
Fd 1: Agriculture-Animals
Fd 2: Agriculture-Farm Subsidies
Fd 3: Agriculture-Forests and Forest Service
Fd 4-5: Agriculture-General
Fd 6: Agriculture-Grazing Fees
Fd 7: Agriculture-Honey Producers
Fd 8: Appropriations-Agriculture
Fd 9: Appropriations-Bookmobiles
Fd 10: Appropriations-Defense
Fd 11: Appropriations-District of Columbia
Fd 12: Appropriations-Foreign Operations
Fd 13: Appropriations-Foster Grandparents
Fd 14: Appropriations-General
Fd 15: Appropriations-Interior
Fd 16: Appropriations-Judiciary
Fd 17-18: Appropriations-Labor-Health Education and Welfare
Fd 19: Appropriations-Military Construction
Fd 20: Appropriations-Poverty-Programs
Fd 21: Appropriations-Public Works
Box 24: Appropriation-Education (22 Folders).
Fd 1: Appropriations-Social Work Education
Fd 2-4: Appropriations-Super sonic Transport
Fd 5: Appropriations-Transportation
Fd 6: Appropriations-Treasury and Post Office
Fd 7: Appropriations-Veteran's Administration
Fd 8: Armed Services-Department of Defense
Fd 9: Armed Services-Draft
Fd 10: Armed Services-General
Fd 11: Armed Services-Military Installations
Fd 12: Atomic Energy Joint Committee
Fd 13: Banking and Currency-consumer affairs
Fd 14: Banking and Currency-General
Fd 15: Banking and Currency-Housing
Fd 16: Banking and Currency Lockheed Loan
Fd 17: Banking and Currency-Small Business
Fd 18-20: Commerce-Public Health
Fd 21: District of Columbia
Fd 22: Education and Labor - Abortions
Box 25: Education (18 Folders).
Fd 1: Education and Labor - Davis Bacon Act
Fd 2-4: Education and Labor - Education
Fd 5: Education and Labor - Equal Employment
Fd 6: Education and Labor - General
Fd 7: Education and Labor - Health
Fd 8-11: Education and Labor - Labor
Fd 12: Education and Labor - Senior Citizens
Fd 13: Education and Labor - Sheep Shearers
Fd 14-17: Education and Labor - Office of Educational Opportunity.
Fd 18: Education and Labor - Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations Part 30
Box 26: Foreign Affairs (8 Folders).
Fd 1-3: Foreign Affairs - General
Fd 4-8: Foreign Affairs - Lieutenant Calley.
Box 27: Foreign Affairs – Government (18 Folders).
Fd 1: Foreign Affairs - Mansfield Amendment
Fd 2: Foreign Affairs - Middle East
Fd 3: Foreign Affairs - Prisoners of War
Fd 4-7: Foreign Affairs - Red China
Fd 8-9: Foreign Affairs - Rhodesia
Fd 10-14: Foreign Affairs - Vietnam
Fd 15: Government Operations - Cabinet Reorganization
Fd 16-17: Government Operations - Congressional Record 7
Fd 18: Government Operations - Conservation and Natural Resources.
Box 28: Government – Interior (19 Folders).
Fd 1-2: Government Operation - General
Fd 3: Grazing Fees
Fd 4: House Administration
Fd 5: Interior and Insular Affairs-Alaskan Pipeline
Fd 6: Interior and Insular Affairs - Department of the Interior
Fd 7-10: Interior and Insular Affairs - General
Fd 11-14: Interior and Insular Affairs - Glenn Canyon/Escalante
Fd 15-19: Interior and Insular Affairs - Golden Eagle
Box 29: Interior – Interstate (19 Folders).
Fd 1-8: Interior and Insular Affairs - Golden Eagle
Fd 9: Interior and Insular Affairs - Indians
Fd 10: Interior and Insular Affairs - Mines and Mining
Fd 11-12: Interior and Insular Affairs; Utah Parks and Recreation
Fd 13-14: Interior and Insular Affairs - Water
Fd 15: Interior and Insular Affairs - Wildlife Resources
Fd 16: Internal Security
Fd 17: Interstate and Foreign Commerce - Federal Aviation Agency
Fd 18-19: Interstate and Foreign Commerce - Federal Communications Commission
Box 30: Interstate – Judiciary (21 Folders).
Fd 1-2: Interstate and Foreign Commerce - Federal Power Commission
Fd 3: Interstate and Foreign Commerce - Federal Trade Commission
Fd 4: Interstate and Foreign Commerce - Food and Drug Administration
Fd 5-8: Interstate and Foreign Commerce; General
Fd 9: Interstate and Foreign Commerce - Public Transportation
Fd 10-15: Interstate and Foreign Commerce – Railroads
Fd 18: Judiciary - Alcoholism and Narcotics
Fd 19: Judiciary - Busing
Fd 20: Judiciary - Civil Rights
Fd 21: Judiciary - Crime
Box 31: Judiciary - Miscellaneous (20 Folders)
Fd 1: Judiciary - Federal Bureau of Investigation
Fd 2-4: Judiciary - General
Fd 5-6: Judiciary - Gun Control
Fd 7: Judiciary - Immigration
Fd 8: Judiciary - Justice Department
Fd 9-11: Judiciary - Prayer
Fd 12: Judiciary - Riots
Fd 13: Judiciary - Supreme Court
Fd 14: Judiciary - Voting Rights
Fd 15: Judiciary - Women's Rights
Fd 16: Merchant Marine and Fisheries - General
Fd 17-18: Merchant Marine and Fisheries Wildlife Conservation
Fd 19: Miscellaneous - Crank Mail
Fd 20: Miscellaneous - Ecology
Box 32: Miscellaneous (18 Folders).
Fd 1-6: Miscellaneous - Miscellaneous Issues
Fd 7-18: Miscellaneous - Opinion Ballots
Box 33: Miscellaneous - Public works (22 Folders)
Fd 1-4: Miscellaneous - Opinion Ballots
Fd 5: Miscellaneous - School Children
Fd 6: Miscellaneous - Special Committees
Fd 7: Miscellaneous - Unemployment
Fd 8: Out of District Letters
Fd 9: Post Office and Civil Service - Stamp
Fd 10: Post Office and Civil Service - Civil Service Retirement
Fd 11-12: Post Office and Civil Service - General
Fd 13: Post Office and Civil Service - Obscene Mail
Fd 14: Post Office and Civil Service - Pay Increase
Fd 15: Post Office and Civil Service - Postal Rate Increase
Fd 16: Public Works - Economic Development Administration
Fd 17-18: Public Works - General
Fd 19: Public Works - Medicare/Health
Fd 20: Public Works - Pollution
Fd 21: Public Works - Roads
Fd 22: Public Works - Watershed/Flood Control
Box 34: Rules - Ways and Means (23 Folders).
Fd 1: Rules
Fd 2-3: Science and Aeronautics - General
Fd 4: Science and Aeronautics - NASA
Fd 5: Senior Citizens
Fd 6: Standards of Control
Fd 7: Veteran's Affairs - General
Fd 8: Ways and Means - Chiropractors
Fd 9: Ways and Means - Economy
Fd 10: Ways and Means _ General
Fd 11-12: Ways and Means - Minimum Wage
Fd 13-14: Ways and means - Revenue Sharing
Fd 15: Ways and Means - Social Security
Fd 16: Ways and Means - Tariffs
Fd 17-18: Ways and Means - Taxes
Fd 19-21: Ways and Means - Wage/Price Freeze
Fd 22-23: Ways and Means - Welfare
LEGISLATIVE FILES FROM THE SECOND SESSION OF THE NINETY-FIRST CONGRESS, 1972.
Box 35: Agriculture (10 Folders).
Fd 1: Agriculture - Conservation and Credit
Fd 2: Agriculture - Departmental Operations
Fd 3-4: Agriculture - Family Farms and Rural
Fd 5: Agriculture - Food Stamps
Fd 6-7: Agriculture - Forest Service - Maps
Fd 8: Agriculture - Forest Service Shrub Research
Fd 9-10: Agriculture - General