Arlene Lehto papers

Collection — Box: 17

Identifier: S2361

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection contains documents from the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission, the Great Lakes Basin Commission, and the Save Lake Superior Association. Also included are Lehto’s legislative papers, subject files, and publications.

Arrowhead Regional Development Commission papers include policy plan, minutes, financial statements, and correspondence.

Great Lakes Basin Commission materials include correspondence and reports.

Legislative papers include personal notes, speeches, correspondence, constituent correspondence, and campaign materials.

Dates

Creation: 1971-1983

Creator

Lehto, Arlene, 1939 September 14- (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Open for use in the Kathryn A. Martin Library, Archives and Special Collections.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection may be protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials. Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law.

Biographical / Historical

Arlene Lehto served three terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1977-1983, representing District 8a. Lehto was elected as a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party. Born in Duluth of Finnish heritage, she graduated from Two Harbors High School and attended the University of Minnesota, Duluth, studying Speech and Political Science. Lehto received a Bush Foundation Leadership Fellowship in 1983 to attend Harvard University, where she earned a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government.

Lehto was known as a prominent environmentalist in Duluth. She was the founding President of the Save Lake Superior Association, which was formed to fight pollution in the lake. Save Lake Superior Association and Lehto were active in the Reserve Mining legal case regarding taconite tailings discharged into the lake. She Lehto was the 1973 recipient of the Minnesota Public Health Association's Albert J. Chesley Award and the 1974 U.S. EPA Region V Citizen Activist Award. During her legislative term Lehto was the co-author of several key bills including the 1980 Acid Deposition Act and was also a key advocate of an early version of Minnesota’s Clean Indoor Air Act.

Extent

42.5 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

Undetermined

Additional Description

Abstract

Physical Location

This collection is located at the University of Minnesota Duluth Archives. For more information about this collection or to make an appointment, contact us at libarchives@d.umn.edu or 218-726-8526.

Related Materials:

NEMHC Archival Collections S2291 Women in Politics Oral History Project, Arlene Lehto oral history interview

NEMHC Archival Collections S2372 United Citizens for Clean Water and Air records

NEMHC Archival Collections S2385 Alden Lind papers

NEMHC Archival Collections S2390 Reserve Mining Legal Case records

NEMHC Archival Collections S2390 Save Lake Superior Association records

NEMHC Archival Collections S4449 Harold B. Leppink Reserve Mining case papers

NEMHC Archival Collections S6095 John T. Pegors papers

NEMHC Serial Collection Lake Superior News

NEMHC Books Collection Superior pollutor : a saga of the struggle to stop pollution of the largest fresh water lake in the world by its most egregious polluter--the Reserve Mining Company / authored by Stanley Ulrich, Timothy J. Berg, Deborah Hedlund ; edited by Eileen Bannon, 1972, KF3786.A2 U4 BK 2651