William W. Dieleman Collection, 1969-1994 | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

By Ed Start, March 2000

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Collection Overview

Title: William W. Dieleman Collection, 1969-1994

ID: COLL/368

Primary Creator: Dieleman, William W. (1931-)

Extent: 10.15 Cubic Feet. More info below.

Arrangement: Folder level description

Abstract

Details the political career of Dieleman including his tenure in the Iowa House,1974-1982, and Iowa Senate, 1982-1994. The collection includes: correspondence, newsletters to constituents, memorabilia from his political career, particularly the campaigns and elections, and his office files on various topics that arose during his political career. One issue that took up much of his time and energy was riverboat gambling. In this area he also was appointed to serve as chairman of the committee to write a statement on gambling for the Christian Reformed Church in North America. Compulsory school attendance and abortion also seem to have taken up a significant amount of his legislative time.

Biographical Note

William W. Dieleman, (b. in Oskaloosa, Iowa, in 1931) served in the Iowa legislature for twenty years. After serving five years as a Pella city councilman he was elected to the Iowa State House of Representatives in 1974. After serving four terms in the House he moved to the Senate in 1982 where he served three four-year terms until he retired in 1994.

Because the Iowa legislature only runs from January through May, he had to supplement this part-time salary. He worked as an insurance underwriter and he also owned a small newspaper in Sully, Iowa, entitled, The Diamond Trail News.

As a conservative Democrat, he occupied key positions in the legislature. He was chairman of the Ways and Means Committee in the Iowa Senate. He also headed the Committee on Natural Resources. In addition, he was a member of four other committees: Education, State Government, Transportation, and the Administration Appropriations Subcommittee, of which he was vice-chairman.

Dieleman and his wife Emily Langstraat together raised three children: Wendell, Cyndi (Dennis DeYoung), and Kristen (Gandrow). Before attending Calvin College he served in the military during the Korean conflict. After receiving his AB degree in political science from Calvin College in 1959 he taught history and political science for fifteen years-four years at Calvin Christian School in South Holland, Illinois, and eleven years at Pella Christian High School. During these years he was able to do graduate work at the University of Iowa, receiving his MA in political science in 1966. He did further post- graduate work at the University of South Dakota.

Dieleman is retired and is currently living in Bella Vista, Arkansas.

Administrative Information

Repository: Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

Alternate Extent Statement: 20 Boxes

Acquisition Source: William W. Dieleman

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Personal File, 1970-1994],
[Series 2: Correspondence, 1977-1994],
[Series 3: Dieleman's Dateline, 1990-1994],
[Series 4: Elections, 1969-1994],
[Series 5: Subject Files, 1980-1994],
[Series 6: Realia],
[Series 7: Photographs],
[All]

Series 1: Personal File --- 1970-1994

Original labeling, contains articles and mementos as well as special correspondence.

Box 1

Folder 1: 1970-1981
Folder 2: 1982
Folder 3: 1983-1987
Folder 4: 1988-1989
Folder 5: 1990
Folder 6: 1991

Box 2

Folder 1: 1992
Folder 2: 1993
Folder 3: 1994

Series 2: Correspondence --- 1977-1994

Box 2

Folder 4: Letters of thanks
Folder 5: Letters of recommendation
Folder 6: Maytag letters

Box 3

Folder 1: 1977-1992
Folder 2-7: 1993

Box 4

Folder 1: 1993
Folder 2-5: 1994

Series 3: Dieleman's Dateline --- 1990-1994

Reports to constituents via a series of newsletters.

Box 4

Folder 6: Dieleman's Dateline --- 1990-1994

Series 4: Elections --- 1969-1994

Correspondence, newspaper clippings and organizational material for each campaign; organized chronologically.

Box 5

Folder 1: 1969-1973
Folder 2: 1974
Folder 3-4: 1976
Folder 5-6: 1978

Box 6

Folder 1-2: 1980
Folder 3-4: 1982
Folder 5: 1986
Folder 6: 1990
Folder 7: 1992-1994

Series 5: Subject Files --- 1980-1994

Closely follows Dieleman's outline but there were some omissions of categories and some consolidation of categories made for the sake of efficiency. Many catalogues, manuals, brochures, policy books, and other published materials were not kept in the collection, this includes a significant amount on gambling; organized chronologically by topic.

Box 7

Folder 1: Abortion
Folder 2: Administration Appropriation Subcommittee
Folder 3: Adoption
Folder 4: Agriculture
Folder 5: Banking
Folder 6: Business
Folder 7: Capitol Centennial Committee
Folder 8: Capitol Planning Commission

Box 8

Folder 1: Cities
Folder 2: Coal
Folder 3: Communications
Folder 4: Contacts --- 1993
Folder 5: Coopers Kids case
Folder 6: County government
Folder 7: Death penalty
Folder 8: DC amendment

Box 9

Folder 1: Democratic Party
Folder 2: Disabilities
Folder 3: Drugs and alcohol
Folder 4: Economic development
Folder 5: Education-Christian
Folder 6: Education-colleges
Folder 7: Education-compulsory

Box 10

Folder 1: Education-Finance Committee
Folder 2: Education-home schooling
Folder 3: Education-home schooling
Folder 4: Education-misc.
Folder 5: Education --- 1993
Folder 6: Education --- 1994

Box 11

Folder 1: Elderly

Folder 2: Energy

Folder 3: English language

Folder 4: Environment

Folder 5: Ethics

Folder 6: Families

Folder 7: Fiber optics

Folder 8: Flood recovery

Folder 9: Franchising

Folder 10: Friends of Capitol Hill

Item 1: Friends of Capitol Hill
Item 2: Gambling

Sub-Series 1: Gambling

Box 12

Folder 1: The Church
Folder 2: Gamblers' Assistance
Folder 3: Pari-mutuel
Folder 4: Riverboats
Folder 5: Pre-1990
Folder 6-7: 1990

Box 13

Folder 1: 1991
Folder 2: 1992
Folder 3-5: 1993

Box 14

Folder 1-2: 1994

Box 14

Folder 3-4: Health care
Folder 5: Historical
Folder 6: Human services
Folder 1-2: 1994

Box 15

Folder 1: Insurance
Folder 2: Judicial
Folder 3: Labor
Folder 4: Legislative Fiscal Committee
Folder 5: Lottery
Folder 6: Medical
Folder 7: Minorities
Folder 8: Natural resources
Folder 9: Nursing Homes
Folder 10: Pornography

Box 16

Folder 1: Prayer breakfasts
Folder 2: Prisons
Folder 3-6: Public employee retirements

Box 17

Folder 1-3: Reapportionment --- 1980
Folder 4: Reapportionment --- 1990
Folder 5: Religion
Folder 6: Safety
Folder 7: State government
Folder 8: State Legislature Conference

Box 18

Folder 1: Student leadership
Folder 2: Tax reform
Folder 3: Tax reform
Folder 4: Tourism, recreation, culture
Folder 5: Transportation
Folder 6: Tulip festival

Box 19

Folder 1: Veterans
Folder 2-5: Ways and Means
Folder 6: Women's issues
Folder 7: Youth

Box 12

Folder 1: The Church
Folder 2: Gamblers' Assistance
Folder 3: Pari-mutuel
Folder 4: Riverboats
Folder 5: Pre-1990
Folder 6-7: 1990

Box 13

Folder 1: 1991
Folder 2: 1992
Folder 3-5: 1993

Series 6: Realia

Box 20

Item 1: Iowa Legislative Service, Vols. 1, 2, 5
Item 2: Iowa Official Register
Item 3: Bill Summary --- 1987
Item 4: Summary of Legislation --- 1990
Item 5: Summary of Legislation --- 1993
Item 6: Campaign posters
Item 7: Bumper stickers
Item 8: Personalized folder
Item 9: Audio tape, two 30-second advertising spots

Series 7: Photographs

Box 20

Item 1: Dairy Farm (2) --- 1978
Item 2: Mrs. Dieleman and daughter --- 1978
Item 3: Senior Citizen Housing --- 1977
Item 4: Portrait (2) --- 1978
Item 5: Blood Pressure Screening --- 1991
Item 6: Continental Telephone Luncheon --- 1981
Item 7: Chuck Grassley --- 1993