My wife often cruises through the library used book sales in our region. Recently she went through a used book sale at the Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library and located a copy of North Dakota History: Journal of the Northern Plains, Volume 34, Number 4, Fall 1967, the Russell Reid Memorial issue. She purchased and returned with it, handed it to me, and I opened the cover page and within was a small envelope, dated May 26, 1958, with a note inside from the residence of Clell Gannon to Mr. Russell Reid.

So I thought I’d comment on the note here. After this, I’ll reach out to the State Historical Society of North Dakota to curate this note with the larger collections of Clell Gannon and Russell Reid. That way it will be publicly available for present and future researchers (yes, you can hear the Indiana Jones phrase, “This belongs in a museum…” in this case, this belongs in a public archive).

The note was in the standard cursive of the day. To help with readability, below is the transcription of mine, and then following that images of the original letter:

912 Mandan St, Bismarck, N. Dak May 25, 1958

Dear Russell:

We were very pleased to read of the great honor that the University of North Dakota is to confer upon you. It is overdue, but it is nice they have seen fit to give you this recognition, and you will honor them in much or more than they will honor you. We are glad your mother has lived to share this day with you and we know that if George Will were alive, he would be more happy at this event than for the similar honor that the AC conferred upon him. Congratulations from all of this. You are most deserving. Sincerely, Clell, Ruth, Grael and Craig.