Summary Information
Jerry Sondreal Papers
1961-1978
River Falls Mss CE; PH River Falls Mss CE
1.0 c.f. (3 archives boxes), 6 photographs, 80 negatives, and 3 pieces of emphemera
UW-River Falls, Chalmer Davee Library / River Falls Area Research Ctr. (Map)Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Papers of the managing editor of the Amery Free Press, Amery, Wis., documenting his work with the newspaper, his service with the Peace Corps in the Philippines (1962-1964), and his community involvement. Papers pertaining to his Peace Corps service include letters from friends in the United States and the Philippines, official memos, training brochures, and photographs. Free Press records consist of reader mail, other correspondence, and clippings. Activity in community work is revealed through the subject file, which contains material on local schools and hospitals, and organizations.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-rf00ce ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Jerry (Palmer J.) Sondreal was born on June 20, 1942. He graduated from Amery (Wisconsin) High School, and spent two years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before entering the Peace Corps in 1962. While a Peace Corps volunteer, Sondreal taught elementary school in Dawan, Mati, Davao City in the Philippines. Following his return from the Philippines, he completed a B.S. degree in political science at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Sondreal spent the summer of 1965 as a political intern with Senator Gaylord Nelson. After completing college, he entered the U.S. Army, attended officer candidate school at Fort Benning, Georgia, and became a first lieutenant.
In 1969 Sondreal returned to Amery to become managing editor of the Amery Free Press, a weekly Polk County newspaper published and edited by his father, Palmer H. Sondreal.
Jerry Sondreal has been active in county Democratic politics and campaigns. In addition to holding local Democratic Party offices, he served on the West Central Wisconsin Health Planning Council (1971-1973) and on the Polk County Health Planning Council (1971-1974). He has worked with the Amery Community Club, is a member of the planning commission of the City of Amery, and serves on the board of directors of IMPACT 7, the west-central Wisconsin community development corporation. Sondreal and his wife, Lynn (Neubauer), are the parents of two children, Pat and Tae, who was a five-year old Korean orphan adopted in 1976.
Scope and Content Note
The collection documents Jerry Sondreal's Peace Corps service (1962-1964), his work as managing editor of the Amery Free Press (1969-1978), and his community activities (1971-1976). There is very little personal correspondence present in the collection, and there is little material pertaining to the years 1964-1971.
The Peace Corps Service files contain correspondence received by Sondreal from family, friends, other volunteers, and Filipino friends. Some of the letters date from 1964-1966, after Sondreal's return to the United States. There are very few letters from Sondreal to others. Other papers include an undated narrative annual report written by Sondreal, training materials, biographies and photos of other volunteers, and memos from Peace Corps officials.
The records of the Amery Free Press consist of correspondence from readers, correspondence to and from Sondreal regarding local and state issues, and business letters. Also included are newsclippings, awards and contest material, fragmentary tax records, and a few reference items. These papers also illustrate the activities of Palmer H. Sondreal, publisher of the newspaper.
The Subject File documents Jerry Sondreal's activities and interests during this period, including the Amery Community Club, and local schools and hospitals. He was also involved in controversy about the conversion of the Polk County Sheriff's Office radio system and the propriety of awarding a contract for a new system to Motorola Corporation. Most of the material in this series concerns the Wisconsin Board of Vocational, Technical and Adult Education (VTAE), and Polk County's attempt to transfer from the Indianhead to Eau Claire VTAE district. Sondreal was a party to the lawsuit seeking an injunction against borrowing by Indianhead district until the transfer matter was decided.
Photographs filed separately include images of Sondreal and acquaintances in the Philippines and of the Cameron High School band and choir, and copies of invitations to weddings.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Jerry Sondreal, Amery, Wisconsin, 1978. Accession Number: M78-487
Processed by Menzi Behrnd Klodt and Judy Felsten and Judy Joseph (FGH interns), November, 1979.
Contents List
|
River Falls Mss CE
|
Peace Corps Service
|
|
|
Correspondence
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
1
|
From Family, 1961-1964
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
2
|
From Peace Corps Volunteers and Filipino Acquaintances, 1962-1966
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
3
|
With Friends, 1962-1964
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
4-5
|
Papers, 1962-1966
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
6
|
Dawan Elementary School and Mati High School Programs, 1963-1964
|
|
|
Amery Free Press
|
|
|
Correspondence and Related Material
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
7-8
|
1969-1974
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
1-2
|
1975-1978
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
3
|
Journalism Awards, Contests, and Tax Material, 1972-1978
|
|
|
Subject File
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
4
|
Amery Community Club - Highway and Transportation Committee, 1971, 1973
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
5
|
Amery School District, 1973-1976
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
6
|
Apple River Valley Memorial Hospital, 1973
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
7
|
High-Frequency Radio System Conversion, 1971-1973
|
|
|
Vocational, Technical and Adult Education, Wisconsin Board of
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
8
|
Correspondence, 1972-1974
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
9
|
General Papers, 1972-1973
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
10
|
District 17 and Indianhead VTAE District Board Meeting Agenda, Minutes, and Related Material, 1971-1974
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
1
|
Legal Papers, 1973-1974
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
2
|
Reference Files and Other Papers, circa 1973
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
3
|
Newsclippings, 1972-1974
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
4
|
Miscellany, 1972-1973
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
5
|
Miscellaneous
|
|
|
PH River Falls Mss CE
|
Photographs, Negatives, and Ephemera
|
|
|
