Fargo Citizens for City Management Records

Collection

Identifier: Mss 174

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Fargo Citizens for City Management records are divided into four series - Literature, Public Addresses, Correspondence, and Newspaper Clippings. The Literature Series contains pamphlets and information about the city manager plan. The Public Addresses Series contains Vogel's speeches and radio programs in favor of the city manager plan. The Correspondence Series contains incoming and outgoing correspondence of chairman Mart Vogel. The Newspaper Clippings Series contains various opinion, interview, and advertisement clippings.

Dates

1953

Creator

Vogel, Mart R., 1911- (Person)

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Institute.

Copyrights

The Institute holds the copyrights.

History

Fargo Citizens for City Management was an organization started in 1953 by a small group of citizens concerned about keeping the city manager position in city government. Headed by chairman Mart R. Vogel, the F.C.C.M. distributed literature and gave speeches promoting the city manager's position while running against opposition from the Civic Betterment League. The heated battle, complete with mudslinging pros and cons, came to an end with the city election of March 3, 1953 in which the city manager plan was voted down by 620 votes (4,377 "No" to 3,757 "Yes" votes). As a result of the election, city manager James P. Dunn lost his post, and the city reverted to the commission form of government.