# 1st Alaska State Legislature

The 1st Alaska State Legislature served during 1959 and 1960. All of its members were elected on November 26, 1958, when Alaska was in its last days as a territory.

## Terms

The Alaska Constitution established that legislative terms begin on the fourth Monday in January following an election year, and that the date may be changed by statute. This legislature passed Senate Bill 70 in the first session, which placed the date into statute but did not actually change it.
* All terms began on January 26, 1959
* All terms of representatives, and of those senators serving short terms, expired on January 22, 1961
* All terms of senators serving long terms expired on January 27, 1963

## Sessions

* 1st session: January 26, 1959 – April 16, 1959
* 2nd session: January 25, 1960 – March 29, 1960

## Alaska Senate
### Make-up

| Affiliation | Affiliation | Members |
| | Democratic Party | 18 |
| | Republican Party | 2 |
| Total | Total | 20 |
| Government Majority | Government Majority | 16 |

### Members

| District | Name | Life | Party | Location |
| A | James Nolan | 1901–1991 | Dem | Wrangell |
| A | Frank Peratrovich | 1895–1984 | Dem | Klawock |
| B | Walter O. "Bo" Smith | 1907–1987 | Dem | Ketchikan |
| C | Howard C. Bradshaw | 1908–1994 | Dem | Sitka |
| D | Thomas B. Stewart | 1919–2007 | Dem | Juneau |
| E | Ralph E. Moody | 1915–1997 | Dem | Anchorage |
| E | Irene E. Ryan | 1909–1997 | Dem | Anchorage |
| F | Balfour J. "Bob" Logan | 1906–1974 | Dem | Cordova |
| G | Joseph Earl Cooper | 1907–1964 | Dem | Anchorage |
| H | Irwin L. Metcalf | 1908–1973 | Dem | Seward |
| I | Alfred A. Owen | 1910–1985 | Dem | Uganik Bay |
| J | George B. McNabb, Jr. | 1919–1992 | Dem | Fairbanks |
| J | Robert J. McNealy | 1907–1978 | Dem | Fairbanks |
| K | Jack E. Weise | 1915–2000 | Rep | Bethel |
| L | John B. Coghill | 1925–2019 | Rep | Nenana |
| M | Hubert A. Gilbert | 1914–1984 | Dem | Fairbanks |
| N | William E. Beltz | 1912–1960 | Dem | Unalakleet |
| N | Lester Bronson | 1905–1972 | Dem | Nome |
| O | Eben Hopson | 1922–1980 | Dem | Barrow |
| P | John A. McNees | 1917–1995 | Dem | Nome |

### Leadership

* Senate President: William E. Beltz (D-Unalakleet)

## Alaska House of Representatives
### Make-up

| Affiliation | Affiliation | Members |
| | Democratic Party | 34 |
| | Republican Party | 5 |
| | Independent | 1 |
| Total | Total | 40 |
| Government Majority | Government Majority | 28 |

### Members

| District | Name | Life | Party | Location |
| 1 | Charles M. Jones | 1921–2002 | Dem | Craig |
| 2 | Oral E. Freeman | 1915–2001 | Dem | Ketchikan |
| 2 | James R. "J. Ray" Roady | 1907–1997 | Dem | Ketchikan |
| 3 | John E. Longworth | 1910–1985 | Rep | Petersburg |
| 4 | Frank E. Cashel | 1918–1991 | Dem | Sitka |
| 4 | Andrew Hope | 1896–1968 | Dem | Sitka |
| 5 | Douglas Gray | 1908–1980 | Dem | Douglas |
| 5 | Dora M. Sweeney | 1907–2001 | Dem | Juneau |
| 6 | Morgan W. Reed | 1904–[?] | Dem | Skagway |
| 7 | Harold Z. Hansen | 1910–1993 | Ind-D | Cordova |
| 8 | Bruce Kendall | 1919–2012 | Rep | Valdez |
| 9 | James J. Hurley | 1915–2002 | Dem | Palmer |
| 10 | Helen M. Fischer | 1912–1986 | Dem | Anchorage |
| 10 | James E. Fisher | 1927–2020 | Dem | Anchorage |
| 10 | John S. Hellenthal | 1915–1989 | Dem | Anchorage |
| 10 | Earl D. Hillstrand | 1913–1974 | Dem | Anchorage |
| 10 | Peter J. Kalamarides | 1916–1979 | Dem | Anchorage |
| 10 | Edward R. "Russ" Meekins | 1915–1995 | Dem | Anchorage |
| 10 | James E. Norene | 1905–1996 | Dem | Anchorage |
| 10 | John L. Rader | 1927– | Dem | Anchorage |
| 11 | William M. Erwin | 1933–2022 | Dem | Seward |
| 12 | Allan L. Petersen | 1890–1969 | Dem | Kenai |
| 13 | Peter M. Deveau | 1917–2002 | Dem | Kodiak |
| 13 | Henry L. Haag | 1895–1969 | Dem | Kodiak |
| 14 | Charles J. Franz | 1910–1996 | Dem | Port Moller |
| 15 | Jay S. Hammond | 1922–2005 | Ind | Naknek |
| 16 | James Hoffman | 1925–1982 | Rep | Bethel |
| 17 | Donald Harris | 1928–2011 | Rep | McGrath |
| 18 | Grant H. Pearson | 1900–1978 | Dem | McKinley Park |
| 19 | Frank X. Chapados | 1914–2007 | Dem | Fairbanks |
| 19 | Joseph R. "Bob" Giersdorf | 1935–2003 | Dem | Fairbanks |
| 19 | Richard J. Greuel | 1928–2013 | Dem | Fairbanks |
| 19 | Robert E. Sheldon | 1883–1983 | Dem | Fairbanks |
| 19 | Warren A. Taylor | 1891–1980 | Dem | Fairbanks |
| 20 | R.S. McCombe | 1902–1985 | Dem | Chicken |
| 21 | John Nusunginya | 1927–1981 | Dem | Point Barrow |
| 22 | John E. Curtis | 1915–1999 | Rep | Kotzebue |
| 23 | Robert R. Blodgett | 1920–1990 | Dem | Nome |
| 23 | Charles E. Fagerstrom | 1905–1962 | Dem | Nome |
| 24 | Axel C. Johnson | 1911–1985 | Dem | Kwiguk |

### Leadership

* Speaker of the House: Warren A. Taylor (D-Fairbanks)