Lester Calloway Hunt was a Wyoming Governor and United States Senator. Hunt was elected governor of Wyoming in 1942 and 1946, and U. S. Senator in 1948, a position he held until his death in 1954. His papers contain news clippings about Japanese Americans and correspondence related to Heart Mountain while he was Governor of Wyoming, including use of the internees for farm labor; opinions for and against permits for internees to shop in nearby communities; food hoarding accusations, and other issues. Hunt’s friendship with Heart Mountain Relocation Director Guy Robertson is evidenced by the frequency of their correspondence.
Additional content for this collection can be found in the "Inventory for collection.”
Letter from Park County Court Commissioner to Wyoming Governor Lester Hunt, January 8, 1943
Park County's Court Commissioner writes to Hunt that two Heart Mountain Relocation Center internees should be sent to the Wyoming State Hospital for the Insane or the Wyoming State Training School and that others may follow due to being interned.
Letter from Buffalo [Wyoming] Commercial Club to Wyoming Governor Lester Hunt, February 5, 1943
The Secretary of the Buffalo Commercial Club writes Hunt requesting a work release program for Heart Mountain Relocation Center "Japs" to harvest sugar beets.
Letter from Wyoming Governor Lester Hunt to Buffalo [Wyoming] Commercial Club, February 10, 1943
Hunt responds to request from Buffalo Commercial Club for Heart Mountain internee labor that the Center's director should be contacted as soon as possible since there will probably be a number of work requests.
Letter from the Secretary of the Wyoming State Board of Medical Examiners to Wyoming Governor Lester Hunt, February 11, 1943
A letter to Hunt from the Secretary of the Wyoming State Board of Examiners states that Heart Mountain internee Robert S. Kinoshita, M.D., would most likely not be issued a Wyoming medical license because he is Japanese, even if he was qualified and a U.S. citizen.
Letter from Wyoming Governor Lester Hunt to U.S. Senator A.B. Chandler (D-Kentucky), March 31, 1943
Hunt writes to Chandler that all is well at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center. Chandler was part of a subcommittee investigating the War Relocation Authority in 1943 for "coddling" incarcerated Japanese-Americans.
Letter from Heart Mountain Relocation Center Director Guy Robertson to Wyoming Governor Lester Hunt, April 23, 1943
Robertson writes Hunt that Denver Post reporter Jack Carberry's investigative work on the Center was done "mostly from the Irma Hotel" in Cody, Wyoming.
Letter from Wyoming Governor Lester Hunt to Heart Mountain Relocation Center Director Guy Robertson, April 27, 1943
Hunt writes to Robertson about Denver Post reporter Jack Carberry who published "exposes" in 1943 of "pampering the enemy" at the Relocation Center.
Letter from Wyoming Governor Lester Hunt to Heart Mountain Relocation Center Director Guy Robertson, May 10, 1943
Hunt writes to Robertson that the citizens of Cody and Powell wish to greatly restrict visits from internees to their towns.
Letter from Heart Mountain Relocation Center Director Guy Robertson to Wyoming Governor Lester Hunt, May 13, 1943
Robertson writes Hunt that internees who volunteered for military duty were previously allowed to visit Cody and Powell but even that will be restricted due to town resolutions.
Letter from Heart Mountain Relocation Center Director Guy Robertson to Wyoming Governor Lester Hunt, May 13, 1943
Robertson writes Hunt that farmers and businessmen in Cody and Powell oppose town resolutions restricting internee visits and work release.