Gift of Dale E. and Clarice Wolf, 2011.
The collection is open for research.
Use of materials from this collection beyond the
exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S.
Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is
required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections
Department, University of Delaware Library,
MSS 648, Dale E. and Clarice Wolf papers and memorabilia, Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware.
Processed and encoded by Anita Wellner, May 2012.
Former Delaware Governor Dale E. Wolf was born in 1924, in Kearney, Nebraska.
Dale E. Wolf is an alumnus of the University of Nebraska from which he received a B.S. in agricultural science. He received field artillery officer training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and was commissioned a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Infantry Division. For bravery under fire as an artillery forward observer at the Battle of Okinawa on May 12, 1945, Wolf received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
After the war, Wolf obtained a Ph.D. in 1950 from Rutgers University, the first doctorate awarded in the field of weed science. In 1951, Wolf co-authored, with Dr. Gilbert Ahlgren and Dr. Glenn Klingman,
Wolf joined the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company in 1950, advancing from research biologist to group vice president of Agricultural Products in the course of his career. His work at Du Pont took him around the world, with extensive travel in Japan, China, Africa, and Russia. Wolf’s professional activities included leadership roles in the National Agriculture Chemical Association, the International Agriculture Chemical Association, and the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association.
He resigned from Du Pont in 1987 to accept Governor Michael N. Castle’s appointment as Director of Delaware Development, where he was responsible for the state’s capital budget, housing for the poor, tourism, and economic development.
Wolf was elected as the 23rd lieutenant governor of the state of Delaware in 1988, serving a four-year term with Governor Castle. As Lt. Governor, Wolf oversaw the Senate and the Pardons Board, and chaired both the Drug and Alcohol Abuse Coordinating Council and the Adult Literacy Council. In 1989 President George Bush appointed him to the U. S. Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee.
When then-Governor Castle was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and resigned from the governorship on December 31, 1992, Wolf was sworn in and served as Governor of Delaware until January 19, 1993. He did not seek election to a full term as governor.
In addition to professional involvements, Dale Wolf served as chairman of Daynel International in China, a consulting group assisting companies wishing to do business in China. In 1995 Wolf set up the Guangzhou office in China for the law firm of Mezzullo-McCandlish, serving as the Senior International Consultant.
Dale Wolf has served on advisory committees of the Agriculture and Hotel Management schools at the University of Delaware, as well as on the boards of Girls, Inc., the Red Cross, and Christiana Care Medical Center. He has also served as chairman of Stand Up for What’s Right and Just, an organization dedicated to improving the criminal justice system in Delaware.
Dale E. Wolf served as lieutenant governor of Delaware (1989-1992) and briefly as governor (December 31, 1992-January 19, 1993). The Dale E. and Clarice Wolf papers and memorabilia document Wolf’s military service in World War II, his early agricultural research and DuPont Company career, his political career and public service, as well as the community service of his wife, Clarice Wolf.
Clarice Elaine Marshall married Dale E. Wolf on December 31, 1945, in Windom, Minnesota. Mrs. Wolf was a graduate of Windom High School and attended the University of Nebraska. Immediately following college, Clarice Wolf taught third grade at the Mapleton Public School in Mapleton, Iowa.
Dale E. Wolf served as lieutenant governor of Delaware (1989-1992) and briefly as governor (December 31, 1992-January 19, 1993). The Dale E. and Clarice Wolf papers and memorabilia document Wolf’s military service in World War II, his early agricultural research and DuPont Company career, his political career and public service, as well as the community service of his wife, Clarice Wolf.
The collection consists of six linear feet of personal papers, including photographs, plaques, certificates, ephemera, news clippings, and memorabilia documenting Dale and Clarice Wolf's personal, professional, public, and volunteer work.
Memorabilia in the collection includes Delawareana, Governor Wolf's contribution to an oral history of World War II veterans from Delaware, material related to Dale Wolf's professional accomplishments in agrichemical research and development, and numerous citations and awards for community service and careers milestones.
Series I, Early personal and military service, consists of early photographs of Dale Wolf and his family in Kearney, Nebraska, as well as a few newspaper clippings regarding his college days at the University of Nebraska and military service. The series also includes documentation of Dale Wolf's distinguished military service during World War II, including recent interviews regarding his experiences that were recorded for an oral history project of Delaware veterans.
Series II, Du Pont Company, chronicles Wolf's career, first as a research biologist and later as the group vice president of Agricultural Products at the Du Pont Company. The series consists chiefly of photographs, awards, and newspaper clippings, but also includes a farewell album of remembrances compiled by his colleagues to honor him at his departure in 1987.
Series III, Delaware Development Office, 1984-1988, offers, through photographs, articles, newspaper clippings, and a few notes, a glimpse of some of the work completed by Dale Wolf as the Director of Development Office.
Series IV, Lieutenant Governor of Delaware, 1987-1992, focuses on the four years during which Wolf served the state during the administration of Governor Michael N. Castle. This period is documented through newspaper clippings, photographs, a few letters, campaign material, and some memorabilia. Seven of the scrapbooks noted in Series VIII also document events and activities from Wolf's term as lieutenant governor.
Series V, Governor of Delaware, focuses on the very brief period during which Wolf served as the governor of Delaware, December 31, 1992 - January 19, 1993. Included is material related to his inauguration, a schedule of activities, coverage of a few events, and the farewell speech delivered by Wolf on January 14, 1993. Series VIII includes one scrapbook related to Wolf's governorship.
Series VI, Political colleagues and events, consists of photographs, letters, and memorabilia that document some of the political figures and celebrities Wolf met during his career, including President George H. Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vice President Dan Quayle, Actor Charleston Heston, and former Nixon counsel Charles Colson.
Series VII, Clarice Wolf, provides a small group of material related to the personal life and community service of Clarice Wolf. Included are photographs of Mrs. Wolf with Mrs. Barbara Bush and Charleston Heston, as well as a file regarding the Jefferson Award, which she received in 1998 in recognition of her lifetime of community service.
Series VIII, Scrapbooks, consists of eight scrapbooks of photographs, letters, programs, newspaper clippings, and other items chronicling Wolf's six years in public office. The scrapbooks have been digitally reproduced and are available online through the University of Delaware Library digital collections. The original scrapbooks have been returned to the family. The series also includes folders of loose ephemeral material.
Series IX, Post-government professional and community work, provides a few documents and photographs related to Dale Wolf's life and career after he left public office in 1993. Chiefly the material chronicles Wolf's work as an international consultant for Mezzullo & McCandlish, Law Firm, in China, his work with Daynel International, and his continued volunteerism on behalf of adult literacy.
Series X, Awards and Certificates of Honor and Appreciation, recognizes the many accomplishments and contributions of Dale and Clarice Wolf across their careers. The honors and appreciations salute them for community work, such as with Sojourners Place and Children and Families First, as well as for Dale Wolf's work in crop development and his services while in public office. In 2006 the State of Delaware House of Representatives honored the couple with a tribute on the occasion of their receiving the Astra Zeneca Lifetime Achievement Award.
Series XI, Delawareana and realia, comprises memorabilia received by the Wolfs. Many of the items, including buttons and pins from organizations, items commemorating particular events, and objects related to the state of Delaware, were given to Wolf in the course of his public service.
Includes childhood images of Wolf and family members in Kearney, Nebraska.
Includes county fair ribbon, clippings related to high school in Kearney, college at the University of Nebraska, and marriage to Clarice Elaine Marshall.
Includes material related to Wolf's service during World War II and subsequent honors and interviews regarding his experiences in the war. Wolf was a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Infantry Division. For bravery under fire as an artillery forward observer at the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, Wolf was honored with the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart.
Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
Compact diskette of interview for
DVD of film which was part of
Work-related professional portraits, photographs, and snapshots.
Photographs and a program.
Small album of snapshots of visitors to Wolf's office.
Graphic engraving on metal plate inscribed to Wolf by professional golfer Johnny Potts.
Series of professional photographs taken in February of 1981 of Wolf in his office and the DuPont board room. One image was used for the cover of the March 1981 issue of
Album of photographs presented to Wolf by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Includes photographs with Wolf and Secretary of Agriculture John R. Block, who served under President Ronald Reagan, 1981-1986. Album removed to oversize Box 6.
Includes DuPont miscellany such as a poster, letter openers, and sign. See also the album of appreciation in oversize Box 5.
Governor Michael Castle appointed Wolf the Delaware state Director of Director of Development in 1987.
Includes photographs taken in 1984 but used in the announcement of Wolf's appointment, as well as photographs of the swearing-in and other events.
Also includes a certificate of appreciation.
Includes press releases, schedules, endorsements, memos, photocopies of news clippings, and related material.
Includes some labeling and one program. Photographs include Mike Castle, Pete duPont, Dan Quayle, George H. Bush, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Snapshots by Judi Marshall.
Numerous photographs, including images with Schwarzenegger, Delaware politicians, Dover Days, campaigning, on the job.
Includes clippings, biographical information, a few letters; all related to services as Lt. Governor of Delaware.
Includes press release, reports, brochures, and a letter from Senator Joe Biden.
Copy of this book inscribed to Wolf by Ryoichi Kabaya, Vice Governor of the Miyagi Prefecture, which is Delaware's sister state in Japan.
This Japanese magazine features an article and photo layout on Delaware, plus a translation of the article.
This marker reserved the Lt. Governor's parking spot at Legislative Hall in Dover.
Collections of news clippings and photocopies which record the programs, events, speeches, and other work of Wolf as Lt. Governor. Originally organized in binders and also includes a few programs and photocopies.
Dale E. Wolf served as Governor of Delaware from December 31, 1992 to January 19, 1993.
Includes invitation to the inauguration ceremony, photographs, programs, two letters of congratulations.
Packet of photocopies of all press releases, news clippings, schedules, and information related to Wolf's time as governor.
Photocopy of address.
Includes program, photograph of the portrait, clippings and remarks.
Includes photographs of Nancy Reagan, George W. Bush, John McCain, George H. Bush, Dan Quayle, Bob Doyle, Charleston Heston, and Thomas Carper.
Includes a photograph of Wolf with Steve Forbes.
Includes Congressman Joel Pritchard (R-Washington), President Bill Clinton, and Delaware governors Tom Carper, Michael Castle, Jack Markell, and Pete du Pont.
Includes one letter from Governor Mike Castle, clippings re accomplishments, and photographs of events, as well as several photographs of Clarice Wolf with her husband, Dale Wolf.
Two photographs with Mrs. Bush at the White House.
Includes a photograph of the portrait which was unveiled on October 18, 2007.
In 1998, the American Institute for Public Service honored Clarice Wolf with the Jefferson Award medal. Included here are the certificate of excellence, Dale Wolf's letter of nomination, a program, and news clippings.
These eight scrapbooks document Dale Wolf's seven years of service in public office in Delaware. The contents of scrapbooks have been scanned and are available in the University of Delaware Library Digital Collections . The original scrapbooks have been returned to the Wolf family. Folders in this series contain a few loose items that might have been laid in scrapbooks.
The scrapbook includes news clippings, photocopies, magazine articles, and covers. It begins with the announcement of Wolf’s selection by Governor Castle to be Director of the Delaware Development Office and continues through Wolf’s agreement to run for Lt. Governor of Delaware. The contents chronicle events, state GOP politics, and includes political cartoons.
The scrapbook includes photographs, news clippings, articles, and photocopies. It contains an interview with Wolf as Director of Development, as well as articles regarding his work as director. It also contains documents for events, speeches, press conferences, and his departure, and information related to Clarice Wolf. An announcement of Wolf's campaign for Lt. Governor, Dover Days photographs, and material related to fund raisers and the Delaware State Fair are included.
The scrapbook includes photographs, campaign brochures, new clippings, articles, letters, and photocopies. The contents document the campaign for Lt. Governor, the election results, photographs of campaign headquarters on election night and Delaware's Return Day in Georgetown, and the inaugural ceremony and ball.
The scrapbook includes photographs, news clippings, articles, photocopies, political cartoons, and invitations. The scrapbook documents Wolf's work as Lt. Governor. Included are photographs of a visit of President George Bush to Delaware on March 22, 1989, a University of Nebraska alumni event, Wolf's address at Widener College commencement, events, his anti-drug work, with photographs of many of the events.
The scrapbook includes photographs, news clippings, articles, photocopies, political cartoons, and invitations. This scrapbook chronicles Wolf's work as Lt. Governor in 1990. Wolf worked on anti-drug strategy, made a trip to China, and worked on literacy. There is an article regarding Clarice Wolf and many photographs of events. Photographs include Mike Castle, Dan Quayle, Bill Roth, Charles Colson, the Rehoboth beach clean up, and one of Wolf with the Ninja Turtles.
The scrapbook includes photographs, news clippings, articles, photocopies, political cartoons, invitations, and letters. This scrapbook continues to document Wolf's tenure as Lt. Governor, focusing on anti-drug strategy, literacy, and a trip to Taiwan; with numerous photographs of the events. Includes photographs of Wolf with Delaware Senator Thurman Adams and Delaware Representative Ben Ewing, as well as images of the Federal Cotillion, and Wolf reading to children. Also includes photographs of Wolf with President George Bush on June 11, 1991, and another with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The scrapbook includes photographs, news clippings, articles, photocopies, political cartoons, invitations, and letters. This scrapbook continues to document Wolf's tenure as Lt. Governor, focusing on anti-drug strategy, literacy, trips to Taiwan and the Dominican Republic, with numerous photographs. Includes photographs of Dan Quayle and President George Bush and notes from Quayle and Mike Castle.
This scrapbook includes photographs, news clippings, articles, photocopies, political cartoons, and invitations. The scrapbook documents Wolf's brief term as governor of Delaware, including the inaugural ceremony, official invitations to dinners, receptions, and the events which occurred while he was in office.
Includes announcements, news clippings, and photographs.
Includes status report, letters, letterhead, and IRS tax exemption letter.
Includes a few letters, photographs, and other personal material related to the Wolfs.
Items in this series are arranged chronologically.
Numerous tokens of goodwill, often in the form of small souvenirs of Delaware, were presented to Dale Wolf in his years of public service. Among many items of interest are found a brass key to the Town of Smyrna, a Blue Hen beer bottle, football programs from two 1936 University of Delaware games, and an original pen-and-ink cartoon by longtime editorial cartoonist at the Wilmington News Journal, Jack Jurden.
Original ink cartoon by Jack Jurden.
Framed printed inscribed to Wolf by Governor Mike Castle.