pens on signing president the proclamation which affected the omission of alaska to the as - the 49th state. so alaska statehood was an issue helped define senator stevens' career. he became known as mr. alaska for his strong advocacy of statehood.ka he gained an appreciation of the importance of bringing together a diverse group in order to effect a change that they wanted to make. in this change, it was trying to convince members of congress, states that were already part of union, that alaska statehood was beneficial to the united states. so, he brought together journalists and people normal realm to help sell that message to the american people and to congress. while serving in the alaska state legislature as a representative, the governor appointed senator stevens to the upon the deatht, of senator bob bartlett. appointed, he was one thing pressing in congress the original land claims of alaska natives in the state. prior to that, oil had been discovered. but the question established under statehood of, who owned in alaska, had never been settled. the discovery of that oil was threatened, because we couldn't access it. calls his time working on what became the claim settlement a