ernest gruening. t all you have to know about gruening is, of course, the title that he gave to his autobiography, many battles. that's how he saw his life, was many battles. maybe the better title would've been many, many battles, because he battled wherever he was of what he thought was injustice. >> there was a certain intellectual arrogance about him which didn't go down too well. he was dealing with pretty ordinary people. i come from a blue-collar background myself, and there's always a suspicion. he had the best interests of the people at heart. he was a great advocate of equality for the natives, which is not a popular thing to be in alaska--still isn't-- and things like that. he had a lot of new deal ideals which were not palatable to a lot of people. >> narrator: almost immediately, territorial governor gruening could see alaska's main problem. gruening wrote that alaska was in the grip of absentee interests and that the wealth of alaska was being drained off, and next to nothing was staying

the politics are divided by, 'you are pro-ernest gruening or anti-ernest gruening.'"is supporters included some republicans. his detractors included some democrats. >> narrator: one of alaska's most staunch republicans agreed with democrat gruening: bob atwood, publisher of the anchorage daily times. >> "he had the potential of becoming an enemy. a liberal with a harvard background, gruening had all the qualities i had been accustomed to hate. when i got to know him, he became my leader, my main inspiration, and my mentor." --bob atwood. >> narrator: by 1941, however, atwood, gruening, and just about every other alaskan had something even more urgent on their minds. [distant gunfire] [all shouting] >> "in the studies i have made of the application of military power on and across the pacific, alaska stands out as the key point. its position, halfway between american and asia, is decisive." --general billy mitchell. >> narrator: billy mitchell learned about alaska in 1901 as a young lieutenant in the army signal corps helping to build a telegraph line across alaska. in

the politics are divided by, 'you are pro-ernest gruening or anti-ernest gruening.'"is supporters included some republicans. his detractors included some democrats. >> narrator: one of alaska's most staunch republicans agreed with democrat gruening: bob atwood, publisher of the anchorage daily times. >> "he had the potential of becoming an enemy. a liberal with a harvard background, gruening had all the qualities i had been accustomed to hate. when i got to know him, he became my leader, my main inspiration, and my mentor." --bob atwood. >> narrator: by 1941, however, atwood, gruening, and just about every other alaskan had something even more urgent on their minds. [distant gunfire] [all shouting] >> "in the studies i have made of the application of military power on and across the pacific, alaska stands out as the key point. its position, halfway between american and asia, is decisive." --general billy mitchell. >> narrator: billy mitchell learned about alaska in 1901 as a young lieutenant in the army signal corps helping to build a telegraph line across alaska. in

ernest gruening would meet them on the way for the last leg of the journey. >> they then arrived in washington. they didn't know what was going to happen. during the previous congressional session, '55 to '57, i think statehood bills for both states were simply recommitted to committee. they didn't get to the floor. it was a terribly depressing time. so with 1957 dawning and the new congress, they had no particular reason for hope. >> narrator: on january 14, 1957, alaska's tennessee plan delegates were formally introduced to the senate from the gallery. the senators applauded but denied the request to seat them as members of congress or enact statehood legislation. bob bartlett knew that it wouldn't be that simple. >> some have charged that the tennessee plan was not as effective as it might have been. it's really sort of difficult to say. it was, however, initially quite controversial because bartlett opposed it because he didn't want them stepping on his toes, and he had been really the master in charge back there in d.c. >> narrator: bartlett's likability and hard work could only take stat