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Boyd Tenney Papers, SHM MS-33 1965-2006 (Bulk Dates: 1965-1973

SHM MS-33

Biographical Note

Nathan Boyd Tenney was born in the Gila Valley in Stanley, Arizona on June 22, 1915. His family made its living through angora goat ranching and then cattle ranching. He came to Prescott in 1925, and grew up on a ranch on Senator Highway where he lived almost all of his life. He began his education at the Washington School in Prescott and began selling papers on the corner of Cortez and Gurley Street to make money for lunches and clothes, then got a paper route.

He was one of ten children and had a hardscrabble childhood. He and his siblings would help around the ranch and herd goats when they were not attending school. Boyd’s family joined together with others in building the first Mormon Church in Prescott on North Marina Street.

He learned to speak Spanish at Prescott High School which aided him during his church missions to Texas, New Mexico and Spain. It was in the Spanish-American Mission, headquartered in El Paso, Texas that he met his future wife, Rachel Teeples. They were married in 1939, and raised eight children during their 57 years of marriage. She passed away in December, 1996, and in July 1997, he married Madge Moline Haines.

He bought and sold cattle for 40 years, owned six ranches, and had feed stores in Prescott and Cottonwood. His political career began when he became president of the Washington School PTA. He eventually served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 1962-1964, and as Arizona State Senator from 1964-1982. His accomplishments during his political career were many; some of which were, helping to establish community colleges in Mohave and Yavapai counties, being instrumental in funding transportation and rural roads, initiating legislation to help restore the Governor’s Mansion in Prescott, and providing funding for the Prescott Historical Society. He helped to create five state parks and was instrumental in the development of Lake Havasu Park. He introduced 13 bills, of which 11 passed; and worked on the bill to keep Arizona on Standard Time. In gratitude for Tenney’s work in establishing Yavapai Community College, the Yavapai College Board renamed the college library the Boyd Tenney Library. He served on the Boards of Yavapai College and the Sharlot Hall Museum, and received the first Sharlot Hall Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his efforts on behalf of the Museum.

Boyd Tenney believed that “a legislator must deal from a position of integrity and honesty”, and that “there should be a limit to the amount of money a candidate can raise so he can be free of influence”. He was a Republican but believed that it was most important that both parties work together for the benefit of the people of Arizona. After he resigned from the Legislature he and his wife went on a mission to Barcelona, Spain. The last year and a half of his life was spent at the Arizona Pioneers’ Home in Prescott, AZ. Boyd Tenney passed away on December 8, 2005, at the age of 90. Upon his death, the Arizona House of Representatives introduced a resolution to honor him.

Scope and Content

This collection includes Boyd Tenney’s personal scrapbooks of news clippings from 1965, minutes from the San Carlos Apache Mineral Strip Hearing of 1973, Tenney family genealogical information, newspaper articles dated 1975 through 2006, photographs from the 1960’s through 1990’s, and campaign memorabilia.

System of Arrangement

Restrictions

Conditions Governing Access

None.

Conditions Governing Use

Unpublished and published manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder. The Sharlot Hall Museum may not own copyright to all parts of this collection. It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the State of Arizona and the Sharlot Hall Museum - this includes its Board of Trustee officers, employees, outside contractors, and agents from and against all claims made by person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright.

Controlled Access Terms

Administrative Information

Custodial History

Materials found within this collection were donated by Boyd Tenney, members of his family, and others, over a period of time spanning 1965 through 2014.

For additional information, please also see the following related materials in the Sharlot Hall Museum Library & Archives: Boyd Tenney Surname File, and Boyd Tenney Oral History, Tape #’s 870, 871, 872, and 1109.

Accruals: There may possibly be more accruals to this collection as other items are discovered or donated.

Preferred Citation

Boyd Tenney Papers, SHM MS-33. Sharlot Hall Museum Library & Archives.

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