A semi-truck carrying approximately 800 boxes from retired U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin's Washington office arrived at Drake University today. Inside are papers and other archival materials—photos, video, mementos—that will now call the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement "home."
The boxes chronicle Harkin's four-decade-long congressional career. The Cumming native served 10 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, and 30 years in the Senate.
Harkin Institute Director Marsha Ternus says she’s particularly excited about exploring the papers generated during the writing and passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act—Harkin's foremost legislative achievement.
Because senatorial committee papers are kept confidential from the public for 25 years from the date of their creation, the archive may provide new insights into the historic legislation.
"It so happens that the 25th anniversary of the passage of the ADA is coming up this July," Ternus says. "And we’ll have those available then, to reveal to the public this summer."
Archivist Hope Grebner says she also plans to make the achieve accessible to people with disabilities.
"It's something that's kind of new, new for me and new for the archives field," Grebner says. "I don't want the boxes to just sit on the shelf, I want anyone and everyone to come in and do research and learn."
While 800 boxes may seem daunting, Grebner likens the shipment's arrival to Christmas and says she's excited by what she'll uncover while cataloging the 40 years of materials.
"We’re not really sure what’s in all of those boxes, his staff wasn’t sure, Sen. Harkin is not entirely sure," Grebner says. "So you just, you never know what you might find when you open a box."
Grebner predicts the Harkin Institute will be opening boxes for the next two to three years. Another two crates are scheduled to arrive from FedEx tomorrow, along with an additional 20 boxes.