WIU Receives Evans Collection

Archives and Special Collections Unit to House Former Congressman's Political Papers

Western's Archives and Special Collections Unit in the Leslie F. Malpass Library has received former U.S. Congressman Lane Evans' official political papers, making the Evans Collection the second largest collection in Archives and Special Collections.

"With the addition of Lane Evans' papers, we now have a continuous run of political papers for this region for the past 40 years," explained Jeffrey Hancks, WIU Libraries assistant professor.

According to Dean of Libraries Phyllis Self, the Evans Collection complements the papers of former Congressman Tom Railsback, which is the largest collection in the unit.

Evans, a Democrat from Rock Island who represented Illinois' 17th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, was first elected in 1982. As a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, Evans was recognized throughout his tenure as a leading advocate of veterans in Congress. He was also a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

"Congressman Evans' collection of papers, constituent correspondence, audiovisual materials and other items is a vitally important acquisition for WIU Libraries," said Self. "The collection will be invaluable to researchers nationwide studying government, history, sociology and other similar disciplines, and it solidifies Western Illinois University as the region's leading research institution. We are grateful that Congressman Evans entrusted our University with his materials."

The University Archives, located on the sixth floor of the Malpass Library, is the official repository for University records.

Materials housed in the University Archives include records of administrative offices and faculty and student organizations, publications issued by the University, student newspapers, yearbooks, faculty publications and masters theses, as well as photographs, oral history tapes and memorabilia relating to the University.

"This is a vitally important acquisition. It solidifies WIU as the region's leading research institution."
-Phyllis Self, dean, WIU Libraries

Archives' Special Collections Unit documents the cultural, economic and natural heritage of west-central Illinois. Special-interest centers include the Center for Regional Authors, the Baxter-Snyder Center for Icarian Studies and the Center for Hancock County History including the Mormon Collection. Publications of the Decker Press and a number of Civil War Manuscripts are a significant part of Special Collections. Also included are collections related to naturalist Elton Fawkes, singer Burl Ives and historian Philip D. Jordan, along with the Railsback and Evans collections. A vast amount of other regional materials are also housed in the unit, such as county and town histories, oral history tapes, diaries, letters, maps, photographs and newspaper clippings.

 

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