Ted Stevens Foundation gifts full archive collection to UAA
by Green & Gold News |

The Ted Stevens Collection is truly an Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ-sized archive. It contains over 4,000 boxes of the senator’s memorabilia, with 8 million pages of records and thousands of photos and audio-visual pieces representing his more than 40 years of public service to Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ. It is one of the largest documented congressional collections in history.
The collection spans a half-century of Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ history — and tells the story of our state and its people. It encompasses Sen. Stevens’ career in the military, executive branch, and forty years as U.S. senator for Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ. The collection ranges from the early days of statehood to contemporary issues. It features Stevens’ work on landmark legislation, including Indigenous land claims, sustainable fisheries, telecommunications, education, energy, aviation, education, public health, national security and the Arctic.
Like many Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æns, I had the honor of knowing and working with Sen. Stevens. His service to our state is truly remarkable and a legacy that all Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æns should know and appreciate. When I think about what this collection means for our state, I think about how Ted’s life work can inspire and inform future generations of students and Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ leaders. Much more than just boxed records, the Ted Stevens Collection is a window into policy decisions and leadership that helped build Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ.
Many Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æns have a Ted Stevens story that they share, and we can see the senator’s work across our state and communities. Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æns remember Stevens’ work to ensure rural communities had a health clinic, a post office and safe water and sanitation. We think about his work in health care and helping create the Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ Native Medical Center. We think about our roads and ports, military bases and the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Ted Stevens knew his job was to work in partnership for Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æns. It’s a bipartisan legacy of doing what’s right for Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ to address the issues facing our state.
As Stevens stated, “the future continues to present challenges. We all have…new technology coming on the scene daily, a new generation of Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æns with new ideas, new skills and new hopes and aspirations. But with the obstacles we’ve overcome, we know we have the ability to meet those challenges.â€
We see the Ted Stevens Collection as a catalyst for our university and all of Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ. Making these records available to Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æns will inform students, scholars, policymakers and citizens with insights to help solve problems facing our state. At UAA, we see a benefit for nearly every academic program at our university. UAA is dedicated to making Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æâ€™s history accessible for all. Working with the Ted Stevens Foundation, we are advancing pathways for civic engagement through the creation of an Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ Leaders Archive.
The Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ Leaders Archive will preserve and teach the legacy of leaders who have served our state. At UAA, Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æâ€™s leaders of tomorrow benefit from the legacy of Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æâ€™s past leaders. Facility renovations to the UAA/APU Consortium Library will create a modern archive to preserve and present the archival papers of Sen. Ted Stevens, as well as records of Indigenous leaders, elected officials and business and community leaders. This will be an addition to the more than 130 Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ leaders currently represented in the library’s collections.
The Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ Leaders Archive will tell the story of the leaders and events that have shaped our state — allowing Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æns the chance to see, hear and engage with the history that created the state we know today. The Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ Leaders Archive will be the leading center for public service education in our state, with multidisciplinary programming in public policy and leadership studies, as well as seminars and community events.
This is an exciting time for Âé¶¹ÎÞÂë°æ with so much possibility on the horizon. Now, more than ever, is a time to celebrate the legacy of past leaders with an eye toward the future. Here at UAA, we are honored to become the home for the Ted Stevens Collection. Along with Catherine Stevens and the Stevens family, we look forward to sharing this wonderful history with you on our campus in the near future.