Drake University announced today that Cowles Library will house the personal and professional papers of Thomas J. Vilsack, the 40th Governor of Iowa and the 30th and 32nd U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
The agreement was formalized during a signing ceremony at the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates. The acquisition includes a wealth of materials that document Vilsack’s more than 40 years of public service to both the state of Iowa and the nation.
“One of the hallmarks of a Drake education is the ability to engage directly with the people and ideas that move our world,” said Drake University President Marty Martin. “To have Secretary Vilsack’s personal and professional history on our campus is a gift to our students. As aspiring lawyers, policymakers, or historians, they will have access to a treasure trove of primary sources that will bring their studies to life in a way few other institutions can offer.”
The collection spans from the 1980s to the present, capturing Vilsack’s career from his early days in local and state politics through his two terms as Governor of Iowa (1999–2007) and his historic tenure as the longest-serving U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in the modern era. The materials include a mix of political and personal papers, providing a comprehensive look at a pivotal era in Iowa and U.S. political history.
“I thank Drake University for the willingness to house and preserve these papers,” said Vilsack. “As a history major in college I appreciate the important role researchers have in recording history. I hope this collection aids them in that important task.”
The Vilsack papers will join the University’s growing nonpartisan archive, which serves as a hub for the study of political leadership and public policy. Vilsack’s materials will be housed alongside the collections of other distinguished Iowa leaders, including:
- Governor Robert D. Ray (R)
- Senator Tom Harkin (D)
- Congressman Neal Smith (D)
- State Representative Wayne Ford (D)
- State Representative Ed Bittle (R)
- The Iowa Caucus Collection
While Secretary Vilsack is not a Drake alumnus, he has maintained a long-standing relationship with the institution. In 2007, following his second term as Governor, he was appointed as a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law at Drake University Law School, where he contributed to the school’s Agricultural Law Center.
Once the collection has been arranged and cataloged, it will be open to researchers at the Cowles Library. While the full collection will remain accessible for in-person research, the University plans to digitize selected portions of the collection.
For more information about Drake University Archives & Special Collections, visit library.drake.edu/archives.