ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

This exhibit celebrates students at the University of Iowa, recognizing student life as the very core of the university. It offers a sampling of historical documents and objects found in the University Archives and the Iowa Women’s Archives at the University of Iowa Libraries.

Popular aspects of the student experience are depicted: Academics, athletics, activism. Protest, public service, parties.

On display are snippets of student life from throughout the university’s history: the Iowa Memorial Union as a center of activity, the performing arts as a source of vibrancy, and military service and Greek life as time-honored traditions. Decades of student publications and glimpses of social and political activism are seen throughout, demonstrating the diversity of student voices on campus.

While not every student’s experience is recounted in this exhibit, we hope visitors to the Main Library Gallery will find something that speaks to their own time on campus – whether during this past year, or generations ago.

Exhibit Curation: David McCartney, Aiden Bettine, Denise Anderson

 

CURATOR HIGHLIGHTS & EXHIBITION GUIDE

 

• Curator Highlights from We Are Hawkeyes:
  A small virtual selection of items from the exhibition, including photographs, curator commentary, and additional details.
• We Are Hawkeyes Exhibition Guide
  Accessible PDF document. The complete guide to the exhibition, including curators' statements, an introduction, a comprehensive item list, and complete exhibition credits.
• Virtual Gallery Tour of We Are Hawkeyes: Celebrating 175 Years of Student Life at the University of Iowa
  A complete interactive virtual tour of the Main Library Gallery exhibition.

 

VIDEOS

 

University Archivist Emeritus David McCartney shares his observations about dorm life in the 1970s, and explains his picks for the exhibit's dorm room set:

Community and Student Life Archivist Aiden Bettine briefly explains the origin of Herky:

Community and Student Life Archivist Aiden Bettine talks about the long legacy of student-led protest on the University of Iowa campus:

 

DOCUMENTARIES AND CLIPS FROM THE UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

The following short documentary films are part of the We Are Hawkeyes exhibition in the Main Library Gallery, but are also available to watch online.

 

“Campus Scenes, The University of Iowa, 1928-1933,” F.W. Kent Motion Picture Collection.

“Commencements, The University of Iowa, 1927-1934,” F.W. Kent Motion Picture Collection.

“State University of Iowa Football vs. Notre Dame – November 11, 1939,” Athletics Film Collection.

The Old Gold Rush of 1957: Iowa Hawkeyes in the Tournament of Roses, Athletics Film Collection.

“SUI-University News Reel 1960,” General Film Collections.

On a Confrontation in Iowa City, 1969. Directed by Robert Coover, University Archives.

 

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS & UI LIBRARIES ARTICLES

 

• We Are Hawkeyes: New Main Library Gallery Exhibit Now Open
  January 25, 2022. Sara J. Pinkham. An introduction to the exhibition.
• Virtual Tour Available for 'We Are Hawkeyes' Exhibit
  February 24, 2022. Sara J. Pinkham. Announcement about the virtual exhibition, including a link.

 

LINKS & NEWS ARTICLES

 

• Explore the University Archives
  The University Archives, located within the University of Iowa Libraries Special Collections & Archives, collects, preserves, and provides access to information about the history of the University of Iowa. Special Collections & Archives is open to the public.
• Explore the Iowa Women's Archives
  The Iowa Women’s Archives holds more than 1200 manuscript collections that chronicle the lives and work of Iowa women, their families, and their communities. These personal papers and organizational records date from the nineteenth century to the present. Together with oral histories, they document the activities of Iowa women throughout the state and beyond its borders. The Iowa Women’s Archives is open to the public.
• Iowa Digital Library
  The Iowa Digital Library features more than a million digital objects created from the holdings of the University of Iowa Libraries and its campus partners. Included are illuminated manuscripts, historic maps, fine art, historic newspapers, scholarly works, and more. Items from the Frederick W. Kent Collection of Photographs make frequent appearances in the exhibition.
• The Daily Iowan Archive
  Read digital scans of original newspaper editions. The archive includes publications between 1868 and the present day.
• University of Iowa Hawkeye Yearbooks
  Flip through Hawkeye Yearbooks from 1892 - 1992.
• Original Herky drawings
  See a selection of original Herky drawings by Dick Spencer, ca. 1949-1952.
• History of the Iowa Memorial Union
  Read a chronological history of the IMU and see images from throughout the decades.
• UI to mark 175 years in 2022
  October 7, 2021. Office of Strategic Communication, University of Iowa. Video and description of the preliminary offering of 175th anniversary activities on campus.
• Main Library exhibit displays 175 years of UI history
  February 22, 2022. Anaka Sanders. The Daily Iowan. Overview news article focused upon the Main Library Gallery exhibition as part of the UI's campus celebrations.
• UI celebrates 175 years of student voice, protest
  February 22, 2022. Eleanor Hildebrandt. The Daily Iowan. News article examining the legacy of student voices on campus.
• Here are two events to check out this weekend in Iowa City, including the One Book Two Book festival
  February 23, 2022. Paris Barraza. Iowa City Press-Citizen. News article including information about the Libraries' 175th anniversary exhibit in the Main Library Gallery.
• Students demonstrate through history; Capturing 175 years of history
  February 23, 2022. Eleanor Hildebrandt. The Daily Iowan. News article about student protest at the UI through history. Additional photo spread on 8A with photographs by Ayrton Breckinridge.