ANCHORAGE, AK — Catherine Stevens, the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) and the Ted Stevens Foundation are pleased to announce the signing of a deed of gift to bring the papers of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens to UAA. This agreement paves the way to transfer the senator’s official records to UAA for historical preservation, as well as for public access and scholarship.
“It was Ted’s wish for his official papers, as well as those of other prominent Alaskans, to be donated to the university. I am pleased to honor this wish, and I look forward to sharing his legacy through his collection,” said Catherine Stevens, widow of the late Sen. Ted Stevens.
Sean Parnell, chancellor of the UAA, added, “UAA is honored to become the home for Sen. Stevens’ archive. Thank you to Catherine Stevens for bringing this remarkable collection to our university. We are dedicated to preserving the senator’s records and making them accessible for the benefit of all.”
“As the current repository for the senator’s papers, our Foundation’s archival team has been working diligently to prepare his records for transfer and public release,” said Karina Waller, Ted Stevens Foundation executive director. “We look forward to working with UAA on the process for conveyance of the collection.”
The Ted Stevens archive is one of the largest documented congressional collections. The archive includes more than 4,000 boxes, 8 million pages of records and thousands of photos and audio-visual pieces. The records will be located at the UAA/APU Consortium Library on the UAA campus in Anchorage.
UAA is currently collaborating with the Ted Stevens Foundation to create an Alaska Leaders Archive to advance pathways for civic engagement and make historical records accessible to students, scholars, policymakers and the general public.
As Sen. Stevens stated, “The future continues to present challenges. We all have…new technology coming on the scene daily, a new generation of Alaskans 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.”
The Ted Stevens papers and the records of Alaskans who helped build our state, will advance scholarship and public awareness of Alaska’s history, business and public policy and serve as a resource to address today’s complex issues.
