Boise State University is asking Idahoans to dig through their closets and photo albums this week for anything connected to Cecil Andrus, the state's longest-serving governor. The public portion of Andrus for Idaho: History Harvest runs Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9:45 a.m. into the afternoon at The SPACE on the second floor of Albertsons Library, with organizers hoping to turn old snapshots, letters and memories into a lasting archive — and the backbone of a new book.
A Friday Story Workshop, Then Saturday's Public Harvest
The broader event actually kicks off Friday, Nov. 6, at 9 a.m., but the hands-on community portion for the general public is concentrated Saturday, continuing through the afternoon, according to Idaho Capital Sun. The History Harvest itself is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. that Saturday at The SPACE, per Boise State News. The venue sits inside Boise State University's Albertsons Library at 1865 Friendship Lane, and registration is encouraged but not required for anyone planning to stop by, the university's Andrus Center notes on its event page.
Visitors can join in at any point during the event rather than committing to a set block of time. Organizers are inviting Idahoans of all walks of life to bring photographs, memorabilia, artifacts, letters and oral histories tied to Andrus's time in office, as well as broader items connected to the state's environmental history — things like newspaper clippings, maps and documents. Volunteers on site will scan photos, letters and other documents, and will also record oral histories and personal stories from attendees, according to the Andrus Center's event listing.
Friday Story Workshop, Saturday History Harvest
Friday's program includes speakers and panel discussions.
Saturday's public hours include stations alongside the archiving work.
Materials turned over by the public will help build out Boise State University Special Collections and Archives, according to Boise State News.
Why Boise State Is Racing to Collect These Stories Now
Behind the weekend event is a bigger ambition: a planned book featuring 14 narrative chapters organized around people, places and issues from Andrus's life and career, Boise State News reports. The volume will draw on essays from officials, political insiders, journalists, former staff, conservationists and Idaho politicians, and the project also involves Boise State design, history and film students.
Event organizers hope to capture a contextual picture of Andrus and his politics before former associates pass away, underscoring the urgency behind the harvest. Emily Wakild, the Cecil D. Andrus Endowed Chairwoman for Environment and Public Lands in Boise State's School of the Environment, College of Arts and Sciences, has said community archiving can address silences in historical records by simply asking people what they want remembered. Wakild has said she hopes to attract participants ranging in age from 9 to 90.
Andrus remains Idaho's longest-serving governor and the last Democrat to hold the office, serving four nonconsecutive terms totaling 14 years. He served as governor from 1971 to 1977, then left to become U.S. Secretary of the Interior in the Carter administration from 1977 to 1981, before returning to the governor's office from 1987 to 1995, according to Idaho Capital Sun. Earlier in his career, he served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and won a seat in the Idaho Senate in 1960 at age 28. He died in 2017 at age 85, the outlet reported.
The Andrus Center is also seeking volunteers to help with setup, visitor guidance, information stations, teardown and archival work throughout the weekend. Beyond the governor's own history, the broader project aims to document Idaho's environmental and policy issues more generally, including salmon, water, tribal relationships, energy, nuclear waste, education and public lands, according to Boise State News.
