[JHeath]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=40388.49

5/12/2008 11:02:00 AM
Sen. Bowser's Effects Donated To Historical Society
Jason Miller
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - While the legacy of the late State Sen. Anita Bowser will live on in the halls of the Indiana Statehouse and on the streets of La Porte County, it will now also live on at the Indiana Historical Society.

More than 14 cubic feet of personal scrapbooks, newspaper stories, plaques and awards were given to the society recently by Democratic Party officials who were cleaning out the former office of the late 8th District Senator.

Much of the information is personal, but deals with government and Statehouse issues from the 1970s to the 1990s.

Bowser died in office more than a year ago.

Paul Brockman, director of manuscripts and visual collections with the society, told The News-Dispatch this week that the collection of non-governmental memories is one of only a few the society has received from state lawmakers, living or dead.

Many such effects are given to major state universities.

"We have a couple, but not many," Brockman said. "Legislators tend to be dramatic and they want their things on display at IU or Purdue. It's not often we get something like this."

Amy Lamb, a spokeswoman for the society, said this week that all of Bowser's official government documents - like those of all other Indiana legislators - go directly to the Statehouse Library, where they are archived and kept.

She said the society has existed since 1930 or before and houses thousands of documents that make reference to government, but which are not official.

"Most everything we have is of an archival nature," she said, adding that the society is not a traditional museum. Brockman said visitors to the society - which sits across from the Statehouse on the corner of West Street and New York Avenue in Indianapolis - must fill out forms to request the chance to peruse documents.

"These things aren't displayed, and that is a selling point," he said. "You can come and do the research, but there's not so many people here."

Lamb said many of the items in the Bowser collection are personal writings about the ongoing business at the statehouse, as well as many photos of Bowser with senate pages, interns and other lawmakers, including former Democrat Gov. Joe Kernan.

The collection even includes a graduation photo of Bowser either from high school or college.

"These are all things that are highlights of her career," Brockman said. "Sometimes we get these things after someone dies, but others come to us when someone leaves office.

"There's a lot of history here."



Contact reporter Jason Miller at jmiller@thenewsdispatch.com.

[Dave]

That strikes me as odd. Not the donation part, that seems like a good thing to me. But it seems to me that Ms. Bowser's personal effects would belong to her heirs and assigns (assigns = people she left stuff to in her will). Though I suppose it's possible she left that stuff to the Indiana Democratic Party, if I was her niece or nephew (or son or daughter or cousin) I think I would take exception to their doing this without my say-so, assuming there wasn't a will.

[lovethiscity]

That strikes me as odd. Not the donation part, that seems like a good thing to me. But it seems to me that Ms. Bowser's personal effects would belong to her heirs and assigns (assigns = people she left stuff to in her will). Though I suppose it's possible she left that stuff to the Indiana Democratic Party, if I was her niece or nephew (or son or daughter or cousin) I think I would take exception to their doing this without my say-so, assuming there wasn't a will.

What is really odd is the part she played in getting us PNC. One would think her legacy belongs there, if not with her family.

[Roger Kaputnik]

It looks like the State is getting the State-pertinent stuff. Makes sense.

[Dave]

It looks like the State is getting the State-pertinent stuff. Makes sense.

Yeah, but her HS graduation picture? I can understand the state documents going to the state, but the grad pic struck me as wierd.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Context?

I liked her.

[Dave]

And I liked what I heard of her. I just find it a bit odd that her non-state related personal effects are not going to her brother, neice, or one of her two nephews. Though I suppose those items may have been donated by the next of kin, the article is vague at best.

[Roger Kaputnik]

They prob got what they wanted, thought this stuff went together well.