Traditions are often hard to keep, the history of them more so.
One University of Idaho archivist and one history professor have attempted to do the impossible with their new book “University of Idaho,” as part of The Campus History Series.
UI Library Special Collections | Courtesy
Students pose with homecoming bumper sticker in 1949. In the years following World War II, the University of Idaho experienced growth as students strived to return to more normal circumstances. Traditional college activities, such as homecoming, enjoyed renewed popularity.
Erin Passehl-Stoddart, head of special collections at the UI library, has been with the university for two years. She said her knowledge of UI history and traditions was limited going into this publication.
Passehl-Stoddart’s counterpart Katherine Aiken first came to UI in 1972 for her undergraduate degree. After returning to the university as a faculty member 1984, she eventually became the interim provost and executive vice president. She is currently a professor of history.
Passehl-Stoddart and Aiken noticed there were few western schools in The Campus History Series, and decided to go ahead with the project. Passehl-Stoddart said there are two previous books on the history of UI, and this publication is not meant to replace those books, but rather expand upon them.
Aiken said they tried not to republish older photographs. The two went through more than 3,000 photos, which Passehl-Stoddart said was a fraction of special collections, in order to find photos for the publication.
“We wanted to emphasize students and student choices,” Aiken said. “We were purposeful about including both genders and students of diverse backgrounds.”
Not all the photos came directly from special collections, especially from the last 30 years, Passehl-Stoddart said. Most people wait until someone dies or retires to donate photos, so there was a significant gap in their timeline from special collections, she said.
The two found some of the photos by reaching out to people on campus, with a lot of help coming from the campus photography office. Still, roughly 90 percent of the photos come from the special collections archive, Passehl-Stoddart said.
Passhel-Stoddart said they tried to represent all the colleges and different campuses across Idaho. Aiken said they did so because they wanted to show the state-wide influence of UI.
While the book represents history dating back to the early 1900s, Aiken said there was special attention paid to the last 20 to 30 years of campus history.
Having come into this project not knowing much about UI, Passehl-Stoddart said she learned a lot about the university as well as the special collections she leads. Aiken said she learned the most about women’s athletics and the history of the Women’s Center while working on the publication.
“This has been a diverse campus since it started,” Passehl-Stoddart said. “Traditions are always fun.”
The book went on stands Monday. Anyone interested can find them for sale directly from the library, the VandalStore and eventually BookPeople of Moscow.
Both Aiken and Passehl-Stoddart said they have donated their royalties back to UI, specifically the library. A portion of the book sales goes to the library as well.
“This book is meant to be a celebratory look, not a critical look at the University of Idaho,” Aiken said. “The University of Idaho is a very special place.”
Claire Whitley
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