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October 23, 2000 Contact: Political Campaign Memorabilia on Exhibit at WSU PULLMAN, Wash. -- A collection of political memorabilia will be on exhibit in the Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections area of Washington State University’s Holland Library Oct. 30 through Dec. 29. The exhibit, "Presidential Politics 1824-1992: The Frank and Marty Mullen Political Memorabilia Collection," will include a chronological display of presidential campaign buttons and pins, as well as bumper stickers, postcards, sheet music, old newspapers, banners, hats and yard signs. Additional displays focus on third-party candidates, humor in politics and House Speaker Tom Foley’s memorabilia. A history of the collection will also be on view. The items in the exhibit have been selected from a gift of more than 1,800 buttons and pins and a wide range of paper items from Martha "Marty" Mullen to the Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service. The gift has been appraised at more than $55,000. An opening reception for the exhibit will be held at 3 p.m. Nov. 3 at MASC, which is off the ground-level library atrium. Lance LeLoup, chair of the WSU political science department and C.O. Johnson Distinguished Professor and interim director of the Foley Institute, will deliver comments on how political campaigns have changed over the years; and Mullen will discuss her experiences building the collection. Mullen is also serving as curator of the exhibit. Mullen, who has coordinated programs including the Compton Union Gallery, the Visual Performing an Literary Arts Committee, and Art a la Carte for the CUB since 1972, made the gift in memory of her husband, William F. "Frank" Mullen. Frank was a WSU professor of political science from 1968-86, when he passed away. He was one of the first two Burlington Northern Excellence in Teaching award recipients at WSU, and was noted for his commitment to his students both in and out of the classroom. Both of the Mullens were active in Democratic politics. Frank served several terms as Whitman County Democratic Party chair, and together they were county coordinators for Foley’s congressional races from 1978-86. They also attended the 1976 National Democratic Convention in New York City, Frank as a delegate and Marty with press credentials. Marty went again in 1988, this time to Atlanta, as an alternate delegate. The Mullen collection will be housed in the Foley Institute, where portions of it will be on periodic display. By mid-November, a virtual version of the exhibit will be available on the MASC Web site at www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/holland/masc/masch.htm under the category "exhibits." skh129-00 |
