Gov. Mike Beebe stands in the living room of the V.C. Kays House.
Once he leaves office in January, eight years worth of papers, video, photographs and other memorabilia from Gov. Mike Beebe will make their way to Arkansas State University.
Beebe, a 1968 graduate of the Jonesboro university and a past chairman of the Board of Trustees, made the announcement Saturday.
“I’ve made no secret of my love for Arkansas State University and the opportunities this school created for me,” Beebe said. “I’ve been fortunate to participate in many historic Arkansas events during the past 32 years. I’m pleased to work with ASU to share my part of our history with researches, historians and students from Arkansas and beyond.”
Beebe’s archive will include a website with access to the collection, and interactive presentations at the V.C. Kays House and Dean B. Ellis Library. The university’s Department of Heritage Studies, Department of Political Science, the ASU Museum, the College of Business and the Delta Center for Economic Development will also be involved the archive.
The tentative budget for the project is $650,000. Private funds and grants will be sought to pay for the archives, renovations, website and exhibits. The university also hopes to raise enough money to endow the Mike Beebe Chair of Political Science and fund a Mike Beebe Delta Scholars program.
Jeff Hankins, vice president for strategic communications and economic development, is heading the efforts between A-State and Beebe.
Included in the plans at the Kays House, Hankins said, is a recreation of Beebe’s state Capitol office using his furniture and memorabilia.
A full-time archivist is expected to be hired this fall for three years to help with the transition of Beebe’s archives.
“The governor is giving us a unique opportunity to bring together faculty and student talents form many disciplines,” Chancellor Tim Hudson said. “We will preserve and communicate the history of Gov. Beebe while creating interactive educational experiences.”
Watch a university-produced video from this weekend’s announcement below:
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