OU’s Carl Albert Center Collaborates With Capitol Visitor Center

By Katherine McRae, Director of Administration, (405) 325-6372, mcrae@ou.edu

Archival Materials on Display in Capitol Exhibition on Congress and the World Wars.

NORMAN, Okla. – Visitors to the U.S. Capitol have the opportunity to view original materials from the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center as part of a new exhibit titled “Congress and the World Wars.” The exhibit is open until September.

World War I and World War II prompted Congress to address America’s role in foreign affairs. Working with curators from the visitor center, the Carl Albert Center’s archivists selected materials that underscore the Congress’ actions to address issues from rationing to the draft. The center’s materials on display come from the papers of Sen. Elmer Thomas, Rep. Dick T. Morgan and Rep. Lyle Boren.

The Carl Albert Center is participating in the exhibition with a range of institutions, including the National Archives and the Library of Congress.

“We are very excited to gain a national audience for our materials and to be part of the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center’s exhibit,” said Cindy Simon Rosenthal, director and curator of the Carl Albert Center. “We expect this to be the first among many future opportunities to share the rich historical record that is part of the Carl Albert Congressional Archives.”

The exhibition is part of a rotating series of exhibits at the visitor center that tell the story of the United States Congress and the U.S. Capitol. Visitors can explore the exhibit online at https://visitthecapitol.gov/exhibitions/congress-and-world-wars.

The Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center at the University of Oklahoma is a nonpartisan institution devoted to instruction and scholarship related to the U.S. Congress. It sponsors several civic education programs and houses one of the largest archives of congressional papers in the country. With the collections of more than 60 members of Congress and spanning from territorial days to the 21st century, the congressional archives is available for research by scholars, students and members of the public and may be viewed online at http://ou.edu/carlalbertcenter/congressional-collection.

For information about the collections, please call the Carl Albert Center at (405) 325-6372.