Work in Washington Exhibit Audio
Audio Descriptions
This exhibit is 13 feet long and 4 feet tall and reads from right to left.
A blue sign with large white letters above the exhibit reads Work in Washington.
The exhibit is arranged in three vertical sections.
Starting on the right, the first section starts with black text on a green background.
The text reads Leading on the Issues.
A black and white photo blends into the background. The photo shows a newly elected Congressman Harkin meeting with Speaker of the House Carl Albert of Oklahoma.
Text below reads:
Tom and Ruth took their small town values to Washington and they would spend the next 40 years in service to others – speaking for people whose voices are not always heard.
A pragmatic progressive, Tom established a reputation for having a strong commitment to the issues and for holding firm to his ideals, while also reaching across the aisle to build bipartisan support through compromise.
Ruth Harkin built an accomplished career as an attorney, international leader, and corporate executive.
In the lower right is a color photo of the Harkin family at his swearing in ceremony to the senate. Ruth Harkin holds a bible. A smiling Senator Harkin holds his youngest daughter Jenny. Vice President George HW Bush and the Harkins oldest daughter Amy smile at the Senator.
To the left of the photo is a quote from his Farewell to the Senate Address – delivered December 12, 2014.
The quote reads
It has been said by a lot of pundits that the Senate is broken. No, it is not. The Senate is not broken. Oh, maybe there are a few dents, a couple scrapes here and there – banged up a little bit – but there is still no other place in America where one person can do big things – for good or for ill – for our people and our nation.
Moving left is a plexiglass box about 2 feet tall and 18 inches wide.
Inside are three items.
A brown nameplate embossed with the words Mr. Harkin – Chairman.
A caption card above it reads
Committee Nameplate.
Each member of Congress has a nameplate that is used during committee hearings and other committee meetings. This nameplate indicates Senator Harkin’s role as the chairman of a committee. During his time in office, he served as chairman of the Agriculture Committee as well as the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions or HELP Committee.
Next is a pen with a silver top and black barrel. On the barrel is the presidential seal and President Barack Obama’s signature.
A caption card next to the pen reads:
Presidential Bill Signing Pen
When President Barack Obama signed the Child Care and Development Bock Grant Act of 2014 into law on November 19, 2014, he gave this pen to Senator Harkin.
Presidents often use multiple pens to sign legislation and they hand them out to people involved as a way to share credit and acknowledge the contributions of others.
This bill was one of 14 pieces of legislation the HELP Committee had enacted in the 113th Congress.
Of the accomplishment, President Obama noted, “it shows that Democrats and Republicans, when it comes to making sure our kids are getting the best possible education, are united.”
To the left, a long, narrow frame fills the length of the plexiglass box.
Inside is a long sheet of paper with the words Roll Call Vote at the top. Handwritten notes read number 103. Conference Report HR 2646.
The remainder of the paper is a table listing Senators last names in alphabetical order. A column to the left of each name reads Yays. A column to the right reads Nays. Handwritten numbers are in both of the columns. At the bottom of the page, a handwritten tally shows 64 yays and 35 nays.
A caption card next to the sheet reads.
Roll Call Vote Sheet
This sheet was used to record a roll call vote on a conference report for the 2002 Farm Bill.
The conference report was agreed to by a count of 64 to 35.
A roll call vote occurs when each senator or representative says Yea or Nay as their name is called by the clerk. As chairman or ranking member, Senator Harkin shepherded multiple farm bills through the legislative process.
Moving left, the next section in this exhibit presents a large timeline on a dark blue background.
Across the top of this section, the title reads By the Numbers:
House:
5,162 Bills Cosponsored
223 signed into law
Senate:
1400 bills sponsored
33 signed into law
Below is timeline laid out on a horizontal line with dates, text and photos above and below the line.
The title reads
Lifelong Service to Others
Reading left to right, the first date reads
1975 – 1985
Member of House Committee on Agriculture
Member of House Committee on Science and Technology
1975
Amends Foreign Assistance Act as a first-term congressman
1976
Restoring Democracy in Chile
Below is a black and white photo of Senator Harkin and two other men in suits. The Senator is wearing a sash.
The caption reads
Along with two other congressmen, Harkin led a fact-finding delegation to Chile in 1976 to investigate reports of human rights abuses and to assess the impact of US aid. During that trip, he uncovered Villa Grimaldi, a prison used by the Pinochet regime.
As a Senator, he used his role on the Appropriations Committee to secure funding for the NO Campaign, the national referendum that ended the Pinochet dictatorship.
In 2014, he returned to Chile where he was awarded the Bernardo O Higgins award, the country’s highest civilian honor for non-Chileans.
Returning to the timeline:
1979
Ruth is first woman appointed Deputy General Counsel at US Department of Agriculture.
1980’s
Farm Crisis
Above this date is a black and white photo blended into the background showing Senator Harkin kneeling in a field of white crosses.
The caption reads
Harkin and other senators from farm states planted white crosses across the street from the White House in Lafayette Park to demonstrate the number of farms that were lost each day.
1982
Ruth serves on Mondale for President Fundraising Committee
1983
Ruth joins Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld.
1986 to 1995
Subcommittee on Disability Chairman
1987 to 1995
Chairman of Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education.
1993
Ruth is appointed to serve as President and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC)
Above this date is a black and white photo blended into the background. The photo shows Ruth and Senator Harkin with their children and Janet Reno.
The caption reads
Ruth Harkin is sworn in by Attorney General Janet Reno as the first woman to serve as President and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation in 1993.
1996 to 2000
Ranking Member on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor Health and Human Services and Education
1997
Ruth is first woman to become a Senior Vice President at United Technologies Corporation (UTC)
1998
Ruth is first woman on board of directors of Conoco Petroleum Company
2000 to 2002
Chairman of Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education.
2002
Chairman of Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
2003 to 2007
Ranking Member on Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
Ranking Member on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education.
2005
Ruth is first woman on board of directors of Bowater
Below that date is a black and white photo blended into the background of Ruth Harkin with Russian President Boris Yeltsin during an OPIC meeting.
2008 to 2009
Chairman of Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
2008 to 2014
Chairman of Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education
2009 to 2014
Chairman of Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pension.
Above that date is a photo of Senator Harkin and Senator Ted Kennedy
The caption reads
After the passing of Senator Ted Kennedy in 2009, Harkin became the Chairman of the HELP committee
To the left of the timeline is a large grey box divided into two sections.
The title reads
The Institute Today
Below, text reads
The Harkin Institute works to advance Senator Harkin’s legacy through research and programming.
What are we working on now?
A title reads
Scholarships
Text reads
To inspire the next generation of public servants and ensure that internships are accessible for everyone, The Harkin Institute offers the DC Experience Scholarship and the Robert Ja Waters and Patricia J Beneki Endowed Washington DC Scholarship to support Drake University students in their efforts to pursue internships in Washington DC. Both of these scholarships are nonpartisan in nature and cover housing accommodations and travel expenses.
A color photo show two young ladies smiling on a balcony with the United States Capitol in the background.
The caption reads
Interns find time to sightsee in the nation’s capital when they are not working at their internship placements.
The next paragraph is title Congress Up Close
The text below reads
The J-Term course, Congress Up Close:
Preparing to be a congressional Staffer gives students an in-depth view of the intricate workings of a congressional office and helps put political theory into real-world practice. The course integrates hands-on assignments utilizing the archival collections and culminates in a trip to Washington DC where students experience a day in the life of various congressional staffers and attend meetings on Capitol Hill.
Next to the paragraph is a color photo of 4 smiling college students – 3 women and 1 man – seated at a marble dais.
The caption reads
Students enjoy a Senate simulation at the Edward M Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate in Boston.
To the left of the exhibit is a sign that reads Archival Display a gift from the Rasmussen Foundation in honor of Sandra and Jim Rasmussen.
You can learn more at harkininstitute dot drake dot edu
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