Celebrating Sandy Boyd and the Law Library

IOWA Law Library

Celebrating

Sandy Boyd & the Law Library

The Online Exhibit

Curator’s Note The very first email I received when I started working at the Law Library was from Sandy Boyd. It was a short and hearty welcome that made me smile—and also wonder how on earth he knew who I was? After that first day, I saw Sandy often. An active and energetic patron of the Law Library, he was frequently conducting research, checking out books, and talking with law librarians. It was no secret we all coveted receiving a “Sandy question” and he was generous in trying to rotate between us.

Sandy actively curated his Presidential Collection, donating books and ephemera until well after he retired. What I love most about this collection is how it reflects Sandy’s sense of humor and sense of story. It was not lost on Sandy that the Reagan slippers (pictured in this exhibit) were a bit creepy, but he insisted they remain in the collection, much to the humorous chagrin of Professor Arthur Bonfield (Law Library Director from 1985-2014).

In 2015, to celebrate the Law School’s 150th anniversary, Sandy and Dean Agrawal invited me to curate an exhibition about the people and stories that compose our Law School. I still have every email and voicemail Sandy sent me, offering advice, support, and gratitude throughout the process. They are a treasure, and while I still struggle to “reduce text as much as possible,” I am still guided, encouraged, and inspired by his words.

So many of us have “Sandy stories” to share, and I hope this tiny exhibit, just a small sliver of Sandy’s rich life, will provide further opportunities to connect with one another. Through story, Sandy created community and connection. I miss him every single day.

Thank you, Sandy, for everything.

Noëlle Sinclair Head of Special Collections University of Iowa Law Library

CELEBRATING

SAlsDY

It would be impossible to tell the full story of Willard "Sandy" Boyd's 95 years within the confines of this small display.

Instead, this exhibit celebrates Sandy's decades-long relationship with th e Law Library.

Ever curious, Sandy was an active library patron, even after he retired. He also donated books, curated th e Presidential collection, and made suggestions for preserving Law School history.

SANDY BOYD & the Law Library

Scholars hip, Writing, & Teaching

Minnesota Law Review

Behind every law review volume, article, and note, there is a great law library.

As Note Editor for the Minnesota Law Review, Sandy early on recognized the crucial role law libraries play in supporting scholarship.

Law Review Advisor Around 1962 Professor Percy Bordwell came to me and said: ft is time for you to give up being advisor to the Law Review.

Being advisor is the work ofjunior people. If you continue to be advisor, you will not amount to anything."

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I chose not to heed Bordy's advice, and after ten years as faculty advisor, I descended into the oblivion of academic administration.

From Sandy's Memoir

Iowa Law Review Articles You will never forget that the most exhaustively footnoted articles in the history of the Iowa Law Review appear in 47 Iowa Law Review pp. 29-103, 823-932 (1961-62).

In a 2011 email to then-Director of the Law Library, Arthur Bonfield, Sandy jokes about his early articles in the Iowa Law Review.

Research Support

Sandy worked with Law Library Director Eda Zwinggi both as a scholar and in his role as Law Review Advisor.

Pictured at left, fellow Minnesotan Ms. Zwinggi provided research and citation check assistance until she retired in 1966.

Right: Sandy with another fellow Minnesotan, Norma Westphal, who worked as an administrative assistant for the Law Review from 1967 until her retirement

Minnesota vs Iowa Sandy grew up in Minnesota and was aware the rivalry between the states went beyond football.

In his Memoir, Sandy retold a story shared by Iowa Law Dean Mason Ladd: "The Law Library benefitted from the competitiveness of Iowa president Walter Jessup and Minnesota president Lotus Coffman, long-time friends who had served at the same time as deans of education and presidents of the two institutions.

They chose their law school libraries as their field of contest. For whatever good reason, the two libraries became nationally regarded."

Sandy in his office with a replica of Floyd of Rosedale (a football rivalry). Sandy met the original Floyd as a child in Minnesota. His father was a large animal veterinarian who taught at Minnesota University.

Sandy knew I love horses, and told me about Minnesota's Percheron named Hezekiah. I was able to find a photo to share with Sandy.

A Hard Day's Night...

Professor Arthur Bonfield recalled a night where he and Sandy were checking cites for Sandy's 1963 Georgetown Law Journal article.

From 7PM to 3AM, they worked continuously, taking only two breaks.

The first break, they danced together down the long hall of the Law Center.

The second break, they sang.

Arthur could not recall the song but assured me it was definitely not the Beatles.

Of the 4 homes the Law Library had on campus, Sandy worked in 3.

The Law Library was a major factor in my recruitment and retention as a law faculty member

Boyd Law Building: 1986 to present

Library Fan Mail Professor Arthur Bonfield arrived in Iowa in 1962. He and Sandy became fast friends.

Sandy often wrote humorous emails to many of the Law Library staff, including Director Arthur Bonfield. Professor Bonfield was the Law Library's Director from 1985 to 2014.

From: Boyd, Willard L Sent: Friday, December 02, 2011 To: Bonfield, Arthur B Dear Professor Bonfield, I commend you for your exemplary leadership of the Iowa Law Library.

You will never forget that the most exhaustively footnoted articles in the history of the Iowa Law Review appear in 47 Iowa Law Review pp. 29-103, 823-932 (1961-62). Footnote 49, page 39 cites Ludwig, Consular Treaty Rights (1913). When I sought this volume, I found it in the Iowa Law Library. I may have been the first to study it as I needed a letter opener for some of the pages.

I am pleased to report that it is still in the Library collection.

Now 50 years later I have been seeking the origin of 1 1 Willard 11 as a Boyd name. My father who was born in Batavia, Iowa in 1883 was told he was named in honor of Frances E. Willard.

Once again the Iowa Law Library provided the pertinent source.

On behalf of Walter Jessup, Mason Ladd, and Eda Zwinggi, I want to express their gratitude for your efforts to maintain the standards they set for the Iowa Law Library.

Respectfully, Willard L. Boyd, Jr. PS Note the judicial activism of the Iowa Supreme Court in 1883 in overtuning the people's will.

Memoir Sandy reads from his memoir, A Life on the Middle West's never-ending Frontier, at the Iowa City Public Library on July 28, 2019.

BENJAMIN F. SHAMBAUGH AWARD Honorable Mention

This annual award recognizes the best Iowa history book published during the previous year.

Susan Kuehn Boyd I could have never been president without Susan, or done anything without Susan.

Sandy to the Cedar Rapids Gazette

Sandy married Susan Kuehn in 1954. An accomplished writer and journalist, Susan often advised Sandy about writing. For example, her advice inspired the title and form of Sandy 1s Never Too Brief.

They shared the story of their initial meeting with Iowa Now in 2016: She was the writer.

T here had been two other s - a socialite, who Willar d "Sandy" Boyd said he knew and liked.

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But that was not r ight," Boyd said. "And there was a perfect one, and I went out with her , but it wasn't perfect."

Finally, he said, "I came to the writer."

"I was the writer," said Susan Boyd, who was Susan Kuehn at the time, a reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Sandy and Susan pose in a humorous photoshoot for an initiative by Iowa Governor Bob Ray. Photos held by the University of Iowa Women's Archives

Never Too Brief

Sandy was inspired by his wife Susan's advice that "a speaker" can never be too brief."

Never Too Brief is a collection of commencement addresses that are short, poignant, and as meaningful today as when they were written This volume was a special edition printed in Iowa City by the UI's Center for the Book.

SANDY BOYD & the Law Library

The Boyd Presidential Collection

Boyd Presidential Collection Conceived, curated, and collected by Willard "Sandy" Boyd, Law Professor and past University of Iowa �resident, the Boyd collection is an eclectic look at the U.S. presidency. Though the focus is on works by and about United States presidents, there is material on presidential candidates, firs ladies, election analysis, campaign speeches, and more.

A portion of the collection is housed in Special Collections.

With Sandy Boyd's passing in December 2022, the Law Library is continuing to expand this collection, both through donations and selectively purchasing new materials.

Boyd Presidential Collection While President of the Field Museum in Chicago, Sandy kept his growing Presidential collection in his office.

When he returned home to Iowa, he was concern about where to store it, as it was close to 2,000 volumes.

Sandy decided to donate the Collection to the Law Library in 1997.

He continued to grow the Collection, which now contains over 2,500 volumes. The Law Library selectively purchases books to add to the Collection.

Presidential Collection Origins While Arthur Bonfield is an Antiquarian collector of note, I have been a modest collector of the writings of American presidents and their spouses.

I started unintentionally when I saw a large portfoio of lithographs of American presidents in the window of a bookstore near the Minnesota campus when I was a law students.

Collecting became an active form of recreation during my Iowa administrative years; whenever I was away from Iowa City, I frequented secondhand bookstores."

From Sandy's Memoir

Humor

Unusual facts, humorous stories, and strange-but­ true information are also a part of the Collection.

First Ladies

Sandy also collected volumes b Y. and about the First La,dies. These include memoirs, recipe books, children's books, and more.

Document Collections Papers, letters, and other Presidential documents are reproduced in numerous multi­ volume sets.

Unusual & Miscellaneous Sandy collected books about the books in his collection.

For example, there are books about writing autobiography and memoirs, political parties, and collecting voting data.

Herbert Hoover Hoover founded the Institution on War, Revolution and Peace at Stanford University in 1919 It is a special collection , "dealing with the causes and consequences of World War I." It evolved into a public policy "think tank" that is still in existence

The 31st President (1929 - 1933), Herbert Hoover, was a mining g en ineer. His Principles of Mining (1909) was part of a War Service Library, a wartime program of the American Library Association that provided books to sailors and soldiers during World War I.

Republican Dinner Club

Souvenir from the Republican Club dinner at Delmonico's in 1898. It celebrated the 89th birthday of President Abraham Lincoln.

Subscription book This book was sold only by distributing agents." The smaller volume was a salesperson's copy, meant to show subscribers what the cover and select inside pages were like. ,

Harrison's Funeral Obsequiies This book describes the funeral of President William H. Harrison, published in 1841.

It appears to have belonged to George Pope Mon:is (1802-1864). Morris was a poet and publisher of the New-York Mirror (1823-1842). The Mirror published an advance copy of Edgar Allan Poe' "The Raven."

Morris was also a well-known song-writer.

Publisher's Bindings In the 1830s1 the printing industry developed a number of techniques that streamlined the creation of books.

Mechanized book assembly, decoration 1 labeling, and the introduction of cloth bindings made mass production possible.

Each decade had a recognizable style and design meant to draw interest to the contents inside.

Because of their age and the fragility of the cloth bindings, it is rare to find them in good condition. Many of the Boyd publisher's bindings are kept in Special Collections.

Magazines & More

Magazine articles by and about Presidents along with newspaper articles and various pamphlets were also collected by Sandy.

Beyond Books

Sandy collected artifacts and memorabilia in addition to books.

Presidential Ephemera Sandy assembled various types of ephemera for the Collection. There are Abraham Lincoln bookends, campaign buttons and matchbooks, postcards, and games.

Companies & Presidents Many companies, such as Planters Nuts and Fanny Farmer candy shops, issued commemorative marketing pieces about U.S. Presidents.

Obama Ephemera Paper dolls and a ticket to President Obama's 2010 speech in Iowa City.

Billy Beer

Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. President, had a younger brother named Billy. Billy had a colorful personality and worked for the family's peanut business.

He was a spokesperson for several alcoholic beverages, including Peanut Lolita liqueur and his namesake Billy Beer. These occurred during his brother's presidency from 1977 to 1981.

Reagan Slippers These somewhat creepy Ronald and Nancy Reagan slippers were not a favorite of Arthur Bonfield (Law Library Director 1985-2014).

Arthur recalled refusing to take the slippers, 11 but Sandy being Sandy insisted he wanted it to be there .. .it's just ridiculous!"

When reminded of Arthur's dislike for the slippers, Sandy would simply smile with a gleam in his eye.

Sandy Boyd & the Law Library

Archives, Exhibits & History

Old Capitol Restorations - 1970's As University President, Sandy led the effort to restore the Old Capitol as a landmark and museum.

The University used the building for both. classrooms and offices. It was in need of significant repair.

Sandy joined forces with home economics professor Margaret Keyes.

The Old Capitol was re-dedicated as a "living museum 1 on July 4, 1976. '

These somewhat blurry photographs are from the re­ dedication ceremony on July 4, 1976.

On the left, Sandy is seated on the far left side of the stage.

Replicas of the key to the Old Capitol were made. Visit OurlowaHeritage.com for additional information.

Old Capitol Restorations - 2006 In 2001, o fire destroyed the Olld Capitol dome and bell tower. On May 6, 2006, the building re-opened as o museum, restored fo what it looked like before the University moved in around 1840.

The Old Capitol was the first Iowa City home of the Law School.

Postcard from the 1970s.

President's Office

As University President (1969 1981), Sandy's office was located in the Old Capitol. This office was used by University Presidents since 1860.

Sandy had a special:connection to the Old Capitol and sought to preserve its history. The Old Capitol was the first Iowa City home of the Law School.

150th Anniversary Exhibit

In 2015, the Law school turned 150 years old. Dean Gail Agrawal and Sandy asked for an exhibit to celebrate our history. The exhibit was housed in the gallery at the Old Capitol, the Law School's first Iowa City home.

I revisited the Law School exhibit at the Old Capitol on Saturday. It is outstanding in every respect! We are indebted to you for organizing this wonderful tribute to the Iowa Law School June 2015 email from Sandy to Exhibit crew

Daumier Exhibit An exhibit of Daumier lithographs from the University Museum of Art was arranged as part of the Law Center's 1962 dedication.

Sandy asked to re-create a portion of that exhibit within the 150th Anniversary exhibit.

History in the Law Library In 2012, Sandy convinced Dean Gail Agrawal to fund the creation of finding aids for several historical Law Library collections. Examples of these collections include artifacts in the Boyd Presidential Collection and 19th century Law School graduation souvenirs.

Museum Person Sandy said that people gave meaning to his life. He supported art, museums, archives, and libraries as ways to both preserve and share the stories of all people.

As a law librarian who also curates exhibits, I had the great fortune to have Sandy as a mentor. His advice to me was succinct: "As a former museum person, I urge you to reduce text to a bare minimum and count on INTERESTING pictures and objects."

Sandy Artifacts The Law Library holds a small collection of Sandy Boyd artifacts.

For instance, we hold his "tour blazer'' from the Field Museum in Chicago.

On Sandy's birthday (March 29), these buttons were available. Dean N. William Hines and Professor Arthur Bonfield, below, celebrated with Sandy.

Hammer - Boyd Professorship The Hammer-Boyd Professorship was established in 2019 through an estate gift from the late David L. Hammer (JD56) and the late Audrey L. Hammer. The gift was made to honor Willard "Sandy" Boyd who was David's long-time friend and faculty mentor Sandy was an enthusiastic supporter of alumni I encouraging the Law Library to collect even non-law work.

Mr. Hammer was a Sherlock Holmes expert, and Sandy donated several of his books to the Law Library.

Mr. Hammer had a wonderful sense of humor: "Most lawyers belong to a rather dull group. Ws the unusual one who has an interest outside of the law...

I remember I came back home at Christmas after my first six months in the practice of law, and my father asked me if I had any disappointments.

And I said, 'Yes, Dad, I do, just two. One is the bench and the other is the bar.r I think I woul still say that 40 years later."

Class Notes

The Law Library collects small numbers of student notebooks that illustrate the history of legal education.

Sandy encouraged the Law Library to expand the collection beyond the 19th century notebooks we already collected.

Faculty P0rtraits Sch0larshi p Sandy wrote many of the biographies that accompany the faculty portraits hanging in the Law Library and Law School. It was important to him that future students, staff, and faculty know about their lives.

Thank you to Sandy's family Susan, Bill, Tom, and Betsy for sharing Sandy with the rest of us!