Myths Unveiled: University of Arizona Libraries Special Collections and Udall Center Revisit Stewart Udall’s Legacy
U of A Libraries unveiled a new Special Collections exhibit on the environmental legacy of former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall with a VIP panel discussion.
“… [M]yths can sometimes envelop events and obliterate essential truths about actual happenings.”
- Stewart L. Udall, The Myths of August.
In mid-September, University of Arizona Libraries Special Collections opened a new exhibit to the public titled, “Trailblazer: Stewart L. Udall’s Environmental Leadership and Legacy.” The exhibit, curated by U of A Libraries Special Collections Librarian and Curator for Political Affairs Collections Steve Hussman, showcases personal documents and artifacts from the life of Stewart L. Udall, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, and highlights many of Udall’s achievements in political office and beyond.
The evening of September 25, 2025 served as the “kick-off” for the exhibit. With support from the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy and the federal nonprofit Udall Foundation, Jonathan Nez – former Vice President (2015-2019) and President (2019-2023) of the Navajo Nation – and Tom Udall – former U.S. senator for New Mexico (2009-2021), ambassador to New Zealand (2021-2025), and Stewart’s son – were invited to the U of A campus to participate in a panel discussion tilted “The Myths of August Revisited: Stewart Udall as a Champion for the Navajo Miners and ‘Downwinders.’” Named for Stewart Udall’s 1994 book, The Myths of August, the event also featured Hussman as moderator and Native Nations Institute Executive Director Joan Timeche (Hopi) as emcee.
The Special Collections Reading Room was filled nearly to capacity with members of the public who turned out to listen as Udall, Nez, and Hussman discussed the myriad impacts of one of Arizona’s most revered public servants. Also in attendance were several members of the Udall family including attorney and Udall Foundation board member Tess Udall; Stewart’s brother, attorney Burr Udall; and Bradley Udall, Stewart’s nephew and senior water and climate research scientist and scholar at Colorado State University’s Colorado Water Center.
Udall Family Values
At the event, Stewart Udall’s relatives highlighted the minimalist lifestyle and thoughtful nature Stewart and his brother former U.S. Congressman Morris Udall exhibited throughout their lives and brought with them to bipartisan discussions during their lengthy political careers. In fact, they said, such gentility was core to the Udall family’s ethos.
“Public service became a part of how you thought about the world,” recalled Tess Udall as she described what it was like growing up as a member of the Udall family, “and it goes beyond serving in public office.”
During the discussion, the panelists described various ways in which Stewart Udall fought for greater environmental protections and worked to expand the rights of Native Americans. Referring to the rampant increase in nuclear arms testing and uranium mining taking place in and around the Navajo Nation while Stewart Udall was in office, President Nez explained how the federal government actively lied about the potential health consequences of such activities.
Nez went on to state his appreciation for Stewart’s tenacity in the fight to get compensation for those affected by radiation poisoning following his retirement from political life. Nez also expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Navajo Nation as a panelist at the event.
“I’m honored to be asked to come and share my experiences with the Udall family…we’ve got to continue to support their vision for a better tomorrow,” Nez said.
After the panel discussion and an associated Q & A session, guests were invited to explore the various artifacts in the “Trailblazer” exhibit, offering a glimpse of how the legendary civil servant’s vision was informed in his early life, during his political career, and beyond.
Life Beyond the Myth
Having witnessed the consequences of public misinformation related to radiation poisoning, as well as the lack of remediation attempts by the federal government to minimize the threats posed to U.S. citizens by radiation exposure, Stewart Udall dedicated the later years of his life to serving as champion for both the Navajo Nation and “Downwinders” after leaving office in 1969.
“For 10 whole years (between 1953-1963), more than 100 bombs were tested above ground,” said Tom Udall during the panel discussion, adding, “…the wind blew [radiation] from the Nevada test site over the Navajo Nation.”
The term ‘Downwinders’ was applied to those living downwind of nuclear test sites, largely encompassing inhabitants on or near the Navajo Nation.
Since the United States Atomic Energy Commission actively hid the negative impacts of uranium mining and nuclear arms testing from the Navajo Nation (according to Udall’s book, The Myths of August, as well as comments made by both President Nez and Ambassador Udall during the September 25 event), Stewart Udall was inspired to rethink his role as a representative of the public and to ask critical questions about the moral failings of his nation’s political class. Thus, he set out to inform Navajo citizens of their right to compensation and to spread awareness about the health consequences of radiation exposure. The Myths of August outlines these considerations and decisions through Udall’s own process of self-reflection.
According to those that knew him best, Stewart Udall approached his work with Navajo miners and Downwinders with the same zeal and dedication he had given to political office. Bradley Udall summarized his uncle’s commitment to helping others, stating, “Stewart continued his lifelong devotion with serving people… working as an attorney on behalf of some really good people in need of help.”
The Udall family’s public-policy legacy continues to inspire others to advocate for their communities and the environment today, including through support of the work and research of the U of A Udall Center.
Access to the “Trailblazer” exhibit is free and open to the public during Special Collections normal business hours through July 31, 2026.
