Looking at the Udall Legacy: The Udall Brothers Online Exhibit

June 7, 2022
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Greyscale photograph of two young men shoveling mulch into a trailer in front of an old building.

Young Morris K. Udall and his brother Stewart L. Udall at work on the farm in St. Johns, AZ, 1939.

The University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections

The University of Arizona Libraries Special Collections Department’s Political Archives team recently released a new online exhibit titled The Udall Brothers: Voices For The Environment, curated by Graduate Assistant and Knowledge River Scholar, Rose Reza, who graduated in May.

The online exhibition, which is adapted from a traveling exhibition that toured the U.S. between 2005-07, features two sections, each devoted to one of the Udall brothers.

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Two men in suits in an office looking at documents, one seated, and the other looking over his shoulder.

(Left to right) Stewart L. Udall and Morris K. Udall, 1975.

Shepard Sherbell/Corbis; Courtesy The University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections


The Stewart L. Udall exhibit is titled “An American Environmentalist” and covers the elder brother’s road to the Presidential Cabinet as the Secretary of the Interior for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, the various land preservation and environmental protection policies he helped create and implement, and the additional National Historic Landmarks he designated for protection.

The Morris K. Udall exhibit, titled “Leader for the Land and the People,” provides a glimpse into Mo’s political journey, including his presidential campaign, and the many policies in support of Native American land rights and further environmental protections, showcasing the legacy he left behind that continues on today, through the work of the Udall Foundation and various research centers, as well as scholarships, internships, etc.

In honor of each Udall brother’s centennial birthday (in 2020 and 2022), the Udall Center, Udall Foundation, and UArizona Libraries Special Collections Department hosted commemoration events featuring panel discussions of the Udall brothers’ impacts and continuing legacies. The Stewart L. Udall Centennial Celebration was held virtually in November 2020. The Morris K. Udall Centennial Celebration was a hybrid, two-part event. The first part of the event was held in April 2022, and the final portion will be held in Washington, DC, in December 2022. Registration is required.

Contacts
Steve Hussman, Curator for Political Affairs Collections