Michael C. Roberts collection on political campaign ephemera
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Michael C. Roberts collection on political campaign ephemera
- Date
- 1912-2022, undated (inclusive)
- Extent
- 3.56 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Political campaigns -- United States
- Ephemera.
- Artifacts
- Arrangement
- Collection is arranged by subject into 2 series.
- Preferred Citation
- 2021ms091 : [identification of item], Michael C. Roberts collection on political campaign ephemera, 1912-2022, undated, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Michael C. Roberts is a Professor Emeritus of the Clinical Child Psychology Program at the University of Kansas. Roberts became politically active around age 8, when he wore a sandwich sign for John Kennedy in front of a grocery store. He later managed a campaign headquarters in Missouri, worked on campaigns for Lieutenant Governor and US Senator in Missouri, was an elections "judge" in Indiana and attended rallies for candidates, and knocked on doors in Alabama. Roberts' family was also politically active; his parents were lifelong friends with many Missouri politicians including Mel Carnahan and Roberts' brother worked for US Senator Stuart Symington as his outstate coordinator in Missouri.
- Throughout his life, Roberts collected political campaign ephemera, primarily from United States Presidential Campaigns, but also from state and local elections. He was a member of the American Political Items Collectors organization and purchased some items at organizational events. Other times, friends and family gifted items to Roberts that they found at estate auctions or in family drawers.
- Scope and Content
- The Michael C. Roberts collection on political campaign ephemera (dated 1912-2022, undated; 3.56 cubic feet; 36 boxes, 1 oversize box, 1 oversize map folder) primarily comprises buttons, bumper stickers, and posters that document United States national and local political campaigns. The collection also includes flyers, t-shirts, bottle caps, thimbles, a paperclip, bar soap, a luggage tag, a magazine, and candy cigars that relate to national and local campaigns. Notes providing context on the candidates and campaigns are included where possible.
- The collection is organized by subject into two series. The Candidates series is arranged alphabetically by the candidate's last name. In some cases, the candidate's first name and or specific campaign is unknown. The Assorted, unidentified candidate series is arranged alphabetically by subject. Items in this series primarily relate to political parties, events, or movements with no specific candidate identified.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Candidates, 1912-2020, undated
John Anderson; Patrick Lucey, 1980
John Ashbrook button, [1972]
Howard Baker button, [1980]
Bill Baxley bumper sticker, [1986]
Birch Bayh, [1976]
Lloyd Bentsen buttons, [1976]
Donald L. Bowen buttons, undated
Otis Bowen; Robert Orr buttons, [1972]
Jean Paul Bradshaw button, [1964]
Jerry Brown buttons, 1980
Benjamin Bubar; Earl Dodge buttons, 1976, 1980
George H.W. Bush; Dan Quayle, 1988-1992
George W. Bush bumper sticker, [2000]
William Cahn button, [1962]
Peter Camejo button, [1976]
Hugh Carey; Mary Anne Krupsak buttons, [1974-1978]
Mel Carnahan button, [1980]
Jimmy Carter, 1976-1980, undated
Jimmy Carter; Walter Mondale, 1976-1980
Jimmy Carter; Rosalynn Carter buttons, 1976-1980
Jimmy Carter; Larry Allyn Conrad; Otis Cox buttons, 1976
- Box 10, item 5-6
Biographical / Historical
Democratic candidates Carter for President, Conrad for Governor, Otis Cox for auditor, Madison County, Indiana.
Jimmy Carter; Vance Hartke bumper sticker, [1976]
William Cason buttons, [1960-1976]
Ed Clark, [1980]
Bill Clinton buttons, [1992-1996]
Bill Clinton; Hillary Clinton, [1992-1996]
Bill Clinton; Al Gore, [1992-1996]
Hillary Clinton bumper sticker, [2008-2016]
Frank Church button, 1976
John Connally button, [1980]
Larry Allyn Conrad buttons, [1976]
Phil Crane, 1980, [1980]
Alan Cranston buttons, 1984
Jeremiah Denton button, [1980-1986]
Thomas Dewey; John Bricker buttons, [1944]
Earl F. Dodge; Warren C. Martin buttons, [1984]
Bob Dole; Jack Kemp, 1992-1996
Michael Dukakis; Lloyd Bentsen, 1988
Dwight D. Eisenhower; Richard Nixon buttons, [1952-1956]
Marjorie Eller bottle cap, undated
Ben Fernandez button, 1980
Floyd Fithian, [1972-1982]
Gerald Ford; Bob Dole, 1976, [1976]
Gerald Ford; Betty Ford buttons, [1976]
Richard Franks button, [1974]
Newt Gingrich bumper stickers, undated
Barry Goldwater, 1964, [1964], undated
Barry Goldwater; William Miller, 1964, [1964]
Al Gore; Joe Lieberman, 2000
Fred Harris button, 1976
Gary Hart buttons, 1984
[Unknown] Hawkins button, undated
- Box 15, item 4
Biographical / Historical
Unidentified candidate/race. Reads, "I'm a Hawkins Helper".
Howell Heflin button, [1978]
Herbert Hoover button, [1928-1932]
Henry Howell button, [1969-1977]
Hubert Humphrey; Ed Muskie, 1968-1976, [1968]
Henry Martin Jackson button, [1972-1976]
Jesse Jackson buttons, 1984-1988
Lyndon B. Johnson, 1964, [1964]
Lyndon B. Johnson; Hubert Humphrey, 1964-1968, [1964]
Mark Kelly button, [2020]
John F. Kennedy; Lyndon B. Johnson, 1960, [1960]
Ted Kennedy buttons, 1980
John Kerry; John Edwards, 2004, [2004]
Earl Langrebe button, [1968-1974]
Alf Landon button, sticker, pledge card, [1936]
[Unknown] Lehr button, undated
Richard Lugar; Elwood Hillis, [1974-2012]
Jim Martin button, [2008]
Eugene McCarthy, 1968, [1968-1976]
George McGovern, 1972, [1968-1984]
George McGovern; Thomas Eagleton buttons, 1972
- Box 20, item 16
- Box 21, item 1-5
Biographical / Historical
Eagleton removed from ticket due to undisclosed history of mental health hospitalizations.
George McGovern; Thomas Eagleton; Robert Sargent Shriver bumper stickers, [1972]
George McGovern; Robert Sargent Shriver, 1972, [1972]
George McMillan button, 1982
Walter Mondale, 1984, [1984]
Walter Mondale; Geraldine Ferraro, 1984, [1984]
Edmund Muskie buttons, [1968-1976]
John Myers, 1976
Richard Nixon, [1968-1972]
Richard Nixon; Spiro Agnew, [1968-1972]
Richard Nixon; Henry Cabot Lodge buttons, [1960]
Richard Nixon; Thelma Nixon buttons, [1960]
Richard Nixon; Edgar Whitcomb; William Ruckelshaus buttons, [1968]
- Box 24, item 17-18
Biographical / Historical
Republican candidates Nixon for President, Whitcomb for Governor, Ruckelshaus for Senate; Indiana
Barack Obama; Joe Biden, 2008, [2008]
Ross Perot buttons, 1992
Andrew Pulley button, [1980]
Dan Quayle button, [1992]
- Box 25, item 10
Biographical / Historical
Button reads, "Just Say Noe". Quayle was attributed to be not very smart (he misspoke several times) and presumably this was demonstrated in a mock spelling bee in a school, when a pupil spelled potato correctly, but he added an "e" at the end. Hence, the extra "e" on the end of No. This was not an official Democratic party pin, but was marketed extensively in various versions.
Richard J. Rabbitt button, [1976]
Ronald Reagan, 1980-1984, [1980-1986]
Ronald Reagan; George H.W. Bush, 1980-1984, [1980-1984]
Ronald Reagan; Richard Schweiker button, 1976
Willie Mae Reid button, [1976]
- Box 28, item 1
Biographical / Historical
Socialist Workers Party, Vice-Presidential candidate
William E. Robinson bottle cap, [1968]
Nelson Rockefeller, [1960-1976]
Franklin D. Roosevelt buttons, [1932-1944]
Theodore Roosevelt; Hiram Johnson button, 1912
- Box 28, item 10
Biographical / Historical
Reads, "Missouri State Convention -- St. Louis 1912"
Milton Sharp button, 1976
Richard Shelby bumper sticker, [1986-2020]
Robert Sargent Shriver button, 1976
Lennington Small button, [1920-1936]
[Unknown] Smallwood thimble and paperclip, undated
Don R. Stanley button, [1974-1978]
Harold Stassen button, [1940s-1990s]
- Box 28, item 15
Biographical / Historical
Stassen became known as a perennial candidate, with nine unsuccessful attempts at the Republican nomination between the 1940s and 1990s.
Adlai Stevenson buttons, [1952-1956]
Adlai Stevenson; Estes Kefauver buttons, 1965
Stuart Symington buttons, [1960], 1970
- Box 29, item 1-5
Biographical / Historical
Presidential and Senate; Missouri Item 5 reads, "Youth with Symington - 70". It was withdrawn for circulation because he was 69 turning 70 and his opponent was making a big deal about his "old" age and his campaign didn't want to draw more attention to the issue.
Morris King Udall, 1976
George Wallace buttons, [1964-1976]
George Wallace; Curtis LeMay, 1968, [1968]
Lloyd Weaver button, undated
Wendell Willkie; Charles McNary buttons, [1940]
Malcolm Wilson; Ralph Caso buttons, [1974]
- Box 30, item 4-5
Biographical / Historical
Wilson for Governor and Caso for Lieutenant Governor; New York
Assorted, unidentified candidate, 1958-2022, undated
"202 & GOP too" button, undated
American flag button, undated
"Ask me how many houses I own" button, undated
Bicentennial, Democratic Party button, 1992
Boston Busing Crisis button, [1975]
"A Democrat shot J.R." button, [1980]
"Democratic Organization - Cook County" button, undated
Donkey button, undated
"Dem" donkey button, undated
"For State and National - Democratic" button, undated
"Give a Damn" button, undated
"God Bless America" button, undated
"GOP", elephant and broom button, undated
"Keep the House - Democratic" button, undated
"Keep Missouri Democratic" thimble, undated
"Let's All Vote" button, undated
"Peace on Earth - Work for Peace" button, [1960s]
POW bumper stickers, undated
"Remember the hostages" tags, [1970s]
"Restoring Democracy - 2022" button, 2022
"Russ Troll for President" bumper sticker, undated
"Russ Troll for President" button, undated
The Senators, record
- Box 32, item 40
Scope and Contents
"A Sing Along Song" / "There's a new man in the White House"
"Snoopy for President" button, 1958
"Snoopy for President" bumper sticker, undated
"Take Pride in America" button, undated
"United States Pen" pens, undated
"Victory" donkey button, undated
"Vote Democratic" sticker and folding hat, undated
"Vote Democratic" bumper sticker, undated
"Vote Democratic" poster, undated
"Vote Libertarian" bumper sticker, undated
"Vote Republican" elephant button, undated
"Vote Republican" bumper sticker, undated
Voting bumper stickers, undated
"Win" button, undated
"Work for Peace - November 13-14" button, [1969]
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
