Tom Vilsack’s papers head to Drake University library collection
Drake University President Marty Martin, left, and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack signed an agreement for the university to house Vilsack’s professional and personal papers. (Photo courtesy of Drake University)
by Brooklyn Draisey, Iowa Capital Dispatch
April 14, 2026
Drake University’s Cowles Library will soon become the home for documents donated by former Iowa governor and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
The Des Moines private university announced in a news release Tuesday that Vilsack and Drake University President Marty Martin signed an agreement for the university to acquire both professional and personal documents spanning Vilsack’s 40 years of state and national public service.
“I thank Drake University for the willingness to house and preserve these papers,” Vilsack said in the release. “As a history major in college I appreciate the important role researchers have in recording history. I hope this collection aids them in that important task.”
Vilsack’s first political role came in 1987, when he was elected mayor of Mt. Pleasant, according to the National Governors Association, followed by election to the Iowa Senate in 1992. He served as Iowa’s governor from 1999-2007 and twice as U.S. secretary of Agriculture, from 2008-2017 and 2021-2025.
Documents provided by Vilsack will range from political to personal, according to the release, and come from his time in local, state and national politics. The release stated that once cataloged, the entire collection from Vilsack will be accessible for in-person research at the library, with certain documents planned for digitization as well.
Other collections housed in the university’s “nonpartisan archive,” according to the release, come from leaders including Gov. Robert Ray, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, U.S. Rep. Neal Smith, state Rep. Wayne Ford and state Rep. Ed Bittle.
“One of the hallmarks of a Drake education is the ability to engage directly with the people and ideas that move our world,” Martin said in the release. “To have Secretary Vilsack’s personal and professional history on our campus is a gift to our students. As aspiring lawyers, policymakers, or historians, they will have access to a treasure trove of primary sources that will bring their studies to life in a way few other institutions can offer.”
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