Karl Weissenbach made a career by combining political science with library science.
Weissenbach, a 1976 graduate of the School of Public Affairs, serves as the director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, Kan., which holds more than 28 million pages of original “Ike” documents — 500,000 photographs, 78,000 pieces of museum art, miles of film and more.
The Eisenhower Library is working with School of International Service Dean Louis Goodman and University Librarian Bill Mayer to develop a research partnership, which would involve digitalizing the Kansas library’s materials, according to Weissenbach.
The archive digitization process will give AU students access to new information and will provide internship opportunities with the libraries, according to Mayer.
Weissenbach looks forward to working with students.
“It’s my hope that AU students will come to do original research in Abilene,” Weissenbach said. “As a student, there’s nothing better than working with original sources.”For Weissenbach, the most fulfilling part of his work is that he runs a “world-class research institution” and gets to meet the researchers and students who travel to Kansas. He said about one-third of the library’s visitors are international scholars.
“Eisenhower was an internationalist … his military and presidential career are greatly admired outside the United States,” Weissenbach said. “[He] was a unique president who … forged effective coalitions with dominant personalities at a time when it really made a difference.”
The presidential archivist was not always destined for the library. A Georgia native, Weissenbach earned his associate’s degree from Reinhardt College with aspirations to become a veterinarian. After someone asked him if he would consider a university outside of Georgia for further education, he realized attending AU as an undergraduate would allow him to explore the federal government.
“I was very much interested in politics, and [AU] gave me a great opportunity to further my career,” he said. “I came for the international melting pot … it gave me a new perspective on politics and government.”
Weissenbach, who said his dorm life is one of the most memorable parts of college, feels his decision to attend AU was “one of the best things that’s ever happened” and that he still harbors a “deep fondness for AU.”
“Alumni should be proud of our university,” he said. “AU has changed … People have a great AU spirit. Students want to change the world, and I think they will change the world … They will make a great difference in their communities.”
rkaras@theeagleonline.com
