Political campaign memorabilia

William Jennings Bryan and Adlai Stevenson

The Alan H. Schell collection of campaign buttons, pins, and political ephemera contains nearly one thousand pins, buttons, and ribbons that date from 1884 to  2008. While working with the collection this summer, I found surprises. There is a pin for Charlene Mitchell, very likely the first woman to appear on the general ballot as a candidate for the US president, and a pin for Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to seek the nomination of the Democratic Party for the US President.

Contact the Archives and Special Collections if you have US presidential or South Dakota campaign buttons (or the stickers that many candidates are using instead of buttons) that you would like to donate. We also welcome those from primaries and caucuses.

Consider starting your own collection of political memorabilia this campaign season.