Originally installed in 2009, the McConnell Chao Archives includes a permanent gallery in with exhibits, films and interactive displays about U.S. government, history and politics. This new expansion significantly enhances both the capacity and functionality of the facility with a newly constructed archive storage room to house the collections of McConnell and Chao, which includes 3,768 individual items.

The contemporary space also includes high-density shelving and meets archival standards to ensure long-term preservation and accessibility. Additionally, the project features a newly dedicated digital processing room, the creation of a new research carrel and the installation of a dedicated exhibit showcasing memorabilia related to McConnell.

“Senator McConnell and Secretary Chao have long held a special place in the life of our university, and the expansion of this archive marks yet another milestone in a shared history rooted in service, scholarship and civic leadership,” said UofL President Gerry Bradley. “It’s not just a record of political history — it’s a living resource for students, scholars and citizens who seek to understand and engage with the democratic process.”

“I want to sincerely thank the University of Louisville and the McConnell Center for their hard work, dedication and continued support in preserving and sharing the McConnell Chao Archives. This collection represents decades of public service and provides a front-row view of how our government and institutions operate,” said Senator McConnell. “By preserving these materials, we’re helping foster a deeper understanding of our nation’s political process and the importance of civic engagement. The expansion of the archives marks a continued investment in passing on the lessons of government, leadership and media engagement with the hope of igniting the next generation to take part in shaping the future of our democracy.”

“What a memorable day this is to celebrate the expansion of the McConnell Chao Archives at the University of Louisville,” said Secretary Chao. “In chronicling my life journey of coming as an immigrant to America, working in leadership positions in the public, private and nonprofits sectors, this collection will hopefully serve as an inspiration to current and future generations of the opportunities in this country and the myriad ways to contribute to the betterment of our beloved Commonwealth, nation and world.”

McConnell is Kentucky’s longest-serving senator and earlier this year completed his tenure as the longest-serving Senate party leader in American history. Chao, the first Asian American woman to serve in a cabinet-level position, has served as secretary for the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Transportation.

The senator graduated from UofL in 1964 and served as a student body president. In 1991, he established the McConnell Center, a nonpartisan academic program that prepares students and educators to become top-level leaders.��

Throughout his tenure in the Senate, McConnell has secured over $1.26 billion in federal funding for research and infrastructure at Kentucky universities, including $413 million for the University of Louisville. The expansion of the McConnell Chao Archives was funded in part through private donor philanthropy.

View photos from the Aug. 12 event on .��Watch the celebration event on .

A former Louisville Metro Councilman and caretaker of Louisville lore and history, Owen was cited for his “service to history, to UofL and to Louisville; his work as an archivist, making UofL’s records and archival collections available to researchers; and his walking tours—both the physical tours and their recordings. He made the city his classroom.” He was also praised as a “scholar who popularized history and … elevated history’s importance for many people.”

Owen is known for his walking tours, which capture the color and history of a particular corner of the city as part of a series on local public television, titled . Recently, he also offered weekly tours of UofL’s Belknap campus, detailing the background and stories of various buildings and areas.  His research in this area led to the recent publication of a book in collaboration with Archives colleague Sherri Pawson, .

Owen is also well-known as a politician locally, having served as a Louisville Metro Council member from 2003 until his retirement in 2016, and prior to that, on the old Board of Alderman from 1990 to 1998. He has been an archivist with UofL for 42 years.

The Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor awarded by the Kentucky Historical Society. DSA winners have “provided great services to Kentucky and the field of history in their professional or personal lives.”

Intern Award

Additionally, Hannah O’Daniel, a master’s student at the University of Louisville, received the first Kentucky Public History Intern Award for her exemplary work ethic and diligent attention to the research process.��

O’Daniel had internships at the Filson Historical Society, where she processed archival material to make it available to researchers, and at the Kentucky Historical Society.

At KHS she was involved with several projects:

• She worked with the Kentucky Oral History Commission and helped write the KHS manual for using a system that makes oral histories more widely accessible and searchable.
• She was among the first graduate research assistants who worked with the Civil War Governors of Kentucky Digital Edition (CWGK). CWGK is making thousands of documents available to researchers for the first time. As a GRA, Hannah transcribed documents and researched people mentioned within them to help build the comprehensive database behind CWGK.
• At the CWGK summer symposium this year, Hannah acted as a “reporter,” tweeting it so people who could not attend could learn from the experts gathered there.

The ceremony was held at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort.

The collection is available at the website, , which was launched this week by the Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research at the University of Louisville and its partners.

The site presents interactive material drawn from the 2014 “Black Freedom, White Allies, Red Scare: Louisville, 1954” exhibition at the Louisville Free Public Library’s Main Library.

Materials include archival photos, primary source documents and oral histories about Andrew and Charlotte Wade’s struggles as African-Americans to buy a new suburban house near what is now Shively. Segregationists used dynamite to blow up the couple’s home. Anne and Carl Braden, white supporters who had bought the home on the Wades’ behalf, were accused of staging the purchase and bombing as part of a communist plot, and were charged with sedition.

“A dramatic act of housing desegregation led to racial violence and intimidation and culminated with a local version of the anticommunist ‘Red Scare’ that swept the nation in those years,” said historian Catherine Fosl, the Anne Braden Institute director who co-curated the exhibit. “The case made major national headlines and affected many lives locally but is often neglected in textbooks that cover the Cold War and civil rights eras.”

Partners include University of Louisville Libraries’ Archives & Special Collections, Louisville Free Public Library, The Courier-Journal and GRIDS: The Grassroots Information Design Studio.