“Thanks to the folks at Northern Arizona University, Cline Library Special Collections, where the ‘Katie Lee Archives’ reside. Had it not been for Karen Underhill and Richard Quartaroli there would be no Archives. They Deserve crown jewels”
The Ghosts of Dandy Crossing, p. 253
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Katie Lee had a long relationship with Special Collections and Archives (SCA) at Cline Library. Materials that are now part of her collection were first donated in 2008 with subsequent donations in 2011, 2014, 2015, and after her death in 2017.
Correspondence
Lee had a long correspondence with various staff members at Cline Library. Starting in 1994, a close relationship began to form between Lee and SCA. Former and current staff members Diane Boyer, Richard Quartaroli, Karen Underhill, and Peter Runge were integral to Lee’s work with SCA over the years.
“The Naked Truth” Exhibit
On October 4, 2008, Special Collections and Archives opened a Katie Lee exhibit called “The Naked Truth.” The department worked closely with Lee to create this exhibit, and she was present at the opening. She performed songs, destroyed a papier-mâché model of the Glen Canyon Dam, and spoke at the event. The permanent online version of this exhibit is available at Lee’s website.
Katie Lee’s SCA Legacy
After Lee’s death in 2017, her photographs, journals, family bible, manuscripts, correspondence, articles, and other material were acquired by Special Collections and Archives, along with the front door her mother Ruth carved and other 3D objects. Many of these materials can be viewed in SCA as part of the exhibit. Most of the written materials and photographs can also be viewed in the SCA reading room. A selection of written materials and photographs are available to view online through Cline Library’s Digital Collections. If you are interested in learning more about her collection, please view the Katie Lee Collection finding guide at Arizona Archives Online.
In her final book, The Ghosts of Dandy Crossing, Lee acknowledges two members of Special Collections and Archives who were instrumental in obtaining her collection.