PBS 'History Detectives' star tells importance of the past

As part of the IU Library's Archives and Special Collections Month, Thursday night a crowd at the Indiana Memorial Union was treated to stories of mystery and intrigue as the University welcomed a unique detective to campus to discuss the complexity of the events and artifacts that have added to American folklore.\nWes Cowan, the star of the Public Broadcast Service television series "History Detectives" and the featured appraiser on "Antiques Roadshow," detailed his personal experiences in the quest to separate fact from myth in the obscurity of America's past. \nIn addition to his television career at PBS, Cowan is the owner of an auction house in Cincinnati, Cowan's Auctions Inc., which specializes in items related to American history, such as folk art, decorative art, furniture and culture of the American Indians, according to a press release. \n"The history you receive in college is a big sweep, a grand panorama of the past," Cowan said. "What we do on these shows is try to tap into the history you walk around with everyday. That box of letters you may have, those are the periods, ends of sentences, the things that connect the grand scheme of things." \nCowan said he is thankful to be able to travel around the country with "History Detectives" and "Antiques Roadshow" to learn more about the small stories and family heirlooms in which he believes a better understanding of our country's history can be found.\n"I am able to go places and see things some people only dream of," Cowan said. "For example I have stood on the spot where Bonnie and Clyde were killed. I held the coroner's notes in my hands. I understand the situation better. I could see the coroner counting the bullet holes in the bodies." \nCowan said he is concerned with the trouble many museums and archives are in around the country. Fewer people are paying interest to these resources, as less of an importance is being placed on the past and the preservation of these records, he said. \n"The dichotomy I see around the country in places served with preserving archives is tragic and sad. They need the help of the community," Cowan said. "Some historical societies have no business in curatoring; they need to give these manuscripts to places like the state capital where they can be taken care of by professionals."\nCowan said it is extremely important institutions make their records accessible to the public and not hold onto them for their own use.\n"I am encouraged to see institutions like IU that are getting their archives online," Cowan said. "If no one sees them, there is no interest. By the interest given online you can make a case to receive more money for preserving these records." \nSophomore Kathy Cook said it is important we take care of these records so we may better understand the past.\n"I am interested in preservation and history," Cook said. "These records provide us with a nice time capsule."\nLibrary and science history graduate student Michael Taylor said he hopes the community and students begin to take more of an interest in the country's history.\n"People are so busy and seem to care little about history, especially the youth," Taylor said. "I hate it when people think there is no history in the U.S., and they need to travel overseas to find it. There is a lot of interesting and important stories here in the Midwest"