Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Matthew Shepard collection, 1983-2018
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Title
- Matthew Shepard collection
- Dates
- 1983-2018 (inclusive)Date of CollectionDate of Collection
- Quantity
- 3.35 cubic ft. (9 boxes) + 20 KB
- Collection Number
- 300014
- Summary
- Collection contains public and private documents regarding the murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, in 1998.
- Repository
-
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Access Restrictions
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, was beaten and left to die in a field outside Laramie, Wyoming, sometime during the night of October 6-7, 1998. Born on December 1, 1976, Shepard was 21 years old when he died. On October 6, 1998, he left a local bar with two Laramie men, Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney, who later claimed they had intended only to rob him. The crime escalated when they tied Shepard up and beat him fatally. On October 7, 1998, another University of Wyoming student found Shepard tied to a fence. Shepard died at the Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, on October 12, 1998.
Russell Henderson pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and aggravated robbery in April, 1999, and was sentenced to two life sentences. Following a trial in October and November, 1999, Aaron McKinney also received two life sentences for two counts of first-degree murder, one count of second degree murder, robbery, and aggravated assault. Henderson’s and McKinney’s girlfriends, Chastity Vera Pasley and Kristen Leann Price, helped to hide and dispose of evidence after the murder. Chastity Pasley pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact and was sentenced to eighteen months to three years in prison. Kristen Price pleaded guilty to police interference and was sentenced to one year of probation.
Shepard’s parents, Judy and Dennis, and the President of the University of Wyoming, Philip Dubois, along with many others organized concerts, memorials, and vigils in Matthew’s honor. It was believed that the beating occurred because Shepard was gay, and the crime caused the debate over hate-crime legislation to resurface in Laramie, Wyoming, and the nation.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection contains information about the events surrounding the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student, in the fall of 1998. The material came from different sources, such as the news media, University President’s Office, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Association (now Spectrum), and includes correspondence from people in many parts of the country, news articles, fliers and posters, editorials, bulletins, and speeches. Also within the collection is information on demonstrations that took place, the debate about bias/hate crime laws in Wyoming, and memorials to Matthew Shepard. There are also lesbian and gay newspapers, posters for a drag party, and banners created by and sent to the LGBTA . The President’s Office files include hate mail, lesbian and gay literature, memorial web sites, and hate crime legislation petitions.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Copyright InformationThe researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Preferred Citation
Preferred CitationItem Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
This collection is arranged into four series: LGBT Association and Community Records; University Presidential Office Records; Media Coverage and Websites; and "The Laramie Project."
Related Materials
Related MaterialsSee also the Matthew Shepard Web Archive: http://www.archive-it.org/collections/1176
Acquisition Information
Acquisition InformationMaterials from this collection were collected between 1998-2019 and compiled by the American Heritage Center primarily from two sources: the University of Wyoming President’s Office and the University of Wyoming’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Association (LGBTA), now Spectrum. Material for the News Media Series was supplied by the American Heritage Center and University of Wyoming. Student Affairs.
Processing Note
Processing InformationThe collection was processed by Jamie Long in Spring 2000 and reprocessed by Laura Uglean Jackson in October 2008. New material was added by D.Claudia Thompson from 2001-2017 and Jamie Greene in 2020.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series I. LGBT Association and community records, 1983-2001Return to Top
Contains correspondence, LGBTA printed material, literature, surveys, news articles, photocopied pictures, and cloth banners created by the LGBTA and Kansas State University
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Gay Awareness Week (GAW) Outline |
October, 1998 |
| 1 | 2-3 | LGBTA handouts/posters |
1998-1999 |
| 1 | 4 | LGBTA Safe Zone Literature |
1998-1999 |
| 1 | 5 | Literature: Equality Colorado |
1998-1999 |
| 1 | 6 | Literature: PFLAG |
1998-1999 |
| 1 | 7 | Electronic (E-mail) Correspondence |
1998-2000 |
| 1 | 8 | Faxes |
October 1998 |
| 1 | 9 | John Russell “Johnny Bondage Story” |
1983-1998 |
| 1 | 10 | LGBTA Correspondence |
1998-1999 |
| 1 | 11 | Private Correspondence |
1998-1999 |
| 1 | 12-13 | Public Correspondence |
1998-1999 |
| 1 | 14 | Sympathy Cards |
1998-1999 |
| 1 | 15 | Yellow Ribbon Correspondence |
1998-1999 |
| 1 | 16 | Campus Angels |
1999 |
| 1 | 17 | Newspapers, Branding Iron |
1998-2000 |
| 1 | 18 | University Student/Faculty Statements |
1998-1999 |
| 1 | 19 | Emails |
2001 |
| 1 | 20 | Vigils and Memorials |
1998-1999 |
| 2 | 1 | LGBTA Banner |
circa 1998 |
| 2 | 2 | Gay and Lesbian Community News |
1998-1999 |
| 2 | 3 | Signed Banner from Kansas State University |
October, 1998 |
| 3 | LGBTA Banner |
circa 1998 | |
| Folder | |||
| 4 | 1 | Loffreda, Beth, LOSING MATT SHEPARD: LIFE AND POLITICS IN THE AFTERMATH OF ANTI-GAY MURDER, (Columbia University Press, 2000) |
2000 |
| 4 | 2 | LGBT Association Conference |
2000 |
| 4 | 3 | "Wyoming Conference on English: Journalist's Panel on Matt Shepard" |
June 23, 2001 |
Series II. University Presidential Office Records, 1998-2000Return to Top
Contains various correspondence with concerned members of society, electronic mail, articles from magazines and newspapers, hate crime legislation petitions, speeches and public addresses, memorial information, and a text with pictures to affirm positive images of homosexuality.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 5 | 1 | Concert and Vigil Information and Correspondence |
1999 |
| 5 | 2-5 | Dubois Correspondence- General |
1998-1999 |
| 5 | 6 | Dubois Correspondence- Hate Mail |
1998-1999 |
| 5 | 7 | Dubois Correspondence- Killer’s Family Members |
1998-1999 |
| 5 | 8 | Dubois Correspondence- Memorial Literature |
1998-1999 |
| 5 | 9 | Dubois Correspondence- Public Associations |
1998-1999 |
| 5 | 10 | Dubois Correspondence- Trial |
1998-1999 |
| 5 | 11 | Dubois Correspondence- UW Alumni |
1998-1999 |
| 5 | 12-20 | Electronic (E-mail) Correspondence |
1998-2000 |
| 5 | 21 | Goldstone’s Book “The Ultimate Computer” Correspondence |
1999 |
| 5 | 22 | Literature-The Shared Heart Bi-Sexual Text (First Half) |
1998-1999 |
| 5 | 23 | Literature-The Shared Heart Bi-Sexual Text (Second Half) |
1995-1998 |
| 5 | 24 | Petitions on Hate Crimes Act |
1998 |
| 5 | 25 | Scholarship and Trust Fund Information and Correspondence |
1998-1999 |
| 5 | 26 | Statements and Addresses from public and University Officials |
1998-1999 |
| 5 | 27 | University of Wyoming Official Response to Matt Shepard’s Death |
1998-1999 |
| 5 | 28 | Video Speech/ Agenda for U.C.- Davis |
1998-1999 |
| 5 | 29 | UC-Davis Video Cassette (television news clippings) |
February, 2000 |
Series III. Media Coverage and Websites, 1998-2008Return to Top
Contains news clippings photocopied from various newspapers, letters to the editor, electronic mail, news articles from the world-wide-web, and magazine articles.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 6 | 1 | Newspaper Clippings |
10-9-98 to 10-12-98 |
| 6 | 2 | Newspaper Clippings |
10-13-98 |
| 6 | 3 | Newspaper Clippings |
10-14-98 |
| 6 | 4 | Newspaper Clippings |
10-15-98 |
| 6 | 5 | Newspaper Clippings |
10-16-98 |
| 6 | 6 | Newspaper Clippings |
10-17-98 |
| 6 | 7 | Newspaper Clippings |
10-18-98 |
| 6 | 8 | Newspaper Clippings |
10-19-98 to 10-23-98 |
| 6 | 9 | Newspaper Clippings |
10-24-98 to 11-4-98 |
| 6 | 10 | Newspaper Clippings |
11-5-98 to 11-19-98 |
| 6 | 11 | Newspaper Clippings |
11-20-98 to 11-29-98 |
| 6 | 12 | Newspaper Clippings |
12-1-98 to 12-10-98 |
| 6 | 13 | Newspaper Clippings |
12-11-98 to 12-31-98 |
| 6 | 14 | Newspaper Clippings |
1-1-99 to 1-21-99 |
| 6 | 15 | Newspaper Clippings |
1-22-99 to 1-31-99 |
| 6 | 16 | Newspaper Clippings |
2-2-99 to 2-28-99 |
| 6 | 17 | Newspaper Clippings |
3-2-99 to 3-24-99 |
| 6 | 18 | Newspaper Clippings |
3-25-99 to 3-31-99 |
| 6 | 19 | Newspaper Clippings |
4-1-99 to 4-6-99 |
| 6 | 20 | Newspaper Clippings |
4-7-99 to 4-15-99 |
| 6 | 21 | Newspaper Clippings |
4-16-99 to 4-30-99 |
| 6 | 22 | Newspaper Clippings |
5-2-99 to 5-29-99 |
| 6 | 23 | Newspaper Clippings |
6-1-99 to 6-30-99 |
| 6 | 24 | Newspaper Clippings |
7-1-99 to 8-31-99 |
| 6 | 25 | Newspaper Clippings |
9-1-99 to 9-29-99 |
| 6 | 26 | Newspaper Clippings |
10-3-99 to 10-10-99 |
| 6 | 27 | Newspaper Clippings |
10-11-99 to 10-12-99 |
| 6 | 28 | Newspaper Clippings |
10-13-99 to 10-17-99 |
| 6 | 29 | Newspaper Clippings |
10-21-99 to 10-27-99 |
| 6 | 30 | Newspaper Clippings |
10-28-99 to 10-30-99 |
| 6 | 31 | Letter to the Editor, from Judy and Dennis Shepard |
November, 1999 |
| 6 | 32 | Newspaper Clippings |
11-1-99 to 11-4-99 |
| 6 | 33 | Newspaper Clippings |
11-5-99 to 11-10-99 |
| 6 | 34 | Newspaper Clippings |
11-11-99 to 12-26-99 |
| 6 | 35 | Newspapers, First Year Anniversary of Shepard’s Death |
1999 |
| 7 | 1 | Newsletters |
1998-1999 |
| 7 | 2 | Newspaper Clippings |
1998-1999 |
| 7 | 3 | Newspapers, Miscellaneous |
1998-2000 |
| 7 | 4 | Newspaper Clippings |
January 00 to March 00 |
| 7 | 5 | Newspaper Clippings |
April 00 to Dec. 00 |
| 7 | 6 | Newspaper Clippings |
January 01 |
| 7 | 8 | Newspaper Clippings |
2001-2003 |
| 7 | 9 | Newspaper Clippings |
2004-2008 |
| 9 | 4 | Newspaper Clippings |
October, 2008 |
| 9 | 5 | Newspaper Clippings |
2009-2017 |
| 7 | 10 | Magazine Articles |
1998-1999 |
| 7 | 11 | Magazine Articles |
Fall, 1998 |
| 7 | 12 | Magazine Articles |
Spring, 1999 |
| 7 | 13 | Magazine Articles |
Fall, 1999 |
| 7 | 14 | Magazine Articles |
2000-2009 |
| 7 | 15-19 | Website Articles |
1998-2000 |
| 7 | 20 | Website Index, Search for "Matthew Shepard" |
1998-1999 |
| 7 | 21-24 | Website Memorials |
1998-1999 |
| 8 | 1-2 | Website Memorials |
1998-1999 |
| 8 | 3-5 | Website Memorials, "Book of Remembrance" |
1998-1999 |
| 8 | 6 | Website Memorials, "Matthew's Place Guest book", p. 1-30 |
1999 |
| 8 | 7 | Website Memorials, "Matthew's Place Guest book", p. 30-55 |
1999 |
| 8 | 8 | Website Memorials, "Matthew Shepard's" v. 1 |
1998-1999 |
| 8 | 9 | Website Memorials, "Matthew Shepard's" v. 2 |
1998-1999 |
| 8 | 10 | Website Memorials, "Matthew Shepard's" v. 3 |
1998-1999 |
| 8 | 11 | Website Memorials, "Matthew Shepard's" v. 4 |
1998-1999 |
| 8 | 12 | Website Memorials, "Matthew Shepard's" v. 5 |
1998-1999 |
| 8 | 13 | Websites: Articles and Searches |
1998-1999 |
| 8 | 14-19 | Web Articles |
1998-2000 |
| 9 | 1 | Videocassette- CBS News Clips |
undated |
| 9 | Dedication of the Matthew Shepard memorial bench (program and correspondence) |
September 27, 2008 | |
Mathew Shepard memorial events, 20 years: |
|||
| Box | |||
| 2 | Poster |
2018 | |
| 2 | Newspaper clippings, Laramie Boomerang and UW Branding Iron |
2018 | |
| Digital | ahcdm_300014_001 | Emily Monago's speech at 20th memorial candlelight vigil of Matthew Shepard |
2018 |
Series IV. "The Laramie Project,", 2000-2001Return to Top
Contains news clippings and other materials related to theater productions and the motion picture film, "The Laramie Project."
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 9 | 2 | Clippings and Ephemera |
2000-2010 |
| 9 | 3 | Extras' Accounts |
2001 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Civil rights -- Gays -- Wyoming.
- Gay rights -- Wyoming.
- Gay rights.
- Gays -- Crimes against -- Wyoming.
- Hate crimes -- Legislation -- Wyoming.
- Political activists -- Gays -- Wyoming.
Corporate Names
- University of Wyoming -- History.
Geographical Names
- Laramie (Wyo.)
- Wyoming -- History -- 1946-
Form or Genre Terms
- Videotapes.
Occupations
- Students.
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Dubois, Philip L.
Corporate Names
- University of Wyoming -- LGBTA.
- University of Wyoming -- President’s Office.
Processed by Laura Uglean Jackson
2008
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
