Scope and Contents: The Walt Riker Manuscript Collection, which spans the years 1943-2003, consists of correspondence, photographic and audiovisual materials, invitations, press passes and badges, maps, newspapers and clippings, books and magazines.
The majority of the collection relates to his tenure as Press Secretary for Senator Bob Dole. Riker worked alongside Senator Dole from 1981-1993, as his media specialist. Included in the collection are photographs of political functions, press releases, drafts of speeches, notes and itineraries. Many of the items reveal Riker’s close relationship with Senator Dole and his responsibility to promote the Senator’s public image. Also documented are Riker and Senator Dole’s extensive travels with the Congressional Delegation wherein they met such figures as Saddam Hussein, Pope John Paul II, and Deng Xiaoping, among others. Additional items not only portray Riker’s interest in politics, but also events closer to home including the Kansas City Royals World Series championship in 1985 and the Kansas Jayhawks Men’s Basketball championship in 1988.
In addition to materials pertaining to Riker's role as Press Secretary, a small portion of the collection includes essays and coursework related to Riker’s academic career at The University of Kansas. These materials consist primarily of graded papers from his time as a student at the William Allen White School of Journalism and are restricted to patron access in accordance with FERPA. The collection also includes memos and correspondence Riker acquired as a radio and television journalist for WIBW in Topeka, Kansas, from 1978-1981.