Vice Presidents are People Too!
As you probably know, it is common for a past US President to get a Presidential Library. Basically, you raise tens of millions of dollars from donors seeking access to you. Then, you build a library dedicated to your life and political accomplishments. But, what about Vice Presidents? Do they get anything? Vice Presidents are people too. We should do something for them. Perhaps build a library named after the most significant VP. How about…John Adams. He was VP to George Washington. Then, he became President. Alternatively, how about Teddy Roosevelt. He was VP to William McKinley. Then, he became President. Now, he is on Mount Rushmore. Guess what boys and girls? Such a place does exist. More shockingly, guess who it’s named after. Allow me to present …The Quayle Vice Presidential Learning Center.
OK, so they they named the museum after Dan Quayle. Surprisingly, it actually makes perfect sense. The museum is in Huntington, Indiana…the hometown of Dan Quayle. When the museum started in 1990, it was a tribute to Dan Quayle in the local library. Due to its support and popularity, the tribute eventually grew into its own building. Further, in accordance with DQ’s wishes to educate the public on the office of the Vice President, the museum was expanded to include ALL Vice Presidents. As you can see from the picture above, Mr. Quayle still supports the museum’s effort by remaining in the lobby to greet visitors. Even better, if you go on a rainy Thursday, you literally get the entire museum to yourself.
The Learning Center is very logically and chronologically laid out. The curator, being excited to talk to someone, personally put me at the starting point. Then, each VP gets a set amount of space. Within this space, you get the highlights of the person that was the VP. Furthermore, the curator says that he tried to include a little unknown factoid on each VP’s life. For example, take Charles Dawes, VP to Calvin Coolidge. Mr. Dawes was a WWI General and a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Impressively, he even composed the music to the hit song “Its All in The Game.” Additionally, beyond VP facts, there are artifacts and/or memorabilia for every VP in the gallery. Plates seemed to be a big reoccurring trinket through the last 150 or so years…
While campaign plates were abundant, the path took me through a diverse and interesting collection of presidential collectables. Here are just a few…
But, let’s not forget one thing. This is THE QUAYLE Vice Presidential Learning Center. While the other VPs have exactly the same amount of space, Mr. Quayle’s space is many times bigger. The good people of Huntington, Indiana, made this museum. So, it’s only fair to have all things Quayle.
The Dan Quayle treasures were endless. Consequently, I am struggling with how much to throw at you. There was the Huntington high school band jacket and his bible. But, there was one artifact that was above all others. Let me end my DQ tribute with this most spectacular artifact. For those of you old enough to remember, DQ picked a fight with the “fictional” TV character of Murphy Brown regarding family values. Putting himself in a battle against the most celebrated sitcom of that time was a battle he could not win. But, at least, they made trading cards about it…
Undoubtedly, my writing style is sarcastic. But, in this case, please do not get a negative impression of this museum. I enjoyed myself. The admission was only $3. The curator was informative and entertaining. His name was Dan…the “other Dan” as he liked to say. Beyond that, I actually stayed in Huntington that night. I got to experience DQ’s favorite restaurants, and even visit the “Quayle-quail” mural, which is the feature photo on this post. There is not much lodging in downtown Huntington. But, what I found was outstanding. I wanted to give a big shout out to Barb and Brooks of The Purviance House. If you are looking for a Bed and Breakfast in northeast Indiana, I recommend this place. Enough said. I hope that I have convinced you that Vice Presidents are people too. PT
P.S. I hope you did not forget the partially eaten Long John. I did not. It was indeed Dan Quayle.
I hope you have enjoyed reading “Vice Presidents are People Too” on Traveling with PugsleyTonks
If you liked that post, check this out https://travelingwithpt.com/forget-biden-trump-its-about-wilbur/
If you decide to go on the Quayle trail, here is the place to stay… https://www.purviancehouse.com/
