The stories below were collected as part of our story submission project for Hey Buddy, I’m Bill. Exhibit visitors were encouraged to to share a memory about Bill or a story about their personal experience with disability.
“Bill Sackter lived with my Great Aunt, Mae Driscoll, in her boarding house. I also lived there and our time overlapped. Bill came to our wedding and played his harmonica at our reception until the emcee told him other people wanted to do a skit! We also had Bill at U of Iowa Med School grand rounds as we presented about the worth of every human being despite any disabilities. He was warmly welcomed and, again, played his harmonica. Whenever we asked Bill about his travels with Barry or his work at ‘Wild Bill’s,’ he said he was making up for lost time, referring to the 44 years in an institution. We miss Bill’s happy demeanor. He was fun to be around and brightened many lives!” -Chris Lantz
“I’m an educator who works with students with cognitive disabilities, and they are some of the kindest, most vibrant, creative, insightful people I know. My students have taught me so much. I’m so glad I get the opportunity to teach them and learn from them.” -Amritha
“After a lifetime of mysterious health issues I was diagnosed with a disease in 2019 which affects my mobility, causes chronic fatigue, and my vision. The realization on a daily basis that I live with a degenerative disability is to be in an unfolding mystery and conversation with myself about what I need, value, and how I want to spend my time. Everyone should realize that they are one illness, accident, or moment away from living with a disability. Knowing this helps create respect and humanity for yourself and others.” -Katie
“When I moved back to Iowa City in 2014, I was struck by Iowa City’s lack of public writing organizations and spaces outside of the renowned University of Iowa. Shortly after, I took a leap and founded the Iowa Writers’ House. New at non-profit leadership, I knew that partnering was a key part of community building. That’s why it was so serendipitous when I discovered Uptown Bill’s. Bill’s became our partner organization and so much more. Led by a one of a kind director and humanitarian, Tom Gilsen, we produced three books and four live events with Bill’s on topics of racial diversity, disability access and rights and nuclear proliferation. And always celebrating the legend of Bill Sackter.” -Andrea
“Bill Sackter’s life changed dramatically when Tom Walz recognized that UI resources could be used to provide a job for a man with a disability, and benefit students, faculty, and the UI & IC communities. Tom Walz’s imagination, determination, and commitment to persons in marginalized situations – despite the push back from administrators – has made the world a better place for people with disabilities in and indeed for everyone. Tom made the time to deeply connect with people – and that changed Bill’s life, Barry’s life, and countless social work students’ lives including mine. I knew both Bill and Tom, and miss them both. Bill for his openness and gentleness, and Tom for his creative way of making opportunities for people.” -Mercedes Bern-Klug
“I met Bill when I was riding the bus to and from campus – Bill lived around the block from my home on Franklin St. On the bus, Bill frequently ended up with a child in his lap, and he entertained all of us with his harmonica. I attended Iowa City’s Agudas Achim synagogue, where Bill also attended. Again, his harmonica frequently came out – at high holy day services, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, with hundreds attending, filling the IMU ballroom, his harmonica frequently interrupted the formal ritual, but nobody complained.” – Doug Jones
“My experience with autism has been tumultuous. I first recognized I was different in 8th grade, [remembering] that I simply didn’t connect with anybody socially. A feeling of resentment toward others for this lack [of] understanding put me down a dark place. I had always been too burnt out to write anything creatively but found peace here. The resentment faded when I saw the exhibit. Bill’s little journal showed me I could still choose to be happy.”
“Because of how many disabilities there are and the fluidity of them you sometimes don’t realize who has it. Because of my disabilities I had to work hard just for people to see me as average in class work. I don’t feel that I have a disability and I do not want people to think of that first when they see me. I believe that is what we need to work on as a generation, seeing past people’s disabilities and seeing who they truly are.”
“I am autistic. It took me 17 years to be diagnosed. I had to advocate for myself as there are still some doctors that do not believe women can have autism. Looking around this exhibit gave me hope and gratitude. Happiness for living in an era with the ADA and respect. All the work and effort he did is extraordinary. It would be an honor to meet him. Especially knowing about his impact for disabled right[s] has helped me progress my education.” -Portia
“When I moved back to Iowa City in 2014, I was struck by Iowa City’s lack of public writing organizations and spaces outside of the renowned University of Iowa. Shortly after, I took a leap and founded The Iowa Writers’ House. New at non-profit leadership, I knew that partnering was a key part of community building. That’s why it was so serendipitous when I discovered Uptown Bill’s. Bill’s became our partner organization and so much more. Led by a one of a kind director and humanitarian, Tom Gilsen, we produced three books and four live events with Bill’s, on to pics of racial diversity, disability access and rights and nuclear proliferation. And always celebrating the legacy of Bill Sackter.” -Andrea Wilson
“Everyone should realize that they are one illness, accident, or moment away from living with a disability. Knowing this helps create respect and humanity for yourself and others.” -Katie
“It was our privilege to know Bill in the years in Iowa City. He was faithful in attending Bethany Baptist Church with Mae Driscoll. Bill did love children. We have a picture of our son, Greg, age 2, sleeping on Bill’s side. [At] a crowded Christmas Eve service Bill sat down next to Greg and Greg fell asleep between the two of us. This is a special Christmas memory for me. Thank you for showcasing Bill’s life again. Specal memories.” -Mary Flanagan
“Because of how many disabilities there are and the fluidity of them you sometimes don’t realize who has it. Because of my disabilities I had to work hard just for people to see me as average in class work. I don’t feel that I have a disability and I do not want people to think of that first when they see me. I believe that is what we need to work on as a generation, seeing past people’s disabilities and seeing who they are.”
“When I came to Iowa City in 2001, I learned about Bill Sackter through my acquaintance with Tom Walz at Uptown Bill’s when it was on the corner of Court & Gilbert. I learned about Bill and the coffee shop in North Hall. I had seen both of the films about Bill but didn’t remember until Tom mentioned it to me. Uptown Bill’s was a haven for many and a place where people of all abilities and circumstances could enjoy each other’s company whether by a cup of coffee or a game or a meeting. My favorite thing was listening to music where the story of Bill was retold before each performance. This exhibit is a wonderful reminder of how lives intersecting and forming communities is the most optimistic humankind can be. May it always be so!” -Garry Klein
“In 1981, I worked as case manager for 15 people over the age of 55 who had recently been discharged from Brandon Training School in Brandon, VT, as part of the deinstitutionalization movement. Like Bill, my clients had spent most of their lives in the institution which was Vermont’s only public institution for persons with disabilities. Opened in 1915, it once housed over 600 people, and served a total of 2324 people until its final closure in 1993. My job was to orient my clients/friends to the community, learn basic skills, such as shopping and personal care, to be their guide, advocate and friend. The community was ill equipped to receive us. We often were met with less than kind words and treatment. Since many people were sent to institutions as children, the general public had not had much opportunity to meet folks at school, or in church, on the bus, or having a picnic in the park. When the Bill movie was aired on TV, and as it won acclaim and Bill became a national spokesperson for people with disabilities, attitudes changed. I witnessed it little by little, as people would be less fearful and more inviting in restaurants and stores and on the bus. My clients thrived with the positive attention, and while they were not able to live independently, the quality of their lives improved as attitudes improved. The interdependence and quality of interpersonal relationships was the goal. We also had a lot of fun.
Fast forward 5 years, and I found myself enrolled in the MSW program at the UI. I missed meeting Bill in person, but the coffeeshop was alive with his memory. I later became an employee of the School and was honored to assist Tom Walz and John Craft in working with the employees in the coffee shop – arranging picnics, Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. My case management days contained some of my fondest memories – so having an opportunity to celebrate with the coffeeshop staff was a true gift. It was only after learning about Bill’s story from coffeeshop staff who were trained to tell the story, did I make the connection with the lives of my 15 clients and recalled the impact of the movie on our lived experience.
In the years since, as I’ve given tours of the coffeeshop for prospective students or other visitors, I’ve enjoyed making this personal connection. I am a witness to the fact that stories can change attitudes and contribute to social change. I am so grateful to Tom, and John, Barry and Bev, Lane and all those folks who were Bill’s friends. He had a lot of them! Thanks also to the Library for hosting the Gallery display and to Jen Knights and Brad Ferrier for their beautiful curation.” -Kate Kemp
This page was updated with story submissions through December 2023 and contains only stories for which the University Archives received consent to share.