Thomas Sutherland: Valentines to a Captive - Colorado State University. Archives and Special Collections, author; Farley, Theresa, contributor; Morris, Miranda, artist; Trapp, Clarissa J., contributor (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023)
Exhibit installed in 2023 at Colorado State University Libraries about valentines sent to Tom Sutherland in 1988. During the Lebanese Civil War in 1985, terrorists took hostage Tom Sutherland, Dean of Agriculture at the American University of Beirut and former CSU professor. Tom’s family and community spent the next six years trying to free him while keeping his plight in the news and in people’s minds. Efforts included bracelets, ribbons, vigils, and several letter writing campaigns. For Valentine's Day 1988, well-wishers sent hundreds of cards and letters to the State Department in hopes that they might reach Tom. Crowds of supporters finally welcomed Tom home in 1991.
Keywords: Sutherland, Tom, 1931-; Hostages; Exhibitions; Valentines; Political activity