The “Hey Buddy, I’m Bill” exhibit reintroduces Bill Sackter to the Iowa City community

"Wild" Bill Sackter loved serving coffee and entertaining guests with his harmonica.

Though 40 years have passed since Sackter's death, his Iowa City legacy forever lives on.

Known for greeting people with a simple "Hey buddy, I'm Bill," Sackter's legacy and mark on the University of Iowa is being honored with a fall semester exhibit in the university's Main Library Gallery.

Sackter was a local celebrity in Iowa City and even became a national icon thanks to the Emmy-award-winning made-for-TV film "Bill," which changed the perspective on disability rights not only in Iowa but nationwide.

The namesake of Wild Bill's Coffee Shop in the University of Iowa School of Social Work operated for nearly five decades before ceasing operations in 2020.

The "Hey Buddy, I'm Bill" exhibit, a reference to Sackter's trademark salutation, walks guests through his storied history. It details his life story, from Sackter's childhood in Minneapolis to his 44-year institutionalization for an intellectual disability. It also touches on his years of friends and fame in Iowa City, attempting to acknowledge Iowa's history of institutionalization and progress for disability rights.

Sackter was known as a friendly person, always quick to initiate conversation. He loved playing the harmonica and often performed for the preschool students who attended class near the coffee shop.

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An ode to a longtime Iowa City resident

Sackter was born in 1913 and placed in a Minnesota mental institution at 7, where he'd stay until he turned 51.

One of the curators of "Hey Buddy, I'm Bill," Jen Knights, the marketing and communications manager of Performing Arts at the University of Iowa's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, created the exhibit idea in 2021, teaming up with Digital Projects Librarian, Brad Ferrier.

Though Knights never met Sackter, she recognized the importance of his story, a person many considered a good friend.

"This year is the 40th anniversary of his [Bill Sackter's] death," Knights said. "There is a shrinking number of people who still have stories to tell about Bill, and I thought it was important to capture those stories; it became an important time to crystalize his story and set it down for posterity."

Tom Walz, the former director of UI's School of Social Work, created Wild Bill's in 1975 after meeting Sackter's guardian, Barry Morrow. Walz offered to employ Sackter within the school of social work as the developmental disabilities consultant, a position Walz created specifically for his soon-to-be friend. Sackter eventually worked his way through the program to become coffee shop manager.

Sackter was a jack of all trades within the school of social work, even refurbishing a chunk of old furniture, often listening to country western music or polka throughout the process.

Sackter passed away in 1983.

The former site of Wild Bill's in North Hall has been reimagined as a workshop and classroom dedicated to teaching and understanding social justice issues and the discrimination of marginalized groups. The original Wild Bill Coffee shop often employed several community members with disabilities and featured several photos of Bill on the walls.

Knights managed the Wild Bill's coffee shop from 2018-22.

The podcast "Wild Bill's Cup of Social Justice," where the hosts discuss social justice through the lens of social work, sharing stories and discussing how to improve. "We talk about how social work promotes social justice—and how that work changes over time," the website reads.

A visit from a friend

On Sept. 12., one of Sackter's best buddies, Barry Morrow, came to see the exhibit and discuss Sackter's impact and legacy. Their friendship started on New Year's Day, after Sackter introduced himself at a New Year's Eve party. Morrow, a college student when they first met, later became Sackter's legal guardian and even wrote the award-winning film "Bill" in honor of Sackter. Released in 1981, the movie starred Mickey Rooney and Dennis Quaid.

Storytelling is vital to the exhibit, where visitors can tell the stories they shared with Sackter or their experience living with a disability. The UI's Main Gallery prioritizes approaching topics that are not only timely but also platforming marginalized groups.

"It is important to have these conversations," Knights said. "Whether it is people sharing their stories about Bill or living with a disability."

"The reason we know about Bill and the reason he became who he is or what he means was because Barry told this story, so telling the story was a big part of why this exhibit exists," said Ferrier. "That's the way we learned about these things."

While the exhibit runs until December, the gallery will be digitized online, allowing people to access the exhibition indefinitely. On Nov.2, local musicians Cedar County Cobras will host a short performance and discussion on the legacy of Sackter and Wild Bill’s Coffee Shop, free and open to the public.

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"Bill had so many buddies because he was a friend to everyone. It’s astounding and inspiring that he had so much love to give after having been treated so poorly for so long," Knights says in an exhibit guide. "I hope that many of his friends will visit the exhibit and think we did a good job of representing the life of thisextraordinary, complex man and the world in which he lived. For visitors who are getting to know Bill’s story for the first time, I hope you leave feeling like a buddy."

The Main Library Gallery is open daily at 9 a.m. Monday through Friday and at 1 p.m. on the weekend. The "Hey Buddy, I'm Bill" exhibit runs through Dec. 19.

Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and business reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@presscitizen.com.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: U of I's Hey Buddy I'm Bill exhibit runs through Dec. 19