Senator William Borah
Born in Illinois in 1865, William Edgar Borah moved to Idaho in 1890 to practice law. By 1892 he was involved in Idaho state politics, was a part-time secretary for Governor William McConnell and, in 1895, married the governor’s daughter, Mary McConnell. In 1907 Borah was elected to the U.S. Senate where he served until his death in 1940. Known for his public speaking skills and his independent and often controversial positions on political issues, he was a strong advocate for peace, disarmament and the major proponent for the outlawry of war.
In 1919 he worked closely with Chicago attorney Salmon O. Levinson on a campaign to outlaw war, proposing that international peace be established by declaring war illegal and creating a judicial substitute for war to resolve disputes and administer legal sanctions. In 1923 he introduced Senate Resolution 441 to outlaw war and create a “judicial substitute for war,” a bill that he reintroduced again in 1926 and 1927 although it never passed.
Senator Borah was instrumental in the passage of the Pact of Paris Treaty (also known as the Kellogg-Briand Peace Pact) which outlawed war as an instrument of national policy which the Senate ratified in 1928 by an 85-1 vote. The agreement between the United States, France, Great Britain, Japan and Germany was “to condemn war as an instrument of national policy” in their relations with each other. Unfortunately, the codification of international law and the formation of an international judicial system that was a vital component of the plan to outlaw war, was not included in the Pact, thus rendering it an idealistic but ultimately ineffective agreement. Senator Borah was, however, undaunted and continued to advocate for the “outlawry of war” and non-military solutions for peace throughout the rest of his political career.
The Foundation
In 1929 Salmon Levinson established the William Edgar Borah Outlawry of War Foundation at the University of Idaho to honor and continue the work of Idaho Senator William Borah on behalf of peace. In 1931 the Borah Foundation was officially inaugurated at the University of Idaho by Senator Borah himself and by Dr. Manley Hudson, Professor of International Law at Harvard University. In 1938, the Borah Foundation sponsored its first program, an address by Eleanor Roosevelt, a well known advocate for peace and human rights. To commemorate her visit to the campus, she planted a Douglas fir tree which can still be seen across from the main entrance to the U of I Administration Building.
The Symposium
Since 1948, the Foundation has sponsored an annual program devoted to understanding the causes of war and the conditions for establishing a lasting peace. Many well known speakers have addressed the annual symposium or conference over the years including: Eleanor Roosevelt, Oscar Arias, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Frank Church, F.W. de Klerk, Shirin Ebadi, Stephen Jay Gould, Thurgood Marshall, Samantha Power, Mary Robinson, Lech Walesa, Betty Williams and Jody Williams.
Each symposium is planned by a faculty-student committee which determines each year’s topic, with office, meeting space, and administrative support provided by the Martin School of International Studies & Conflict Resolution. Over the years the Borah Foundation has sponsored a variety of educational programs and activities.
In addition to the annual symposium, in recent years the Borah Committees have sponsored Borah mini-courses for University of Idaho students, established a special collection in the U of I library with books about peace and conflict as well as volumes related to each year’s specific topic, begun a Borah International Peace Grove within the U of I Arboretum with a tree planted each year, and in a number of years have sponsored an essay contest on peace and conflict resolution for both high school and college students.
Borah Foundation Library Collection
The Borah Foundation purchases and donates several books to the University of Idaho Library on an annual basis. The collection includes books about peace and conflict, as well as books related to the annual Borah Program, and books by and about each year’s Nobel Peace Prize winners. Donations are also welcome to support the library project. All books are housed in the main University of Idaho Library and can be borrowed by anyone with a current University of Idaho library card.
The Borah International Peace Grove
In keeping with the tradition established by Eleanor Roosevelt during the first Borah Program in 1938, the Borah Foundation has proposed that a permanent peace grove be established on the grounds of the University of Idaho Arboretum. Each year, during the Borah Symposium, the university president and keynote speakers will dedicate and plant a new tree in the Peace Grove. The Borah International Peace Grove will be a permanent addition to the beauty of the University of Idaho campus and arboretum, and will benefit students, faculty, staff and community members.
[^1] “Senator William Borah”. The Borah Foundation & Symposium, University of Idaho.
[^2] “About the Borah Foundation”. The Borah Foundation & Symposium, University of Idaho.