John Shimkus | Courtesy of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) — Records and correspondence spanning the political career of retiring U.S. Rep. John Shimkus are headed to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

The (Edwardsville) Intelligencer reports the Republican’s correspondence, photos and official papers will be housed at the Elijah P. Lovejoy Library.

The 61-year-old announced earlier this year that he won’t seek re-election after more than 20 years in Congress. His sprawling district includes parts of central and southern Illinois.

Shimkus has ties to the university, including earning his master’s degree in business administration there in 1987.

He says he hopes his files help tell the story of how “our government has lasted through a lot of challenges” and will continue to do so.

The collection will come from 450 boxes of archived materials that first have to be screened for privacy and security.