40th Anniversary

What a memorable and fun day! Today the College has been busy celebrating our 40th Anniversary with a party on the west lawn just in front of the entrance to the Library. Most classes have been cancelled for the day, and students and others from the college community have been enjoying the food, music, games, and even the speeches that are part of the anniversary party.



Yes, our 40th Anniversary…with our beginning point being the year 1968. Naturally these past 40 years have been very important to the College, and as I reflected a bit, it suddenly occurred to me that these years have been very important for me personally as well. Just as the College was beginning its history in fall 1968, I was also beginning my career in libraries in fall 1968 serving in my first librarian position, as the assistant librarian at a high school in New Jersey. So now 40 years later the College and I are both celebrating our 40th anniversary at the same time. What a coincidence.

As we finish these 40 years I would love to be able to document the College’s history in images, but that is outside my sphere. However, the College’s library has had its own history and I thought I would briefly share some images of what I have found to be an interesting evolution of the physical library over the 40 years.

The historic Hotel Ponce de Leon, the centerpiece of the campus, was the home of the first two “editions” of the library.

The Original Library (1968) was located in the hotel’s solarium on the fourth floor.

Library users could even enjoy the solarium’s outside deck.

As the library’s collection grew, it had to be moved in 1972 to a larger space, the hotel’s Grand Parlor, which is now known as the Flagler Room.

In 1982, the Grand Parlor (Flagler Room) was able to regain its beautiful spaces, as the library was moved to neighboring Kenan Hall. The library, then known as the Louise Wise Lewis Library, consisted of three levels and its entry was on the 3rd floor of Kenan Hall. The ceiling heights had to be low to allow the library to fit its three levels between floors 2 & 3 in Kenan.

Finally, in 1996 the College completed construction of our present, free-standing library, the Proctor Library, named in honor of then President, now Chancellor, William L. Proctor.

I fortunately had the privilege of joining the College in 1996, and as a result I also have had the privilege of enjoying the legacy of the College and the evolution of the College library. Happy 40th Anniversary Flagler College.