History
The library and its collections were built by William Andrews Clark, Jr., in memoriam of his father, U.S. Senator William Andrews Clark, Sr. who amassed a mining fortune in Montana, Arizona, and Nevada. Clark Jr., a prominent collector and philanthropist, originally had a mansion at the corner of Adams Boulevard and Cimarron, but the structure was demolished. The current library, designed by architect Robert D. Farquhar, was constructed from 1924 to 1926 on the same site. After its completion, Clark Jr. announced his intent to donate the collection (then around 13,000 books), the buildings, and the square-block property to the Southern Branch of the University of California. The deed, along with a $1.5 million endowment, was transferred upon his death in 1934. It was UCLA's first major bequest, and still one of the most generous in the university's history. In 2009, nuclear physicist Paul Chrzanowski donated his collection of 72 Shakespeare books, published between 1479 and 1731, to the Clark Library.
Read more about this topic: William Andrews Clark Memorial Library
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