GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY J:IBRARY~SSPCIATES

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

J:IBRARY~SSPCIATES

IN THIS ISSUE

Blommer Science Library Renovated ................................ 2

Two New Capital Gifts .......... . 2

Getting to Know the General .............................. 3

Associates Web Page Coming ... ... .. .. .. ... .... .... .............. 3

Library Web Pages Honored .... .. .. ..... ... ....... ... ....... .. 3

Winter Associates Events ...... .4

Welcome, New Associates .......... .. .. .......... 4

Two New Diplomatic Collections ........ .... ................... 5

In Memoriam .. .. ... .......... .. ..... ... 5

A Note of Appreciation .. .... .. ... 6

New Special Collections Catalog Coming ..... .. .... ............ 6

Exhibit Catalog Now Available .................................. 6

UPCOMING EVENTS

APRIL 23 New York

Talk by Cynthia P . Schneider

APRIL 24 Boston

Talk by Rev. J . Bryan Hehir

APRIL 27 Atlanta

Presentation by University Archivist Jon Reynolds and Eric

Smith (part of John Carroll Weekend)

MAY 21 Georgetown

Talk by William R. Stott, Jr.

MORE events to come!

For further information on Associates events, please contact Melanie Savage at

(202) 687-7446.

N E w s L E T T E R

SPRING 1996.NEWSLETTER 42

CLASSIC TEXTS AND FINE PRINTING

C REEK AND ROMAN CLASSICS IN EARLY AND FINELY-PRINTED

U editions were eagerly sought by collectors in England and Europe during the early nineteenth century. But as the classical languages have gradually lost their

place in the curriculum, so too have their texts lost favor in the eyes of collectors.

The recent donation by Mrs. Katherine Bowie of the small but distinguished

collection formed by her first husband, Philip Schulte, besides materially

strengthening Georgetown's holdings, offers us a first-hand insight into the

collecting taste of earlier times. Mrs. Bowie's gift was made specifically because of

the anniversaries we are celebrating in the ''Year of the Library," and we are

indeed grateful.

Engraved title page after Peter Paul Rubens, 1640

Mr. Schulte's lifelong interest in the classics led to the formation of a considerable library. But in addition to the working staples of modern scholarly editions he gathered more than a hundred volumes which would have excited Thomas Frognall Dibdin, the English collector and bibliographer, whose Introduction to the Knowledge of Rare and Valuable Editions of the Greek and Latin Classics is present (fourth edition, 1827) in an obviously well-used copy.

At the heart of the collection are Baskerville's beautifully printed, if not always textually reliable, editions of Catullus, Horace, Juvenal, Lucretius, Sallust, Terence (two copies), and Virgil. These are supplemented by his editions of Ariosto and the Greek New Testament, the latter his only attempt at printing in that language. The Foulis press of Glasgow is represented by its magnificent folio edition of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey (four volumes,

1756-58). The presses of Elzevier and Aldus are represented too, the latter by the first edition of the letters of Pliny the Younger (1508). The works of Apuleius are present in a richly illustrated Venetian edition printed in 1510.

The list of noteworthy volumes could be extended, but one point is abundantly clear: the twin debts that the library owes to the discernment of the collector and to the generosity ofthe donor. n,

The Georgetown University

Library Associates Newsletter

is issued four times a year. It

is distributed to all Library

Associates, members of the

Association of Research

Libraries (ARL), members of

the Georgetown University

Board of Directors, Board of

Regents, Board of Governors,

and selected others.

Chair of the Library Advisory Council

John H. Forsgren, Jr. (C'67)

University Librarian Susan K. Martin

Contributors Marty Barringer

Susan K. Martin

Melanie Savage

Nicholas Scheetz

Photographer David Hagen

Designer Laurie L. England

.:; Printed on recycled paper

If you have any comments,

suggestions, criticisms, or

compliments about this

Newsletter, please contact the

editor: Marty Barringer,

Georgetown University Library,

by phone: (202)687-7475,

fax: (202)687-7501 or e-mail:

[email protected]

BLOMMER SCIENCE LIBRARY RENOVATED

Science faculty and students were pleased on March 18 to be welcomed to the newly-renovated Blommer Science Library in the Reiss Building, and especially so since staff and services had been "exiled" to Lauinger for some ten weeks. The renovation incorporated carpeting, new shelving, and new paint and lights, all of which have dramatically improved on the rather fusty appearance of the library. New shelving has improved access to the library's collection of books and journals, and new data wiring allows users to connect their laptop computers directly to the library's local area network. Blommer Science Library undergoing demolition

Science Librarian Margaret O'Rourke and Assistant University Librarian for Access and Public Services Mark Jacobs were instrumental in planning the renovation and seeing it through to a successful conclusion. n.

TWO NEW CAPITAL GIFTS

The library and the university are truly grateful, as Georgetown's new capital campaign gets under way, for two important capital gifts in this '<Year of the Library."

Bernard and Nancy Picchi (F'71, xC'71), whose generosity has been invaluable in allowing Lauinger Library to make collections and services available to students and faculty, have pledged a campaign gift of $250,000 in support of the Picchi Multimedia Room and the Electronic Information Resource Center, to be known as the Picchi Electronic Information Resource Center. This facility enables library users to gain access to the Internet and the World Wide Web, and to use high-end computers to create or to play back multimedia productions for classroom or research use. This new gift will permit the library to set up two additional

multimedia worktations and will provide income in perpetuity for maintaining and upgrading equipment.

Another member of the Library Advisory Council, David Walsh (C'58),

has made a campaign pledge of $150,000, most of which will go to enhance the Chimes Library Resource Endowment Fund which Mr. Walsh established in 1990. This year, 1996, is the fiftieth anniversary of the Chimes, who as a group have enthusiastically supported Mr. Walsh's efforts. As Chimes alumni come from all schools of the university, giving to the library allows them to support students and faculty across disciplinary boundaries. Income from the Chimes Fund permits the library to purchase exceptional materials, in any field of study, that it would not otherwise have been able to acquire. n.

2 LIBRARY ASSOCIATES· Spring 1996

GETTING TO KNow THE GENERAL

Jan Philip Roothaan (1785-1852) was General of the Society of Jesus from 1829 until

his death. Born in Amsterdam, he travelled to Dunaburg to enter the Jesuit novitiate

in 1804 and was ordained at Polotsk in 1812. In 1820 he moved to Switzerland, and

four years later was named the

first rector of the new Jesuit

college in Turin. He was

instrumental in revising the

Ratio studiorum in 1832, and

his own scholarship bore fruit in

a new edition of St. Ignatius'

Exercitia spiritualia. During his

tenure as general the number of

Jesuits worldwide virtually

doubled, reaching a total of

5,000 men.

Thanks to the generosity

of Dr. Clemens C. J. Roothaan,

a descendant of the general's

brother, the library now can

offer to researchers nearly 140

autograph letters written by

Jan Philip Roothaan, S.J. (1785-1852)

Jan Philip Roothaan to his father, Mathias, his brother, Albert, and his nephew,

Theodoor. Spanning the period from his departure from Amsterdam in 1804 to 1846,

the letters, half of which are in Dutch and half in French, provide considerable insight

into the close relationship between Roothaan and his family, members of which he

rarely saw in person after 1821.

The character of the letters, and of the man, is suggested by the following

translated quotation from a letter written in French to his brother Albert, a

shipowner, in February, 1844:

As to the welfare of your ship Eugenie--I thank the Savior as do you. But, my

dear brother, do you know that your captain is extremely hostile to Catholics,

and especially to priests? They are very badly treated on his ship, it is said.

In general, it is said, he feeds very badly the ship's passengers, who

nonetheless pay very well. Look into this, my dear. For I fear that the actions

of her captain will bring unhappiness on your Eugenie. I pray always for

travelers--I have always so many of my religious at sea!

The Roothaan family correspondence adds greatly to the more than 150 letters

from him to various Jesuit correspondents in the University Archives and the

Maryland Province Archives, and the author of a new biography (there have been

several already) will do well to spend some time at Georgetown. n,

ASSOCIATES WEB PAGE COMING

Library Associates will

soon have their own place

on the World Wide Web.

Work is progressing on

putting together a

homepage that can be

accessed either directly or

from the library's

homepage. The page will

contain news of interest to

Associates, recent issues

of the Newsletter, and

other items. The address

will be published in the

next issue.

LIBRARY WEB PAGES HONORED

In recent months we have

learned that Magellan, the

World Wide Web index of

the McKinley Group, has

awarded the library's

homepage with a "4-star"

rating; and the editors of

Point, another similar

service, have given their

"Top 5% of the Web"

award to the Special

Collections homepage.

~ ~ ".. Check us out at

http://www.gulib.lausun.

georgetown. edu

3 LIBRARY ASSOCIATES· Spring 1996

WELCOME, NEW ASSOCIATES

Najim A. Al-Abdullah

Michael B. Alexander

Robert and Susan Altschuler

John M. Aragona

John A. Bannigan

James Barrat

Michael Beresik

Michael Burch

Donald J. Burkhimer, Jr.

Cheryl M. Buskirk

Kevin R. Casey

Charles M. Cawley

Andrew M. Cockburn

Irvin A. Cole

Paul Collinge

Carolyn J. Colwell

Angela Couloumbis

Stephen R. Dallmus

Joanne Dann

Niloufer DeSilva

Frederick M. Donovan

James F. Duffy, Jr.

Donald C. Ebe

Norman and Pauline Edmund

Sabrina S. Faber

Harvey Fergusson, II

Laura Ferris

Henry J. Fortunato

Ian and Melissa Fossberg

Maika J. Fowler

W. Michael Funck

Sarah Elizabeth Gallagher

Geoffrey T. Garvey

Timothy and Elizabeth Gay

Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Goss

Patricia Hannan

Chris Henick

Anita G. Herrick

Mr. and Mrs. H.V. Hervey, Jr.

Mrs. Arthur D. Holzman

Jeffrey Timothy Jacob

Anthony O. Jeffs

Evan Karachalios

Kenneth Kaufmann

Susan H. Kopits

Robert M. Krasne

Anna Kyriakoudis

Patrice LaLiberte

WINTER ASSOCIATES EVENTS

WASHINGTON

On November 28th, over 100 Associates gathered in the Intercultural Center Auditorium to hear Christopher Buckley talk on "Sympathy for the Devils: or, How I Almost Learned to Love the Sin Lobbyists," sharing insights on the research he conducted in writing his recent best seller. Buckley is the author of Steaming to Bamboola, The White House Mess, Campion (with James MacGuire), Wet Work, and the recent Thank You for Smoking.

Christopher Buckley at 1Vovenlbe~1995,event

NEW YORK

On December 5th, Associates met at the Grolier Club in New York to hear a lecture entitled "The Booker Book: the Culture of Prize Novels" delivered by Alvaro F.V. Ribeiro, S.J., Assistant Professor of English at Georgetown, where he teaches courses on contemporary prize novels, among other things.

ANNuAL HOLIDAY PARTY

On December 12th, more than 200 Associates and staff celebrated the holiday season in historic Riggs Library. This annual holiday party was in celebration of the 50th anniversary ofthe Chimes, the oldest singing group at Georgetown. In 1990, the Chimes Endowment Fund was created to support the library's general acquisitions. A special guest, William J. Byron, S.J., spoke briefly on the importance of supporting the library.

WASHINGTON

On February 22nd, Associates were treated to a reception and private viewing of "Stuart Sutcliffe: Paintings and Works on Paper" at the Govinda Gallery in Georgetown. Sutcliffe was the legendary bass guitarist with the original Beatles. Director of the gallery Christopher Murray (C'69) is an Associate.

Joyce O'Brien, Roseanne M. Casey (Gala COnlnlittee chair), Leo O'Donovan, S.J.,

and Anthony Hecht at the "Year of the Library" gala

THE "YEAR OF THE LIBRARY" GALA On March 14th, the Leavey Center Ballroom was the site of the gala, the pinnacle of our year-long celebration of library anniversaries. Unusual warm weather embellished this pre-Saint Patrick's Day combination of readings, Irish music, live and silent auctions, and a cocktail buffet. Featured readings were given by current and former Georgetown faculty members Judith Farr; Anthony Hecht, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet; and George O'Brien, prize-winning Irish writer. Paul Anthony served as master of

ceremonies and auctioneer. Gala proceeds will be used to enhance the library's preservation fund and to purchase two multimedia computers with touch screens for the kiosk in the lobby of Lauinger Library, providing an informative and easy to use guide to the library and its resources. n,

4 LIBRARY ASSOCIATES' Spring 1996

Two NEW DIPLOMATIC COLLECTIONS

In 1919 Georgetown did something dramatic and daring: it established the first American school of foreign service. Ever since, the university has excelled in teaching and research in diplomacy and international affairs. Lauinger Library reflects this in its collecting, and recently two fascinating collections have been added: the Byington Papers, offering a glimpse at our diplomatic service in the nineteenth century, and the Alfaro Family Papers, documenting Panamanian diplomacy in the twentieth.

A. Homer Byington (1826-1910) was the stuff of legends. A printer, he became owner of his hometown Norwalk Gazette, which he edited for 60 years. He made his name as a Civil War correspondent for the New York Tribune; he was the first to report to Lincoln Meade's victory at Gettysburg. Lincoln and Byington knew each other well, as an amusing manuscript account by Byington shows:

The future Edward VIII (at left) and George VI with President Alfaro

in Panama, 1931

... Mr. [Horace] Greeley had placed me in charge of the Tribune News Bureau. One of the pleasant duties of this position was to visit the President every evening, carry him all the outside items of news he would likely be interested in, & in return get from him all news he was willing to impart. One of the President's facetious remarks used to be -- "Now we've swapped news, let us swap some lies," meaning of course humorous stories.

Mter the war Byington remained active in journalism and Republican politics, and because of the latter President McKinley named him consul at Naples in 1897, a position he held for eight years. Besides documenting his career, the archive includes a good portion of the diplomatic papers of his grandson, Homer M. Byington I, who served in the foreign service for 47 years and acted as chief of personnel in the State Department in the early 1930s. The library is indebted to Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence E. Hinkle for this generous gift.

The library's distinguished Panamanian holdings have been enhanced by a donation from Mrs. H. Cabell Maddux, Jr. Her father was the noted legal authority and diplomat Dr. Ricardo Joaquin Alfaro (1882-1971), who entered Panama's foreign service in 1905. From 1922 to 1930 and again from 1933 to 1936 Alfaro was envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary from Panama to the United States. In 1931 and 1932 he served as President of Panama. Later he was involved in the creation of the United Nations and served as a judge on the International Court of Justice.

The collection includes varied materials for the study of Alfaro's life: articles, manuscripts, photographs, and especially an extensive series ofletters to Mrs. Maddux discussing his various activities. For cryptographers, one gripping document is a typescript guide to the telegraphic code used by the Panamanian government. Alfaro is considered one of Panama's greatest sons, and it is hoped that the collection will generate new scholarly interest in this celebrated statesman. n,

Ernest Lent

Eleanora M. Luciano

Catherine Lundie

Margaret A. Lynch

Daniel E. Martire

MBNA America Bank, N.A.

Thomas W. McCreary, III

Elizabeth McGuire

James F. McGuirl

Marlene McGuirl

Michael S. Montemayor

James E. Moore

Keiko Ono

Claudia Peters

Pumelela Gongo

John J. Putman

James Risen

Marcia Rutledge

Richard A. Schaefers

Robert L. Schafer

Brian W. Scott

Mr. and Mrs. Shawn L.

Scoville

Mr. and Mrs. Steven A.

Skonberg

Philip M. Smith

Mr. and Mrs. William R.

Stott, Jr.

Joseph A. Strada

John C. Warman

Brigitte W. Watkius

Sarah A. Weber

Tim Wells

Donald J. Williams

Adam and Dorothea Wolfson

Lorenz E. Zimmerman

IN MEMORIAM

We note with sadness the

deaths in recent months of

five Library Associates,

generous donors, and

friends:

Ray S. Cline

William J. Curtin

Margaret Donahue

Frederick C. LeComte

Robert A. Ricks

5 LIBRARY ASSOCIATES' Spring 1996

EXHIBIT CATALOG

Now AVAILABLE

The exhibit Gutenberg

and Beyond: Books,

Libraries, and Changing

Technology will be on view

in the Special Collections

Division's Gunlocke Room

through June 30. Copies of

the exhibit catalog are

available at the desk for

those visiting the show;

others may get them by

writing or calling the

Special Collections Division

at (202) 687-7444.

A NOTE OF APPRECIATION

We thank all those friends of the library who have donated books, manuscripts, or other library materials since December, 1995. Among them are:

• John L. Brown Additional personal papers, including letters by Josephine Baker, Carson McCullers, and Alice B. Toklas

• Estate of Mrs. F. Sadlier Dinger

• Murray Lebwohl A watercolor by Anthony Gross and a print by Misch Kohn

• Edith S. Mayfield

The Civitates orbis terrarum of Braun and Hogenberg, books I and II (1576)

Literary first editions and other works by A. C. Swinburne, Witter Bynner, and many others

• Wolfram U. Drewes • John Rackham

Additional fine prints by the donor's father, Werner Drewes

A collection of twentieth century fine prints by American and European artists

• Laurie L. England Fine and commercial paper ephemera

• Mrs. Robert M. Weidenhammer Papers of the Dutch seaman, Journalist, and scholar Pieter H. G. Verhoog

NEW SPECIAL COLLECTIONS CATALOG COMING

The third edition of Special Collections at Georgetown, a printed guide to holdings in rare books, manuscripts, graphic arts, and the University Archives, will be published this summer. The 144-page illustrated catalog will incorporate information on the very substantial acquisitions made since the second edition appeared in 1989, as well as on previous holdings. Copies will be made available to Library Associates. Publication of the new edition has been made possible by a generous donation by Library Advisory Council member Frederic J. Fuller, Jr. (C'39). t.,

GEORGETOWN UNIVERS I TY Non-Profit Organization JCIBRARY~SS9CIATES

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