gift was, at the time, the largest single gift ever given to KU or to any institution in Kansas. When the gift was announced, Chancellor W. Clarke Wescoe declared that the library "will stand as a living memorial not only to an outstanding man and his equally distinguished wife but to the pursuit of learning that holds so much promise for the future and to the spirit of philanthropy which holds out for the University of Kansas the promise of future greatness."

Construction of the library began in January 1967. The library was dedicated