Friends
of American University Library announced today that the $400,000
challenge grant established by Roger and Nancy Brown in 1999
has been matched by more than 500 donations. Gifts and pledges
totaling more than $650,000 include major commitments by Samuel
and Lucy Keker, Howard and Sondra Bender and Margaret Anthon.
"Nancy
and I consider that these pledges and gifts have cumulatively
more than met our challenge," said Roger Brown, AU History
Professor Emeritus. "It is truly wonderful to see such
generosity on the part of so many persons who believe in our
library." Brown attributed the success of the Friends
organization during its first two years to "the conviction
that a strong, well-stocked library is essential to the educational
mission of American University."
The
founding of Friends of AU Library in 1999 coincided with the
20th Anniversary of the opening of the Jack I. and Dorothy
G. Bender Library and Learning Resources Center. Friends membership
has grown from 129 in 1999 to over 505 individuals as of May
1, 2001. According to the University Librarian Pat Wand, "Roger
and Nancy Brown, with their unusually generous gift, were
among our first library Friends. We are delighted that their
example has inspired others to put their confidence in the
library."
The
primary purpose of Friends of AU Library is to increase financial
support for library collections and facilities. Funds raised
from the challenge grant are being used for immediate improvements
in the library's books, periodicals and electronic resources,
for library renovations, and to establish endowed funds.
Sam
Keker,
AU Alum (College of Arts and Sciences, '39) and retired Chairman
and CEO of U.S. News and World Report and his wife Lucy Keker pledged $500,000 to the library over
a five year period, beginning in 2000.
Howard
and Sondra Bender,
long-time benefactors of the university, pledged $100,000
to the library in 1999 over a four year period.
Margaret
Anthon, wife of late Professor Emeritus Carl Anthon,
established the Roger H. Brown Endowed Preservation Fund to
support preservation of library collections. This gift celebrates
the contributions of both Professors Anthon and Brown who
were collegues in the American University History Department
and avid library supporters.
About Friends