Memorial Book Plan

NINE classes are now participating actively in the memorial plan of contributing rare and beautiful books to the Baker Library. In the last twelve months the classes of 1925, 1923, and 1922 have sent checks totalling $1,690 to the library to purchase books in memory of deceased classmates.

The plan was originated by the Class of 1914 in the latter part of 1947 and has since been adopted by the Classes of 1912, 1913, 1919, 1921, 1924, 1925, 1923, and 1922. The amounts contributed for each deceased member vary from $10 to $20, and have been coming from class treasury funds rather than from individuals.

The basic idea of the memorial book plan is the substitution of a "living memorial" rather than a floral tribute. The recent practice of making lump sum contributions covering all past deaths within the class has permitted the library to acquire some very valuable books which budgets otherwise would not permit. Several months ago, for instance, with a part of the Class of 1925 fund the library purchased a copy of Dard Hunter's Papermaking By Hand in America which was limited to an edition of 175, and which Harold Rugg describes as"one of the finest books printed in the United States in the last ten years." It was purchased in memory of nine deceased members of the class and the names of all of them were inscribed on the special bookplate.