Difference between revisions of "Cowles Library - 1937 Building"

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=Cowles Library=
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=Cowles Library - 1937 building=  
 
 
==<u><span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Cowles Library 1937- 1967</span></u>==  
 
 
 
  
 
<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Originally submitted by William Leidig, Drake University, October 2011</span>
 
<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">Originally submitted by William Leidig, Drake University, October 2011</span>
  
  
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Drake University was in need of a new library. The original Carnegie Library provided limited space and was out of date. The Gardner Cowles Foundation vowed to donate a new library for Drake University. The official ground-breaking ceremony was held at commencement time in the spring. Cowles Library could fit 330 students and had 28,000 square feet. The new two-story, colonial designed structure was constructed to permit expansion[1]. </span>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[[File:Cowles_southside.jpg|left]]Drake University was in need of a new library. The original Carnegie Library provided limited space and was out of date. The Gardner Cowles Foundation vowed to donate a new library for Drake University. The official ground-breaking ceremony was held at commencement time in the spring. Cowles Library could fit 330 students and had 28,000 square feet. The new two-story, colonial designed structure was constructed to permit expansion[1]. </span>
  
 
<span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Gardner Cowles, Sr. had been a member of the Drake Board of Trustees and knew that the Carnegie Library was an inadequate building for the expanding University. Dr. D. W. Morehouse called the Director of Libraries on Christmas morning, 1936, telling of the $100,000 contribution from the Gardner Cowles Foundation for the erection of a new library. The blueprints for the proposed library were made by Grover Hubbell. The building was to be located on the west side of the campus and face University Avenue. This would be the first new building on the main campus since 1907. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 6, 1937 at 11:45 a.m. by President Morehouse. Excavation was held the next day.[2] </span>
 
<span style="font-family: 'times new roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Gardner Cowles, Sr. had been a member of the Drake Board of Trustees and knew that the Carnegie Library was an inadequate building for the expanding University. Dr. D. W. Morehouse called the Director of Libraries on Christmas morning, 1936, telling of the $100,000 contribution from the Gardner Cowles Foundation for the erection of a new library. The blueprints for the proposed library were made by Grover Hubbell. The building was to be located on the west side of the campus and face University Avenue. This would be the first new building on the main campus since 1907. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 6, 1937 at 11:45 a.m. by President Morehouse. Excavation was held the next day.[2] </span>
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[3] Drake Relay catalog (1932)
 
[3] Drake Relay catalog (1932)
[[File:Cowles_southside.jpg|left]]
 
  
  

Revision as of 18:56, 25 June 2012

Cowles Library - 1937 building

Originally submitted by William Leidig, Drake University, October 2011


Cowles southside.jpg
Drake University was in need of a new library. The original Carnegie Library provided limited space and was out of date. The Gardner Cowles Foundation vowed to donate a new library for Drake University. The official ground-breaking ceremony was held at commencement time in the spring. Cowles Library could fit 330 students and had 28,000 square feet. The new two-story, colonial designed structure was constructed to permit expansion[1].

Gardner Cowles, Sr. had been a member of the Drake Board of Trustees and knew that the Carnegie Library was an inadequate building for the expanding University. Dr. D. W. Morehouse called the Director of Libraries on Christmas morning, 1936, telling of the $100,000 contribution from the Gardner Cowles Foundation for the erection of a new library. The blueprints for the proposed library were made by Grover Hubbell. The building was to be located on the west side of the campus and face University Avenue. This would be the first new building on the main campus since 1907. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 6, 1937 at 11:45 a.m. by President Morehouse. Excavation was held the next day.[2]

The following is a Drake Relay Pamphlet[3]:


Picture of Cowels Library Today: File:New.jpg The building was a Georgian colonial structure. It featured a ventilating system where the air was humidified to a relaxed temperature. There were three reading rooms in the new library. The second floor had a reference room that housed 200 periodicals and the reference collection[1]. The periodical room contained roughly 300 current periodicals. The other reading room contained the reserve books. The library featured glass bricks to light the stack space that were set in the rear wall. The stacks contained 60,000 volumes. The lighting of the building was set by large windows, venetian blinds, and holophane lights.[2]



Location of Cowles Library 2507 University Ave, Des Moines, IA 50311-4516

[[image:http:mt0.google.com/vt/data=vCAMdv1fB04fTuF-DWazi2R-sk1cZDEn1AceROtjLNmUEF3ishwHAKGT9A5GCfbpLBaz3XiBS3h4aozs6QxbGnploUCeF4-a96blthQ link="http:maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Cowles+Library,+University+Avenue,+Des+Moines,+IA&aq=0&sll=41.601163,-93.653727&sspn=0.007221,0.02105&vpsrc=6&ie=UTF8&hq=Cowles+Library,&hnear=University+Ave,+Des+Moines,+Iowa&ll=41.601661,-93.654885&spn=0.007221,0.02105&t=m&z=16&iwloc=A&ved=0CCwQpQY&sa=X&ei=07CXToaQLZOONtat0KIN"]]

Sources Cited

[1] Slavens, T. P. (1962). A History of the Drake University Libraries. (Unpublished Theses). Drake University, Des Moines, IA.

[2] Slavens, T.P. (1962) A Centenial Overview. (History of the Drake University Librairies). Drake University, Des Moines, IA

[3] Drake Relay catalog (1932)


Cowles reading room.jpg


Cowles