Andrew Carnegie's legacy perserved on ESU campus
9:27 a.m. Monday, April 17, 2006
The Anderson Memorial Library in Emporia is the second oldest Carnegie Library in Kansas.
It's quite unique. Made of limestone, there's a wood framed dome, artful pressed tin ceilings and colorfully ornate stained glass windows.
We hear the name 'Carnegie,' but who is he and what exactly is a Carnegie Library.
"Andrew Carnegie was a very wealthy man in the mid to late 19th century early 20th century," said Heather Wade, archivist at Emporia State University. "He gave a lot of money to a lot of organizations. He originally started out in the railroad industry, a lot of towns still have old buildings, which were Carnegie Library buildings. He paid for a lot of public libraries across the country and then some academic libraries as well which is what we're in right now."
Additional info
The Anderson Memorial Library is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday on the Emporia State University campus. For more information you may call (620) 341-5048.
Born in 1835, Carnegie made millions in the steel industry, but gave away the bulk of his fortune before he died in 1919.
Heather says Carnegie was a big believer in the spread of knowledge.
"Probably because he was a self made man. He was never given the opportunities as a youth to sit down in a classroom and learn that way. He used libraries," Heather said. "He really benefited from that. Without that knowledge without those resources, He certainly wouldn't have been able to achieve what he did with his career and with his life."
Heather says most requests to build libraries came from the community, but the Anderson library was personal to Carnegie. He wanted to pay tribute to his friend Col. John Anderson who had a big impact on him.
The building opened its doors in 1902. It was the library for the Presbyterian-run College of Emporia and later for another religious school called The Way. It is now owned by Emporia State University and houses the University's archives.
There are some unique items in the collections including this rare book - printed in Paris in 1495.
And personal items of writer/publisher William Allen White's daughter Mary White, who died from a horse accident when she was 16 years old.
Heather says what keeps people stopping by the library is the dome.
"The dome is an interesting space. There are numerous names written on the walls of the dome, which was a tradition of the college of Emporia and then of The Way college as well," she said.
Seniors would scroll their names and graduating year on the wooden planks. See anyone you know?
Heather says when she first came to campus it was the Library that stood out.
"It's a stunning , stunning building; and it's very exciting to work here," she said. "I climb up these gorgeous stair cases to my office every morning. It's really a beautiful building."
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