{"id":1503,"date":"2021-06-22T07:27:16","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T13:27:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/?p=1503"},"modified":"2021-06-22T07:27:17","modified_gmt":"2021-06-22T13:27:17","slug":"library-dedication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/2021\/06\/22\/library-dedication\/","title":{"rendered":"Library Dedication"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>First opened on June 4, 1971, the new library would not be dedicated for almost a year. On April 26, 1972, librarians, students, administrators, and members of the public gathered to dedicate the new university library. Due to inclement weather, the ceremony was held indoors on the first floor of the library. The guests entered a five-level structure with brightly colored walls and furniture. Many of those gathered remembered that the location where this new building stood was once the site of the school\u2019s first football field.<\/p>\n<div style=\"overflow: hidden; margin-bottom: 36px; padding-bottom: 50%; position: relative; height: 0;\"><iframe style=\"left: 0; top: 0; height: 100%; width: 100%; position: absolute;\" src=\"https:\/\/digital.library.unt.edu\/ark:\/67531\/metadc1770615\/m1\/embed\/\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Dr. David A. Webb, the Director of Libraries, was a driving force in developing the new facility. Dr. Webb served as the Director of Libraries from 1953 to 1978, as well as the director of the School of Library and Information Sciences, now the College of Information. David Webb was responsible for opening the library stacks to students, changing the classification system from Dewey to Library of Congress, and expanding the School of Library and Information Sciences.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1506\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/digital.library.unt.edu\/ark:\/67531\/metadc276086\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1506\" class=\"img-fluid img-thumbnail wp-image-1506 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/06\/metadc276086_m_UNTA_U0458-101-929-02.med_res-400x502.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white photograph of a balding man standing between two sets of metal book shelves. He leans his elbow on a shelf and looks up and to his right.\" width=\"400\" height=\"502\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/06\/metadc276086_m_UNTA_U0458-101-929-02.med_res-400x502.jpg 400w, https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/06\/metadc276086_m_UNTA_U0458-101-929-02.med_res.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1506\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr. David A. Webb, no date.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The dedication program was short. Caudill, Rowlett, and Scott Architects were presented. The building was accepted by the Chair of the Board of Regents, A. M. Willis, Jr. The Brass choir, conducted by Leon Brown, provided the music. Dr. Joe B. Frantz, director of the Texas State Historical Association and the University of Texas at Austin\u2019s Oral History Project, was the guest speaker at the dedication ceremony. Dr. Frantz\u2019s speech was titled, \u201cWho Needs Friends?\u201d \u00a0Parts of his speech were quoted in the North Texas Daily on April 27, 1972:<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe Real friends to the library are its books, manuscripts,<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Phonograph records, films and other material preserved for<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the interests of the public.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cOur friends in the library (the books and other material) are<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the priests and the psychiatrists who will help us make our<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 peace with a complex world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWe need also to let those people on the outside know that<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 friends everywhere these friends in the library can suffer from<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 neglect. The best friend is a friend you work with. The best<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0friend is one to whom you give a little time, and he gives<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 whatever he can in return.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It would not be until August 24, 1978, that the Board of Regents would pass a resolution to honor A. M. Willis, Jr. by naming the library after him.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWhereas he expresses constantly his deep devotion and great<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 respect for the intellectual, Social and human accomplishments<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 of the University, it is appropriate that he be honored for his<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 loyal and devoted service: therefore, be it resolved, that the<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 University Library at North Texas State University is hereby<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 named the A. M. Willis, Jr. Library.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1505\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/digital.library.unt.edu\/ark:\/67531\/metadc945738\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1505\" class=\"img-fluid img-thumbnail wp-image-1505\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/06\/metadc945738_m_UNTA_U0458-036-007_01.med_res.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white photograph of an older man wearing a suit and tie, sits posed on a step outside of a long brick building.\" width=\"500\" height=\"407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/06\/metadc945738_m_UNTA_U0458-036-007_01.med_res.jpg 700w, https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/06\/metadc945738_m_UNTA_U0458-036-007_01.med_res-400x326.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1505\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A.M. Willis, Jr. in front of Willis Library, c. 1978.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Willis, of Longview, Texas, was a staff director of the House Veterans Affairs Committee in Washington, D. C. He had been a member of the Board of Regents since 1965 and served as chair since 1969. Willis stated his reaction to the North Texas Daily, \u201cIt\u2019s a high honor to me to have my name associated with this university which I love so much.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"First opened on June 4, 1971, the new library would not be dedicated for almost a year. On April 26, 1972, librarians, students, administrators, and members of the public gathered to dedicate the new university library. Due to inclement weather, the ceremony was held indoors on the first floor of the library. The guests entered&#8230;  <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/2021\/06\/22\/library-dedication\/\" class=\"more-link\" title=\"Read Library Dedication\">Read more &raquo;<\/a>","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[58,41,27],"tags":[324,251,409,207],"class_list":["post-1503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-1960s","category-1970s","category-1980s","tag-a-m-willis-jr","tag-campus-buildings","tag-david-webb","tag-willis-library"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1503","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1503"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1503\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1508,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1503\/revisions\/1508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/unt125\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}