New Exhibit in Special Collections
The exhibit “In Search of America: Selections from the McGregor Collection” is currently on display in Special Collections, The College of Wooster Libraries.
A native of Ohio, Tracy W. McGregor (1869-1936) spent a great portion of his life in philanthropic endeavors. In 1925, he and his wife, Katherine Whitney McGregor, created the McGregor Fund so that their wealth could be directed toward social service. Later in life, Mr. McGregor became quite interested in book collecting. Also, he was a great supporter of higher education and he wanted students to have the opportunity to handle and use rare materials. McGregor proposed a plan whereby he would select Americana for college libraries at $500 per institution. All colleges participating in the plan would provide a matching amount, allowing for a total of $1,000 for the purchase of primary source materials tied to early American history. The college’s McGregor Collection consists of 317 titles of rare and scare volumes of American history from discovery through the settlement of the Western frontier.
The current exhibit focuses on the early settlement of Ohio and Westward Expansion. Titles on display include: Letters and Sketches : With a Narrative of a Year’s Residence Among the Indian Tribes of the Rocky Mountains, Reminiscences of a Ranger, and A History of the Donner Party: A Tragedy of the Sierras.
Special arrangements can be made for classes or small groups to view more materials from our collection. These materials will be on display October 18 – December 15, 2006. For more information about the exhibit, contact Denise Monbarren at ext. 2527 or Elaine Smith Snyder at ext. 2155.