History of the Albion College Libraries

The only thing you absolutely need to know is the location of the library. -Albert Einstein

Albion College Archives & Special Collections

November 3, 2022

Exterior image the Chapel Building, known today as the Kellogg Center, undated

The First Library Space

The Wesleyan Seminary, now known as Albion College, had a humble beginning. For many years, there were just two campus buildings, and it took some time for the Library to have a permanent home. It is documented that a Library existed as early as 1844. However, the first mention of a location for the Library was in the Chapel (known today as the back portion of the Kellogg Center) by 1869.

Sketch of the never constructed Bliss Library, circa 1890

The Bliss Library

In the early 1890s, there was an attempt at fundraising to build the Bliss Library on campus. The Honorable Aaron T. Bliss of Saginaw, MI offered funds to help with this endeavor. But with his help came many conditions–and the Bliss Library was never constructed.

After using a small two-room space in the College Chapel for many years, the Library relocated to Central Hall, known today as Robinson Hall, in 1898. This location provided more space, better light, and improved ventilation. The Dewey Decimal system was put in place to help classify and organize all of the books.

The Chapel Library (left) and the Library the Central Hall (right), undated

Literary Societies

01 / 05

Literary Societies

During the 19th century, no College could consider itself respectable without a cluster of literary societies at the center of campus cultural affairs. These societies maintained their own libraries, gave literary programs, and published their own magazines.

Founded in 1913, the Clionian Literary Society aimed to create well-rounded women through training in literature and society work. Their programs consisted of devotionals, music, original oration, reports on current topics and events, original stories, poems or essays, and reports on special topics.

The society disbanded during World War I, and reorganized as a local sorority in 1923. In 1929, the Clionian Society officially became chartered as Zeta Tau Alpha sorority.

The Eclectic Society, for men, and the Atheniades Society, for women, were founded separately, during the 1845-46 academic year. They became a single organization in 1880.

Eclectic and Atheniades meetings, exhibitions and presentations were the center of social life for students and faculty. After 80 years as an organization at Albion, the group was disbanded in 1928.

Organized as early as 1846, the Clever Fellows and the Clever Girls Society were two of the earliest literary societies at Albion College. The object of the societies were intellectual improvement, including elocution, composition, and debate.

The Clever Fellows united with the Clever Girls of Albion College on 1867 October 16, and became the Erosophian Society of Albion College. They disbanded in the early part of the twentieth century.

The Zetalethian Literary Society was established in December of 1903. The name Zetalethian or seekers after truth was adopted and the motto “Labor omnio vincit,'' Latin for work conquers all, was approved. The society aimed to obtain a greater proficiency in literary work.

In 1926, the Zetalethian Society became the Omega Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon.

Lottie Gassette Memorial Library

In 1902, Albion College finally got its first stand alone Library building! Albion community member Charlotte Gassette gave the College funds to build a Library building in honor of her daughter who had passed away. The Lottie Gassette Memorial Library was located where the Ferguson Student, Technology & Administrative Services Building is today.

This building was renovated a number of times to keep up with changing technology, such as electric lighting and heating elements. The last renovation took place in 1938 to convert the Library to be used as an administrative building. The building was demolished in 1998 to construct the Ferguson Building. Architectural elements from the Gassette Library are featured in Ferguson, including the columns on the front of the building, and mosaic tile work on the exterior tower and the first floor.

Interior and exterior images of the Lottie Gassette Memorial Library.

Stockwell Memorial Library

Madelon Stockwell Turner, class of 1862, willed $300,000 to the College for the construction of a new Library in honor of her parents. The Charles F. & Louisa Peabody Stockwell Memorial Library officially opened in 1938.

Although Stockwell Memorial Library was a Library in name, the building also hosted the Art Department on its second floor until the Bobbitt Center was built in the mid-1960s.

Art classes hard at work in Stockwell Memorial Library

The Stockwell Family

01 / 06

Charles Franklin Stockwell was the first Principal of the Wesleyan Seminary (what is now Albion College). Prior to arriving in Albion to run the Seminary, he was trained as a lawyer and ordained as a minister. He was only 26 years old when he started the job!

Louisa Peabody was part of the first white family that settled in Albion. She also graduated from the Wesleyan Seminary in winter of 1843.

Louisa and Charles were married on July 18th, 1844, and the couple continued to live in Albion while Charles worked for the Seminary. The couple's only daughter, Madelon Louisa was born in 1845.

Around the time Madelon was born, Charles took a leave of absence from the Seminary. He was frustrated by the amount of work he was doing with a very small staff, but even more than that–he had not yet been paid.

Charles left his wife and infant daughter to head to California in hopes of finding gold. Unfortunately, Charles became quite ill during the journey and was buried at sea off the coast of Panama.

Louisa and Madelon continued to live in Albion. Madelon kept a diary intermittently from 1856-1863, providing a perfect snapshot of life in Albion, Michigan at that time.

Madelon attended the Albion Preparatory School and Female Institute at the College and graduating in 1862.

Madelon went on to become the first woman to accepted into the University of Michigan.

After her death in 1924, Madelon willed $300,000 to the College for the construction of a new Library in honor of her parents.

Seeley G. Mudd Learning Center

In 1978, the Seeley G. Mudd Foundation awarded a grant of $900,000 to the College for the construction of the Seeley G. Mudd Learning Center. The Mudd building was built directly next to Stockwell Memorial Library. Stipulations from the Mudd Foundation stated that the Mudd Learning Center must be a stand alone building, and be the main entrance to the Library. An enclosed ‘bridge’ was constructed to connect Stockwell to Mudd, and the Stockwell main entrance was sealed shut.

An architectural rendering of the Mudd Learning Center, featuring the bridge connecting it to Stockwell Library

With the construction of Mudd came all new sorts of technological amenities in the Library, including language/music listening centers and audiovisual equipment. One of the biggest changes on campus came to the Stockwell-Mudd Library in the 1990s when the Internet first came to campus! This would not only completely change how the Library operates, but how all learning takes place on campus.

Images from the Seeley G. Mudd Learning Center

The Librarians

01 / 08

Stories of Our Librarians

Many people have worked in the Albion College Libraries. Our earliest recorded Librarians include a student, a professor of mathematics, and professor of Greek.

Prior to serving as President of Albion College from 1901-1921, Dr. Samuel Dickie worked as a Librarian in the Albion College Library.

Librarianship today is a field dominated by women. It took a few years for that to be the case at Albion College. These were the first women on record to be working as Librarians.

Of the earliest female Librarians, the most is known about Rose Ball. An Albion resident and alumna of both the Albion Preparatory School and Albion College, class of 1896, she received Library training at several institutions including the University of Wisconsin and the University of Michigan.

First working as an assistant Librarian, Rose became the official College Librarian in 1905 and remained in the position until her death in 1936.

Marian Frances Adams was the head Librarian when Stockwell Memorial Library opened in 1938. She helped oversee the transfer of items from the Lottie Gassette Memorial Library to Stockwell Memorial Library.

Marian also helped develop the Library's collection including a significant donation from William Longstreet, class of 1894, and the rare book Examination of Benjamin Franklin.

Larry Oberg, Director of the Library in the 1980s and 1990s oversaw the implementation of the very first online catalog and computers in the Library!

The Innovative Interfaces system largely increased the number of resources available to students, and completely changed how research happens in the Library.

The Library Today

In the past decade, the Library has seen major changes. In 2011, the Stockwell doors were officially unsealed. This once again became the main entrance of the Library. The circulation desk was relocated, and the Read Between the Grinds Cafe was a welcomed addition.

In 2020, the first and second floors of Stockwell became home to the Cutler Center for Student Success . The Cutler Center is a one stop shop for student support services including peer tutoring, accessibility support services, TRiO, and writing consultation. 2022 brought the Innovation Lab and Instructional Technology to the Library. The Lab includes virtual reality sets, 3-D printing, Cricut, and Legos.

While the Library at Albion College has seen many changes in location, technology, and big rennovations, it has always provided the campus community with a wealth of information, knowledge, resources, and the perfect place to study or gather.