Activities of the Friends

Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Dinner. On Thursday evening, No¬
vember 4, the twenty-fifth anniversary dinner was held in the
Rotunda of Low Library. Dr. Gordon N. Ray, Chairman of the
Friends, presided. President AMlliam J. McGill presented Presi¬
dential Citations to .Mrs. Mary Hyde and Dr. Dallas Pratt in
recognition of their service as members of the Council since the
founding of the Friends in 1951. The Citation for Dr. Pratt also
noted that he had served as Chairman of the Organizing Commit¬
tee in 1951, and that he has edited Columbia Library Columns
since the first issue in the Fall of 195 i.

The annixcrsary gift from the Friends, a collection of 127 draw¬
ings by Rockwell Kent for Leaves of Grass, was presented by Dr.
Ray to University Librarian Warren J. Haas, who responded
on behalf of the University. The final part of the program fea¬
tured a talk by Professor James L. Clifford on "(collectors and
Scholars A\'()rking Together." On exhibit in the Rotunda was a
selection of gifts received from individual Friends in honor of the
anniversary.

Finances. In the November issue each year we report the total
gifts from our members (both cash and "in kind") for the twelve¬
month period which ended on June 30. In 1975-1976, the general
purpose contributions were $20,976, and the special purpose gifts
$4,120, making a total of $25,096. The Friends also donated or
bequeathed books and manuscripts, for addition to the research
collections, having an appraised value of $152,407. The total value
of contributions since the establishment of the association in 1951
now stands at $2,205,688.

.Membership. As of October i, 1976, the membership of the
Friends totaled 435. Since memberships include husband and wife,
the number of individuals who belong to the association is 655.

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