Activities of the Friends

Fall Meeting. The composer and author V^irgil Thomson, who
recently presented a collection of his literary manuscripts, was
the speaker at the fall dinner meeting of the Friends, held in the
Rotunda of Low Memorial Library on Thursday evening, Octo¬
ber 29. He spoke on Gertrude Stein, with whom he collaborated
in 1934 on the opera "Four Saints in Three Acts." University Li¬
brarian Patricia Battin presented the Libraries' Citation for Dis¬
tinguished Service to Mr. and Mrs. Alan Kempner in recognition
of their gifts to the Libraries over the years, tlicir long service to
the Friends, and their recent contribution for the construction of
the exhibition room in the new Rare Book and Manuscript Li¬
brary quarters. President Michael I. So\ern also spoke, and ,Mr.
Gordon N. Ray presided.

Wi72ter Meeting. On Thursday afternoon, February 4, 1982, an
exhibition will open in the Rotunda of Low Library of letters,
manuscripts, inscribed first editions, photographs and portraits of
M. Lincoln Schuster, co-founder of the publishing house of
Simon & Schuster.

Bancroft Dinner. The Bancroft Awards dinner wall be held on
Thursday evening, April i, 1982.

Finances. For the twelve month period which ended on June 30,
1981, the general purpose contributions totaled $28, 545. Special
purpose gifts from individual Friends designated for the Rare
Book and Manuscript Library building fund totaled $475,431.
Members also donated and bequeathed books and manuscripts
having an appraised value of $216,924. The total of all gifts and
contributions since the establishment of the association in 1951
now stands at $3,829,645. The Council also approved a transfer
of $10,000, the first installment of a pledge of $25,000, to the Rare
Book and Manuscript Library building fund.

40