Evening star., 1939-05-26
Ickes Dep|ores Lack
WLibraryFac
For Negroes
Secretary Speaker at
Dedication Of New
Howard Building

Secretary of the Interior Ickel
yesterday expressed concern over tn,
"inadequacy" of library facilities fol
Negro citizens.
Mr.. Ickes was the principa
speaker at dedication exercises o.
the new $1,1O6 900 Founders Library
built with P. w. A. funds at Howard
University.
The Interior Secretary declared
that In the colleges in 1885 the
whites had 10 times as many books
as the Negroes. He added that the
last available information showed
the situation even worse in the high
schools. The Negro high schools
he said, have about one volume pei
pupil.
A large crowd gathered on the
campus in the twilight breezes tc
hear the Secretary's speech and see
him turn over the key to the build
ing to DR.. Jesse E. Moorland, chair
man of the Executive Committee OF
the university's Board of Trustees.
Gratitude Expressed.
DR.. Moorland expressed gratitude
for the building which he hoped
would provide place for the medi-
tation of scholars "on this hill" to
create things which would be a
blessing to the human race
Mr.. Ickes was introduced by DR.
Mordecai W. Johnson, president of
the university, who mentioned the
fact that the library was designed
by Albert I. Cassell, a Negro and
the university architect. He de-
scribed the building as "a visible
expression of democracy at its
highest and best"
The university glee club provided
music at the beginning and end of
the program.
ment of the Howard University
Library from 5000 volumes and one
staff member to the present 112, 500
volumes and a staff of 13.
Material on Negroes.
A unique feature of the library
he said, is the Moorland Foundation
a collection of material on Negro
life and history, the nucleus of
which consisted of gift in 1914
from DR.. j. E. Moorland, an alum
nus and trustee. This gift of 5000
books and pamphlets was combined
with other smaller collections do
mated by Gen. Howard, Lewis Tap
pan, William Lavalette, Francis j.
Grimke and others. The collection
now consists of more than 1O,5OO
items.
Mr.. Ickes emphasized the addi-
ton of union catalogue or 10000
cards on the subject of the Negro
to be found in eight college and
public libraries, including the Lii
brary of Congress. In addition, he
pointed out, there is a special index
of the 5000 volumes of Henry P.
Slaughter, which is the largest pri-
vate collection on the Negro.
This central catalogue, the de-
velopment of which has only be-
gun" he said, places at the dis
posal of research scholars a total
Of 100000 references on Negro life
and history. 1t promises to offer
the best opportunity for research in
Negro life and history that can be
found anywhere in the world"
Capacity of 100000 Volumes.
The new library will have a ca
pacity of 100000 volumes, which
may easily be expanded to half a
million, he said.
"As one of our great intellectual
and democratic instrumentalities,
our library resources must be mo-
bilized," Mr.. Ickes added. -Four
years ago there were approximately
$4,000 libraries of all types in the
country, the South being more de-
flcient in this respect than any
other section. The P. w. A. pro-
gram has resulted in the erection
of 103 public libraries at a cost of
S11 100000. Besides, he reminded,
a total of 300 buildings, including
As libraries, distributed among 633
colleges, benefited from P. w. A.
funds.