NEWMAN FOUNDATION: REIMAGINING OLIN LIBRARY

Combining the best of library and museum experiences may seem like a daunting task to most. For philanthropists Eric and Evelyn Newman, and Washington University Trustee Andy Newman and his wife, Peggy Newman, the concept hit home.

Eric Newman, a leading numismatic scholar and a collector who graduated from Washington University School of Law in 1935, and his late wife, Evelyn, a former marketing expert and successful fundraiser, worked as a team for 75 years. “Every night at the dinner table, there was always animated discussion of the newest charitable project they were working on,” said their son, Andy Newman. “It was fascinating and inspiring to watch their creative partnership in action.”

With the generosity of the Eric P. and Evelyn E. Newman Foundation and the Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society (EPNNES), the Newmans have provided the lead gift — $10 million — for the needs of the Olin Library. Their commitment will transform the library into a bustling crossroads, with new entrances on the building’s north and east sides, as well as a destination for students, researchers and visitors from around the world.

Evelyn Newman, whose imagination and creative flair inspired many aspects of the project, passed away on Sept. 1.

“My mother was delighted to see so many of her ideas for the space being implemented in the physical plans,” Andy Newman said, “and we will all work hard to fulfill her vision.”

The Newman Ephemera Collection includes a broadside of the Declaration of Independence printed in Newport, R.I., by S. Southwick and dated July 13, 1776, and a Blaeu atlas of the Americas, published in 1665 by Joan Blaeu and his father, Willem.

Included in the Newmans’ commitment is a gift made in 2014 by the EPNNES to fund the Newman Numismatic Portal, an online research tool that will become the ultimate resource for the study of coins and currency. The family also is donating Andy Newman’s collection of Scientific American magazines, dating from its first issue in 1845.

“The Newman family has generously contributed to the success of Washington University and its many centers of excellence,” Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton said. “Their remarkable support of the University Libraries represents the cornerstone of our plan to meet the needs of scholars and libraries into the 21st century. They will share the best of their scholarly expertise, extensive travel, adventurous spirit and creativity to bring a spectacular vision for the Newman Tower to life.”

To read the complete article, see:
Reimagining Olin Library (https://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/olin-library-transformation.aspx)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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