Spencer Research Library, KU, and the Libraries

February 19, 1960: Kenneth Spencer dies unexpectedly of a heart attack at age fifty-eight.

Spring 1960: KU Chancellor Franklin D. Murphy resigns and is replaced by W. Clarke Wescoe, formerly of the university’s Medical Center and School of Medicine. During his KU visit in April 1960, Truman examined Kansas Collection materials at Watson Library.

June 1960: Acting Director of KU Libraries Robert L. Talmadge formally requests Kenneth’s personal and business papers as a gift to the university. Helen agrees to transfer the collection after Kenneth’s will has been settled.

1962-1964: As part of a significant renovation and expansion of Watson Library, Special Collections, including the Kansas Collection, moves into a new space. Marvin Library is also expanded. Nonetheless, a 1965 report finds KU Libraries to be significantly lacking in space, with room for only three more years of collection growth.

Spring 1964: KU Endowment hires a former Midwest Research Institute librarian to process Kenneth’s papers.

1964: KU Libraries develop plans to inspire and invite Helen to fund a new library to house Kenneth’s papers.

October 19, 1964: KU Chancellor W. Clarke Wescoe and architect Robert Jenks meet with Helen Spencer at her home to discuss options for housing Kenneth’s papers on campus. Helen verbally commits to donating funds to build a new library.

Fall 1964-Spring 1965: KU and library administrators debate fundamental questions about the new library: What purpose should it serve? What sections of the collection should it house? Where should it be located? By June 1965, they decide on a special collections research library behind Strong Hall. 

March 8, 1965: The day after “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Alabama, KU students stage a sit-in at Chancellor Wescoe’s office in Strong Hall. Their demands include the elimination of racial discrimination in student housing.

August 1965: Kenneth’s papers are moved from Helen’s home to Watson Library.

1965-1967:
       -- Construction on new Fraser Hall begins in March 1965.
       -- Old Fraser Hall is demolished in August 1965.
       -- New Fraser Hall opens in March 1967.

1965-1966: The University of Kansas celebrates its centennial.

January 25, 1966: The Spencer Foundation’s gift to KU for a new library is publicly announced. At the time, it was the largest single gift ever given to KU or any institution in Kansas.

April 1966: KU’s Council for Progress launches a major fundraising capital campaign.

Summer 1966-Fall 1968: The buildings behind Strong Hall are demolished, the site is cleared, and Spencer Research Library is constructed.

March 18, 1968: Two days after announcing his candidacy for the Democratic nomination, Robert F. Kennedy launches his presidential campaign with speeches at Kansas State University and KU’s Allen Fieldhouse.

Fall-Winter 1968:
       -- Special Collections, including the Kansas Collection, is moved to Spencer Research Library from Watson.
       -- A private dedication ceremony, followed by a public dedicatory lecture, is held on November 8.
       -- A public opening ceremony is held on November 15.
       -- Spencer Research Library opens for researchers on December 2.

September 1968: Chancellor Wescoe announces he will step down as KU Chancellor at the end of the academic year. He is replaced in mid-1969 by E. Laurence Chalmers.

January 1, 1969: The KU football team plays Penn State in the Orange Bowl.

1969: KU’s University Archives are established and housed at Spencer Research Library.

Spring-Summer 1970: Student civil rights protests and activism against the Vietnam War escalate. Tensions are high at KU and in Lawrence in the wake of violence including arson, firebombings, sniper fire, and police shootings. After the U.S. invasion of Cambodia and student deaths at Kent State, KU students vote to end the semester early.