Knight Library
Encyclopedia
Knight Library is the main facility of the University of Oregon
's (UO) library system. It is located on the university's campus in Eugene
, Oregon
, United States
. The library design is emblematic of the architecture of the university's older buildings, and it serves as a hub of student activity. As of 2008 it has a collection of more than 3 million volumes.
Works Progress Administration
(WPA) project, spearheaded by Oregon
senator
Frederick Steiwer
and took more than two years to complete. "The New Libe" as the Oregon Daily Emerald
student newspaper had christened the building, was designed by Ellis F. Lawrence
of the Oregon-based architectural firm Lawrence, Holford, and Allyn. Lawrence was also a driving force in much of the core architecture of the UO campus and was the first Dean of the School of Architecture and Allied Arts
. The rich architecture of the building reflects an Art Deco
aesthetic with "modernized Lombardy and Greco-Roman" elements as well as many integrated artistic embellishments including "the fifteen stone heads by Edna Dunberg and Louise Utter Pritchard, ornamental memorial gates by O. B. Dawson, carved wooden panels by Arthur Clough, and two large murals painted by Albert and Arthur Runquist."
Three major renovations of the library, in 1950, 1966, and 1994, have kept the building up-to-date and it is a daily hub of learning and research to University of Oregon's more than 20,000 students. 1994's $27 million renovation added 132,000 square feet (12,000 m²) to the building. The project was partially funded by Phil Knight
, UO alumnus and cofounder of athletic shoe
company Nike
. The library was renamed Knight Library in honor of Knight's family.
), the seven major disciplines contained in the library's collection.
Above the main entry doors (also on the north facade), is a passage from the Bible
(John 8:32), which proclaims, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
that spans from the north facade of the library to 13th Avenue, was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1990. The quadrangle was part of E. F. Lawrence's design for the UO campus, and is bordered by the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
and Chapman Hall on the east, and Prince Lucien Campbell Hall and Condon Hall on the west. The landscaping of the quad includes eight English oak trees planted in 1940.
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
's (UO) library system. It is located on the university's campus in Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The library design is emblematic of the architecture of the university's older buildings, and it serves as a hub of student activity. As of 2008 it has a collection of more than 3 million volumes.
Construction and history
The building was opened in 1937 to replace the original library building (the "Old Libe," Fenton Hall, completed in 1907), which the University's collections had outgrown. Construction of the library was financed as a Depression-eraGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
(WPA) project, spearheaded by Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Frederick Steiwer
Frederick Steiwer
Frederick Steiwer was an American politician and lawyer in the state of Oregon. A native of the state, he was county district attorney and member of the Oregon State Senate from Eastern Oregon and a veteran of World War I. A Republican, he was elected to the United States Senate and served there...
and took more than two years to complete. "The New Libe" as the Oregon Daily Emerald
Oregon Daily Emerald
The Oregon Daily Emerald is an independent daily newspaper published at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, United States. The paper, which has been published for more than 100 years, has trained many now-prominent writers and journalists and has made important contributions to journalism...
student newspaper had christened the building, was designed by Ellis F. Lawrence
Ellis F. Lawrence
Ellis Fuller Lawrence was an American architect who worked primarily in the U.S. state of Oregon. In 1914, he helped found and was the first dean of the University of Oregon's School of Architecture and Allied Arts, a position he held until his death.Lawrence concurrently served as campus...
of the Oregon-based architectural firm Lawrence, Holford, and Allyn. Lawrence was also a driving force in much of the core architecture of the UO campus and was the first Dean of the School of Architecture and Allied Arts
University of Oregon School of Architecture and Allied Arts
The University of Oregon School of Architecture and Allied Arts is a public school of architecture and visual arts in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the only school in Oregon to offer architecture degrees accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board. The school, founded in 1914 by...
. The rich architecture of the building reflects an Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
aesthetic with "modernized Lombardy and Greco-Roman" elements as well as many integrated artistic embellishments including "the fifteen stone heads by Edna Dunberg and Louise Utter Pritchard, ornamental memorial gates by O. B. Dawson, carved wooden panels by Arthur Clough, and two large murals painted by Albert and Arthur Runquist."
Three major renovations of the library, in 1950, 1966, and 1994, have kept the building up-to-date and it is a daily hub of learning and research to University of Oregon's more than 20,000 students. 1994's $27 million renovation added 132,000 square feet (12,000 m²) to the building. The project was partially funded by Phil Knight
Phil Knight
Philip Hampson "Phil" Knight is an American business magnate. He is the co-founder and Chairman of Nike, Inc. He resigned as the company's chief executive officer in 2004, while retaining the position of chairman of the board...
, UO alumnus and cofounder of athletic shoe
Athletic shoe
Athletic shoe is a generic name for the footwear primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise but in recent years has come to be used for casual everyday activities....
company Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
. The library was renamed Knight Library in honor of Knight's family.
Inscriptions
The original 1937 section of the library, designed by Lawrence, contains inscriptions along the tops of each of seven large windows on the main (north) facade. These read, "Philosophia," "Historia," "Religio," "Ars," "Natura," "Societas," and "Litterae," and are meant to represent (in LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
), the seven major disciplines contained in the library's collection.
Above the main entry doors (also on the north facade), is a passage from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
(John 8:32), which proclaims, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
National Register of Historic Places
The University of Oregon Library and Memorial Quadrangle, which consists of the library and the quadrangleQuadrangle (architecture)
In architecture, a quadrangle is a space or courtyard, usually rectangular in plan, the sides of which are entirely or mainly occupied by parts of a large building. The word is probably most closely associated with college or university campus architecture, but quadrangles may be found in other...
that spans from the north facade of the library to 13th Avenue, was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1990. The quadrangle was part of E. F. Lawrence's design for the UO campus, and is bordered by the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is an art museum located on the campus of the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. The original building was designed by Ellis F. Lawrence as part of his "main university quadrangle," now known as the Memorial Quadrangle...
and Chapman Hall on the east, and Prince Lucien Campbell Hall and Condon Hall on the west. The landscaping of the quad includes eight English oak trees planted in 1940.