Kent Library marks 75 years

November 7, 2014

The 75th anniversary of the dedication of Kent Library was celebrated Friday, Nov. 7, 2014. This gallery contains photographs of the library's namesake, Sadie Kent, and of the facility from its inception through its massive enlargement in the 1960s.

Southeast Missourian archive

Kent Library, completed and dedicated in 1939, was a Public Works Administration project. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

Published Oct. 14, 1966 New construction virtually surrounds the existing Kent Library on the way to greatly enlarging the facility. The present building will be incorporated into the expanded structure, a job being done by the McCarthy Brothers Construction Co., St. Louis. The job superintendent, Ralph Quick, estimated that overall construction is about 18 percent complete. With the dome of Academic Hall seen in the background, this view shows the addition on the west side. The one-story machine room has reached its final height and Mr. Quick said workmen are nearly ready to pour the roof for the wing. In the foreground from the section at an earlier stage of construction, a bulldozer continues to work... (Southeast Missourian archive photo.)

In this unused photo taken April 24, 1967, workers had begun work on the front of Kent Library. Eventually, the expansion would obliterate the original facade of the structure that can be seen here.

Published June 13, 1967 Workmen unload one of the huge 6-ton precast concrete units that will make up the coping along the front and sides leading to the front of the expanded Kent Library at State College. There will be 96 of these units in the finished building, the group weighing 576 tons. Only three of the blocks can be hauled on a truck at a time because of their weight, and drivers for the Wilson Concrete Co., which precast the units, say they will have to make 32 truck trips between here and Omaha, Nebraska, to complete the delivery. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

This unpublished photo shows the last of the pre-cast concrete pieces being put into place in the facade of the expanded Kent Library on July 15, 1967. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

Published July 22, 1967 Like a missing tooth in otherwise perfect dental work, only the black gap marred the appearance of the new front to Kent Library before the final pre-cast stone was hoisted into place. The stone, one of 96 which went into the portico, weighs three tons, and here is being set in place by crane as workmen stand by to help guide it. Kent Library on the State College is undergoing a major expanson. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

This unpublished photo was taken in the audio/visual area of Kent Library in August 1968. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

Published Aug. 15, 1968 The huge white portico bearing the names of some of history's great writers and thinkers represents a new landmark on the State College campus in the greatly expanded and improved Kent Library. The original library, erected in 1939, was enlarged five-fold in a project now virtually complete. The library expansion was necessary to make the facility equal to the demands imposed by a 6,500-member student body and correspondingly large faculty. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

This unpublished photo shows the Rare Book Room at Kent Library, taken in August 1968. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

Published Nov. 4, 1967 It's moving time at Kent Library on the State College campus and workers are busy transferring books and equipment from the old building into the new addition. (Here workers) setting up stacks on the main floor of the new building are, from the left, Jesse Martin, Herbert Williams, Elvis Kirn and Jerome Hoffman... (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

A dusting of snow coated piles of lumber and other construction debris, byproducts of the expansion of Kent Library in December 1967. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

Published Wednesday, Sept. 21, 1938 The above scene, made early today, shows the site, south of and facing Academic Hall at Teachers College where work preliminary to actual construction on the new $200,000 library and museum building was done. The ground was staked off today and excavation will begin about Friday. Left to right are L.A. Day, construction superintendent for the contractor, McCarthy Construction Co.; V.A. Chapman, superintendent of buildings and grounds at the college; Dr. W.W. Parker, president of the college, and Fred A. Groves, president of the Board of Regents. (G.D. Fronabarger photo)

Published Aug. 15, 1968 Seen from above is the main entrance and area for check-out of books and periodicals, the first glimpse of the interor of Kent Library for visitors. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

Published Aug. 15, 1968 This is the view of the campus, west wing of Academic Hall at right, from the loggia of the greatly enlarged Kent Library. Here students may use the benches or visit between classes. The view of the campus from here is spectacular. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

Published Nov. 16, 1968 The illustrations shown here are old printer's marks which were in the windows of the old Kent Library. They were removed and reset in different locations in the new, expanded library to be rededicated Sunday afternoon. The marks are in leaded glass. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

This unpublished photo, taken in November 1968, shows a group of colophons that were installed in the expanded Kent Library. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

Shown in this unpublished photo were some of the colophons installed in the browsing room of the expanded Kent Library in November 1968. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

Published Nov. 16, 1968 State College's expanded Kent Library, which will be rededicated Sunday afternoon in ceremonies starting at 2:30, stands out in gleaming whiteness on a gloomy, rainy afternoon. The view is from the porch of Academic Hall across Normal Avenue at top of the college hill. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

Published Nov. 18, 1968 Interested persons inspected the enlarged Kent Library and obtained information from personnel on duty during the dedication of the library. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

This undated photograph shows a brightly-lit Kent Library at dusk. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

This undated photograph shows a group of graduates in front of Kent Library. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

Sadie Trezevant Kent, State College librarian, 1910-43 (photo taken 1940)

Sadie Kent stands outside the library named for her in 1943 at Southeast Missouri State Teachers College. Kent retired that year as head librarian.

Published Wednesday, Sept. 18, 1957 State College band members have been getting a workout each afternoon this week on the field behind Kent Library as they rehearse for their first field appearance Saturday night at the Western Kentucky football game. Here the band members go through a frontal formation as they rehearse one of the numbers they will play. The band will be considerably larger this year, but will not be uniformed for its marching appearances until a year from now. Between halves performances will be staged at each of the remaining home football games. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

Published May 28, 1962 Birds-eye view of State College baccalaureate. This view from the dome of Academic Hall, shows a portion of the long line of State College graduates moving from Kent Library to the auditorium for Sunday afternoon baccalaureate services. The scene was repeated today during commencement exercises. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

This undated photograph shows the earthwork undertaken during the expansion of Kent Library in the mid-1960s. (Southeast Missourian archive photo)

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