The festivities commemorating the 100-year milestone of KU’s flagship library took place in the study space under the library’s iconic Gothic windows, across from the GIS and Data Lab and featured a roaring 1920s theme, a nod to the era when Watson Library first opened its doors. The evening featured dinner and dancing, with a seven-piece jazz and swing band. Guests posed for photos by a vintage Model T and experienced a live painting of the event by Octavia Lawson-Solorio, a KU senior studying visual arts from Paola, Kan. Remarks from university leadership and a keynote address by Crosby Kemper, former director of the national Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), shaped a heartfelt program.

The libraries volunteer Board of Advocates, led by board chair Ken Stephens and past chair Janet Cinelli, collaborated with KU Endowment development director Amy Gray to rally the Board of Advocates and raise funds for the surprise donation.

“I’ve never had a check like this,” Smith said, fighting back joyful tears while accepting an oversized check on stage. “It’s large. I mean that in multiple ways.”

The program of speakers at the event centered around the impact of libraries on the KU community throughout history, and the modern, interdisciplinary and technology-infused work of today.

“This occasion invites us to reflect not only on a century of history, but also on the enduring significance of this beloved institution at the University of Kansas and in the heart of all Jayhawks,” Smith said. “Because that’s what tonight’s celebration is really about. It’s not about the age of building. It’s about the impact it has had on generations of Jayhawks since its doors first opened September 11, 1924, and the impact that it continues to have today.”

In Smith’s introduction of keynote speaker Kemper, she revealed that he had an unexpected connection to KU Libraries — an overdue book checked out from Watson Library 40 years prior when he took classes at KU. To the crowd’s delight, Kemper returned the book to Smith on stage before his keynote address and Smith declared the evening “fine free.”

Watson Library is the flagship of KU’s library system, which at 5.8 million volumes is the largest library collection in the state and welcomes nearly half a million visits annually.

Campus and greater community members can honor the centennial and support the libraries through the Watson Centennial Launch KU campaign. Gifts assist in Watson’s continued evolution as a welcoming and empowering environment for discovery and learning.

More information about Watson’s history and impact is available on the centennial webpage, lib.ku.edu/watson100.