fhilip Ranney Brooks Memorial Room
ribute to Portland Book Connoisseur
By Geneat Cowan
May 1941, the Philip Ranney
Brooks Memorial library was do
nated to the University of Oregon
by the late Mrs. Lester Brooks of
Portland in memory of her son, a
“true booklover and reader.”
The Philip Ranney Brooks Me
morial library is located on the
third floor of the library just off
the Special Collections room. The
hours are from 1 to 5 Monday
through Friday; and 9-12; 1-5 on
Saturday. All students are wel
come to visit it at these hours.
Study Lounge
Construction of the room was
financed by Mrs. Brooks and was
planned as a study lounge for
students. It houses approximately
2000 books which were taken from
Mr. Brooks’ private library and
are representative of French, Eng
lish and American authors.
Although not primarily collec
tor’s items, the books are complete
de*tuxe editions bought by Mr.
Brooks to be read and enjoyed.
Some Rare Editions
Most of the books are of the
nineteenth and twentieth century
printings, although there are sev
eral rare editions from the six
teenth, seventeenth and eighteenth
century publishings. Among them
are Dryden’s “Fables from Boc
caccio and Chaucer” published in
1822 in England. Two rather old
books of Shakespeare’s plays print
ed in 1805 are also among the col
lection, as well as a small Latin
textbook by Martial published in
1540.
That Mr. Brooks derived much
pleasure from his library is evi
denced by his later life when he
experienced total deafness and an
infirmity which confined him to
jirsT'ffome entirely. His library be
came his “world” and the late Dr.
Donald M. Erb, former University
president, said at the dedication
of the room to the library that
“He (Philip Brooks) loved his
books and through them he learn
ed to live anew.”
Art Collector
Mr. Brooks was also a connois
seur of art and five pictures were
aken from his home in Portland,
heights for the Memorial room.
There are four portraits which
lave been associated with the work
lone in the early seventeenth and
lighteenth centuries. They include
i portrait of Lady Jane Douglas
if English nobility; her brother,
luke of Douglas; a picture of
iudge Filkes of Wiltshire, Eng
and, and another English court
ustice. They were bought in Can
ida. A landscape painting hangs
YfiJT ijje western side of the room
and is thought to be of Norwegian
origin.
Mr. Brooks’ portrait occupies
the eastern wall. The picture was
taken in his National Guard uni
form in 1907.
Doors from Home
Wrought iron doors taken from
the Portland Heighth’s home and
designed by Mr. Brooks furnish a
picturesque entrance. They are
i!
START
THE
SPRING
TERM
. RIGHT I
— KAMPUS ’
Barber Shop
Leo, Mac, Don and Bert
849 E. 13th
Portrait of Philip Ranney Brooks, in whose memory the Philip Ranney
Brooks Memorial Library was given to the University of Oregon. The
portrait was painted in 1907 in his National Guard Uniform.
Northwest corner or the Philip Ranney Brooks Memorial Room in the
library which houses over 2000 copies of English, French and Ameri
can literature.
fashioned from iron woven against
clear glass and mahogany.
Philip Brooks was educated in
the public schools in Minneapolis
and graduated from the Lawrence
ville academy in New Jersey, where
he excelled as a classical orator.
He studied at Yale university from
1894-96, but withdrew from school
at his father’s insistence. He
thought it was a waste of time
for Philip to continue his education
since he was to succeed his father
in the lumber industry. His univer
sity life had acquainted him with
the scholastic, however, and it
greatly influenced the rest of his
life in his determination to build
a substantial private library and
acquaint himself with a knowledge
of literature and the creative arts.
Philip Brooks entered the lum
ber business enthusiastically, and
when his father died he transfered
the active interests of the Brooks
Scanlon company to Vancouver,
B.CV., from the old headquarters
at Minneapolis. Fifteen years later
he retired from business and built
his home in Portland Heights. A
lover of nature and the out-doors,
he created many beautiful gardens
around his home in Portland.
He had many interests among
them music, drama and architec
ture. A hobby of his was realized
in the building of the Pilot Butte
inn at Ben, Oregon, described by
Dr. Erb as “an architectural gem
set amid a lovely garden at the
junction of the old Oregon Trail
IBB
EUGENE
HARDWARE
“EVERYTHING
IN
HARDWARE’’
93 E. Broadway Ph. 670
and the turbulent Deschutes Riv
er.”
Philip Brooks died July 23, 1940,
after a long illness at his home in
Portland. He was survived by his
mother, Mrs. Lester Brooks. "It
was her (Mrs. Brooks’) prayer,”
said Dr. Erb, “that the youth of
Oregon may find in the use of her
son’s library the broadening vision
which points to larger and more
fruitful living.”
Drive Called Successful
Despite Sign-up Shortage
| The housing drive started last
month by the Ten O'clock Club of
the Eugene Chamber of Commerce
j ended yesterday with results
i which Art Priaulx, publicity man
ager for the drive, summed up as
"successful in a tangible way rath
er than in actual rooms signed
up.”
The drive, however, fell far
short of the 500 looms signed up
during winter term. But it ac
complished two concrete objec
tives, Mr. Priaulx said. First, it
impressed upon those who opened
their houses last January the ne
cessity of continuing to rent their
rooms. Also, it appraised' many
Eugene home-owners of the situa
tion so that a good many single
students were able to obtain
rooms through their own efforts.
There is still great difficulty in
j getting accommodations for mar
ried veterans, Mr. Priaulx stated.
This situation will probably not
ease until fall term -when more
temporary housing may be opened
on the campus. At present, how
ever, the bottom of the Eugene ;
barrel seems to be scraped in the j
search for rooms for returning j
veterans, married or single.
Join the
Throngs
That are Making
Their Headquarters
at the
DEL
REY
CAFE
Open Sat. ’til 1 :30 a.m.
845 Willamette
You can get all types
of classic jewelry at
President H. J. Cox of the cham
ber of commerce issued a final
appeal Saturday for rooms. "If
Eugene can just see those boys
through tlie spring term, the
worst of the problem will be over,'’
he said. "By next fall the Univer
sity expects to have much larger
housing facilities."
Although the housing drive is
officially over Eugene household
ers may still make their rooms
available to the students by con
tacting Mrs. Alice B. MacDuff,
housing secretary at Johnson hall.
The
Meetin' and eatin'
place on the
Campus
McDonald
CHARLES LAUGHTON,
AND
RANDOLPH SCOTT j
IN
"CAPTAIN KIDD"
CLAUDETTE COLBERT
AND
DON AMECHE jj
IN
"GUEST WIFE"
ALSO
"BEWITCHED"
HEILIG
"FRONTIER GIRL"
YVONNE DeCARLO
ROD CAMERON