The late 19th century was a time of change in many ways, and particularly in North America. As the furthest reaches of the continent were settled, the necessities of a new civilization emerged. Infrastructures were planned, funded and implemented. A means of economy was established and expanded on. Children's schools were built and community churches erected. Finally advanced educational institutions, such as Yale, Vassar and Johns Hopkins universities emerged out of a need to educate future generations of professionals.
Cornell Law School was no different. While Cornell University was founded in 1865, the actual instructional law department was not opened until 1887. The previous year a well respected Ithaca University lawyer, Merritt King, sold his entire 4000 volume library to the trustees at Cornell, creating what would eventually become the most respected law library in the US. What he also did was flush out all the criteria needed for a 'proper' law school. The first class of the Cornell law department had just three professors and 55 students. On one curious side note, admission requirements for the law department were not stringent at all. In fact, students did not even need to produce proof of high school graduation. In 1917 Cornell began to demand at least two years of undergraduate education, and finally seven years later Cornell Law was a graduate degree program.
Now back to the Cornell Law Library. The first dedicated space for law books came along in 1892, in the form of the brand new Boardman Hall. Almost every major advanced education building during that era was designed in the architectural style of Collegiate Gothic, or neo-Gothic. That is, with square towers, vaulted ceilings resembling European cathedrals, stone structures often carved with Latin scriptures and scholars, soaring stained glass windows and ornate wood carvings adorning the inner walls and fixtures. Boardman Hall was a 'budget' version of other Gothic buildings going up around the US. But no matter, the school trustees obviously saw a starry future in their law school, as the building was designed to hold more than 30,000 volumes and have enough study space for 300 students. At the time, just a third of the shelves were occupied.
Over the next forty years, the Cornell Law Library made a few key changes that would ultimately vault the library's importance into American history forever. A former student of Cornell, Earl J. Bennett, establishes funding for the continual collection of US and territorial session laws. His ongoing endowments result in the Bennett Collection, and for the US Supreme Court to declare the Cornell Law Library the official depository for all Supreme Court Records and Briefs. School trustees purchased more than 12,000 volumes from a private law book collection, including one of just ten copies of the infamous Lizzie Borden case. Finally, Myron C. Taylor makes endowments for the provision of updating, cataloguing, and preservation of the League of Nations publications.
For his important contributions, a brand new fully stylized Collegiate Gothic library is dedicated to Taylor. The Cornell Law Library moves its 70,000 volumes into Myron Taylor Hall in 1932. Ten years later, the library has grown to 100,000 volumes. By 1974, there are 300,000 books and manuscripts. As of 2010, Cornell Law Library boasts over 700,000 volumes and more than a million microforms. While Myron Taylor Hall is indeed styled in the Collegiate Gothic manner, the installations are on the simple side of Gothic. Stained glass windows are present, but in small numbers and without a lot of colour.
What makes the building among the most beautiful college libraries is in that simplicity and form. The clean and gently curved arches of the central hall allow a clear vision of five massive wrought iron chandeliers. Yet one cannot ignore the focal point of the main hall in Myron Taylor Hall, the single multi-paned leaded glass window at the north end of the hall. Subtle curves mirroring those of the inner ceiling calm the onlooker, even the most anxious student. Light oak shelving stand row after row all down the length of the main hall, each crowned task lighting. Daylighting streaming through the windows coupled with that coming from the huge chandeliers provides an serene ambiance for learning, research and exploration. Not every beautiful library needs to be loud, ornate or gilded. Sometimes quiet simplicity is beautiful too.
Cornell Law School was no different. While Cornell University was founded in 1865, the actual instructional law department was not opened until 1887. The previous year a well respected Ithaca University lawyer, Merritt King, sold his entire 4000 volume library to the trustees at Cornell, creating what would eventually become the most respected law library in the US. What he also did was flush out all the criteria needed for a 'proper' law school. The first class of the Cornell law department had just three professors and 55 students. On one curious side note, admission requirements for the law department were not stringent at all. In fact, students did not even need to produce proof of high school graduation. In 1917 Cornell began to demand at least two years of undergraduate education, and finally seven years later Cornell Law was a graduate degree program.
Now back to the Cornell Law Library. The first dedicated space for law books came along in 1892, in the form of the brand new Boardman Hall. Almost every major advanced education building during that era was designed in the architectural style of Collegiate Gothic, or neo-Gothic. That is, with square towers, vaulted ceilings resembling European cathedrals, stone structures often carved with Latin scriptures and scholars, soaring stained glass windows and ornate wood carvings adorning the inner walls and fixtures. Boardman Hall was a 'budget' version of other Gothic buildings going up around the US. But no matter, the school trustees obviously saw a starry future in their law school, as the building was designed to hold more than 30,000 volumes and have enough study space for 300 students. At the time, just a third of the shelves were occupied.
Over the next forty years, the Cornell Law Library made a few key changes that would ultimately vault the library's importance into American history forever. A former student of Cornell, Earl J. Bennett, establishes funding for the continual collection of US and territorial session laws. His ongoing endowments result in the Bennett Collection, and for the US Supreme Court to declare the Cornell Law Library the official depository for all Supreme Court Records and Briefs. School trustees purchased more than 12,000 volumes from a private law book collection, including one of just ten copies of the infamous Lizzie Borden case. Finally, Myron C. Taylor makes endowments for the provision of updating, cataloguing, and preservation of the League of Nations publications.
For his important contributions, a brand new fully stylized Collegiate Gothic library is dedicated to Taylor. The Cornell Law Library moves its 70,000 volumes into Myron Taylor Hall in 1932. Ten years later, the library has grown to 100,000 volumes. By 1974, there are 300,000 books and manuscripts. As of 2010, Cornell Law Library boasts over 700,000 volumes and more than a million microforms. While Myron Taylor Hall is indeed styled in the Collegiate Gothic manner, the installations are on the simple side of Gothic. Stained glass windows are present, but in small numbers and without a lot of colour.
What makes the building among the most beautiful college libraries is in that simplicity and form. The clean and gently curved arches of the central hall allow a clear vision of five massive wrought iron chandeliers. Yet one cannot ignore the focal point of the main hall in Myron Taylor Hall, the single multi-paned leaded glass window at the north end of the hall. Subtle curves mirroring those of the inner ceiling calm the onlooker, even the most anxious student. Light oak shelving stand row after row all down the length of the main hall, each crowned task lighting. Daylighting streaming through the windows coupled with that coming from the huge chandeliers provides an serene ambiance for learning, research and exploration. Not every beautiful library needs to be loud, ornate or gilded. Sometimes quiet simplicity is beautiful too.
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