President Hitchcock and University Libraries Director Meredith Butler were on hand with dozens of University friends and admirers to thank Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus M.E. Grenander and dedicate the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives on Sept. 27.

Grenander, a leading scholar on Ambrose Bierce, said the naming honor was particularly gratifying because of “the many hours I have spent over many years studying rare books in special collections located in this country and Europe.” Her generous endowment to the University will support the purchase of books, manuscripts, out of print works and other research materials.

In addition to enhancing the University with her special collections endowment, Grenander established in 1994 the first privately endowed named professorship in memory of her husband, the late Distinguished Service Professor of Physics James W. Corbett.