Gifts invested will provide support to be used at the discretion of the Dean of the University Libraries, or his/her designee, to support students assisting in the management of Special Collections materials. This experience will allow students to develop skills in areas such as accessioning, description, preservation and conservation, translation, processing and organizing, dissemination and outreach. This endowment was created by Ann M. Birnbaum, Ph.D. Any student who receives support from this fund shall be known as a University of Washington Birnbaum Library Fellow.
Gifts invested will provide support for acquiring, maintaining, and preserving antiquarian books.
Born in Seattle in 1936, Charles Leibst spent his entire life in or near the Ballard and Queen Anne neighborhoods. He graduated from Ballard High School in 1955 and received a BA in History from Yale in 1959. A lifelong learner, Charles also received degrees in Mathematics, Physics, and Business Administration from the University of Washington, and an MBA from
the University of Southern Illinois. He first started work at Boeing as a summer employee working with machinists during high school and college, then turned it into a 40 year career in Information Technology and Engineering.
In addition to a fascination with all things technical, mechanical and scientific, Mr. Leibst was passionate about books in general and rare books in particular. Charles maintained a library of over 20,000 volumes, some hundreds of years old and quite rare. Having served as executor of the estate of his close friend, David Bell (see endowment below in this list), Charles also conveyed his value of UW Libraries Special Collections in his own estate bequest, which created this endowment in 2023.
Gifts invested will provide support for programming that increases access to resources maintained by Special Collections at the University Libraries, with a preference for digitization and related enhancements of the Pacific Northwest collection.
Raymond F. Jarris, Jr., M.D. (1956-2018) was a physician, entrepreneur, photographer and explorer. His fascination with the sea started as a child when he would skip school and go fishing with his mother.
This turned into a lifelong love of the water, boating and fishing with his children with many nights spent on the bow looking at the stars. An avid collector of 18th and 19th century Pacific Northwest and Alaska maritime history and member of the Board of the UW Friends of the Libraries, Ray always wished the maps and drawings in the books he collected were accessible to a larger audience.
Ray’s family, friends and colleagues remember him for his kindness and his dedication to serving others. Through this fund, they hope that people around the world will be inspired by the same images that Ray loved to share and that would make him smile.
Support the Jarris Families Endowed Fund for Special Collections
Support for Special Collections staff work on various projects, including but not limited to the purchasing of supplies and materials.
To acquire, preserve and provide access to the historic maps in the Special Collections Division.
To support collection development of the UW Libraries Manuscripts and Archives, which includes the acquisition of personal papers of political leaders, poets, citizen activists, businessmen, labor leaders, and ordinary citizens. Organizational records (civic, non-profit, labor unions, etc.) are also collected. These are primary source materials for researchers, authors and scholars.
To be used for projects, hiring students and paying for services like project archivists, outside experts, conversion and preservation work, equipment and supplies.
Gifts invested will provide support for what is now a part of Manuscripts, Special Collections and University Archives. This library fund supports the acquisition and organization of papers, manuscripts and records from individuals, organizations and companies.
Support the Manuscripts and University Archives Endowed Fund
Named in honor of the donor, gifts invested will provide for acquisitions and other expenses in support of the Pacific Northwest Collection.
Meade Emory was a Professor of Law and Director of the Graduate Program in Taxation at the UW School of Law. Deborah was involved with the music program at the UW, receiving her MA in Music History in 1997.
Gifts invested will provide support for the restoration and preservation of Special Collections books, maps, manuscripts, and photographs related to Western Americana history.
Mike Repass is an alumnus of the University of Washington School of Business. He has always had an interest in history, partly because he grew up in Walla Walla, which was known as “The Cradle of Northwest History.” Mike’s interest in Western U.S. history increased in the 1980s as he began to collect books on Western America and particularly Pacific Northwest history. Mike could often be found in Suzzallo Library as a student and has been a strong advocate for the UW Libraries over the years through his gifts and as a board member for the Friends of the Libraries.
Support the M. Repass Endowed Western Americana Preservation Library Fund
To add to the existing Pacific Northwest Maritime collections, preserve and protect the collections, and acquire significant personal and corporate collections related to maritime heritage.
Gifts invested will provide long-term support for UW Libraries’ special collection on rowing, in honor of George Yeomans and Stanley Richard Pocock.
Five generations of the Pocock family were builders of racing shells in England.
Brothers George and Richard Pocock emigrated to Vancouver, BC in 1911 where they started their racing shell building business. In 1912 they moved to Seattle and began building racing shells for the University of Washington and eventually for many colleges and clubs throughout the United States. The initial endowment of $10,000 was given by Frances Huckle Pocock.
Gifts invested will provide long-term support for UW Libraries’ Special Collections in the purchase of supplies, equipment and services for the preservation of manuscripts and archival materials.
Support for Special Collections 20th century Fine Art and related materials.
Support for Special Collections staff work on various Pacific Northwest projects including, but not limited to, the purchasing of supplies and materials.
Support for Special Collections staff work on various visual images projects, including but not limited to the purchasing of supplies and materials.
Gifts invested will provide support for for the maintenance and preservation of antiquarian books.
Established in 2007 by the estate of David Bell, who was born in North Dakota in 1936 but grew up in Ballard, earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the UW in 1964 and traveled the world in 1968. After returning to Ballard, Bell worked
as a chemist at the UW and Harborview Medical Center before opening a bookstore on NE 42nd Street with a business partner. When Bell became sole owner of the U-District store in the late 1970s he converted it into a used bookstore, Magus Books, which he sold in 2004.
Mr. Bell especially enjoyed visiting the UW Libraries’ rare book room and had a close relationship with the UW’s former head of special collections. “This would be great in the rare book room at the UW,” one friend and employee recalled his saying more than once, noting that the UW alumnus particularly liked that part of the university library network, but wanted to help ensure that they would have the resources to care for the collection.
Gifts invested will provide support for the work of the UW Libraries Archivist, to enhance the UW’s ability to recruit and retain a University Archivist and to pay tribute to the life and accomplishments of Dr. Walter Berg and his first wife Rosemary S. Berg.
Rosemary Sue (nee Bell) Berg (1922-1985) was born in Corvallis, Oregon. She graduated from North Salem High School in 1940 and worked as a stenographer for two years to save money for college. Rosemary enrolled in Oregon State College in 1942 and joined Alpha Chi Omega sorority, leaving after nearly two years, having exhausted her savings. Later she attended Willamette University for three semesters while working and living at home.
Water and Rosemary met in the Salem, Oregon USO in 1944, just before he left for Midshipmen’s School in the U.S. Navy. They were married in 1946 after he returned from the war. When Walter Berg (1922-2019) entered UW graduate school in 1946, Rosemary went to work as secretary to provide survival income.
He received his M.A. in history in 1949. After their first child was born, Rosemary stopped working only to return to work when her husband’s teaching assistantship expired. For two years she worked as office manager for North Salem High School while her husband studied for his Ph.D. exams and did research for his dissertation. He received his Ph.D. in 1957.
Rosemary is remembered as a generous and vivacious lady who took great pleasure in providing a comfortable home for her husband and three children. She liked to entertain and her Danish and German food preparations were appreciated by guests. Sadly, Rosemary died of pancreatic cancer at age 63.
Information on Walter L. Berg may be found on the endowed funds for Stull Holt and for Max Savelle in the Social Justice & Humanities category.