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Cush Comes Horne
Since 1994, the Special Collections and University Archives that the library is in charge of have been
temporarily stored in Sterling C. Evans Library while the Cushing Library building was being refurbished. With the support
of those who honor the memory of what E. B. Cushing did to preserve Texas A &M and those who cherish the architectural
heritage implicit in the Cushing Library, the old Library has once again taken the stage.
Donald Dyal, director of the library, said he became worried about 10 years ago when he heard rumors of the demolishing of
the Cushing Library. "What this building has that a new building wouldn't have is charm," Dyal said. "It's got history. It's got
presence." The library is named after E.B. Cushing, Class of 1880 and general benefactor to the University. In 1912, the
Texas Legislature threatened to close the University and merge it with the University of Texas because of financial difficulties.
Cushing guaranteed notes of credit in order to keep the University open. Cushing also funded the building of the YMCA
building with a matching grant from John D. Rockefeller. And during World War I, Cushing called upon J.P. Morgan to help
him get into the military despite the fact Cushing was in his 50's. When he died, Cushing left his personal library of
engineering texts to establish a library for the University. Dyal said Cushing is an important historical figure from the
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University's past. "I think E.B. Cushing is every bit as important as Sul Ross," he said.
Cushing Library holds a wide variety of material, including three miles of paper, possibly 100,000 photographs and at least
100,000 books. The library also holds many specialty items, including a football from the Texas A &M 1939 National
Championship football team, the flag that was flown at Corregidor, Babylonian tablets, an unpublished novel by Anthony
Burgess, the author of A Clockwork Orange, and all of the scripts from the Beauty and the Beast television series. With the
refurbished Cushing Library, the new West Campus library and the study center addition, the University is in a library-
building phase. "I believe we have more library building than anywhere in North America," Dyal said. "It has all happened
in the last few years." Having a top library is a key to having a top university, Dyal said, and the current administration is
doing a good job of promoting the University's libraries.
The Sterling C. Evans Library annex is also set to open this fall. The $32 million expansion includes a six -floor annex
connected to Evans, an eight -level parking garage, a computer center at the south end of the annex and the Cushing Memorial
Library. The annex will house the library's systems and NOTIS (online catalog) offices, record management and technical
processing. The annex will include a reserve room and the Learning Resources Department. The 136,000 - square -foot annex
will contain study space with over four dozen group study areas located on the second and fourth floors.
Two floors of the annex will also be shelled in for future expansion.
Dyal, who has been at Texas A &M since 1973, said. "President Ray Bowen has been the most ardent
advocate of libraries of any administrator since I've been here. A &M is laying tracks, not following them."