Department of Special Collections and University Archives

1882

• The Presbyterian Girls’ Mission School is established in Muskogee, Indian Territory.

1894

• Henry Kendall College is established in Muskogee, Indian Territory, absorbing The Presbyterian Girls’ Mission School.
• The First Annual Catalogue reports, in part: “Needs – 2. The Library stands greatly in need of reference-books, especially in history, science and English language and literature. The college greatly needs $500 for library purposes. One hundred dollars just at this time would relieve part of the extreme necessity. An endowment fund would advance the work greatly.”

1897

• The Third Annual Catalogue reports: “A library and reading room have been fitted up for the use of the students, where they have access to all the leading books, magazines, and religious papers.”

1899

• The Fifth Annual Catalogue reports: “During the past year the College has removed to new quarters near the western edge of town… five handsome buildings… These are, first, the College hall, containing the chapel, office, class rooms, library, society halls and music rooms… There is a library and reading room for the use of the students. The former contains a large number of valuable works of reference as well as others of a general character. It is hoped that it will grow rapidly. Contributions of good books will be gratefully received. The reading room has a fair supply of papers and magazines which it is hoped to enlarge considerably as soon as the means can be secured.”
• A fund raising drive is held to purchase Webster’s International Dictionary.

1901

• The Seventh Annual Catalogue reports: “There is a Library and Reading Room for the use of the students. The Library contains about 1200 volumes, consisting of Religious Works, History, Literature, Fiction and Government Publications. Contributions of good books will be gratefully received… The Reading Room is supplied with Atlas, Dictionary, Commentaries and Encyclopaedias, also the leading newspapers, both Religious and secular, Territorial papers, current magazines, school journals and College exchanges… The indexing of the Library on the Dewey system is in progress, which renders the back numbers of the magazines very useful in essay writing and debate work.”

1903

• The Ninth Annual Catalogue reports about the library: “The use of the Cumulative Index renders the back numbers of the magazines, etc., very useful in essay writing and debate work.”

1906

• The Twelfth Annual Catalogue reports that the library now contains 3000 volumes.