This room, located on the main floor of the library, is named in honor of Milwaukee-Downer College. In 1964 when Milwaukee-Downer consolidated with Lawrence, Lawrence received Downer's rare book collection. The collection was subsequently merged with Lawrence's rare books.
In 1974, Milwaukee-Downer alumnae contributed money to create the rare book room in the new Seeley G. Mudd Library. Modeled after the Oak Room in Downer's Chapman Library, this room currently contains over 3400 rare or unique books. Some of the items were published as early as the sixteenth century, although the majority of titles date from the nineteenth century. Not all are valuable, but they are unique and quite interesting.
Faculty and students use the books for study and research. The books are cataloged and can be found using the library's online catalog, LUCIA. To use a rare book, please ask a reference librarian for assistance. Books in this collection may not be checked out and users must follow certain conservation guidelines.
The room was dedicated as the Milwaukee-Downer Room at the Sesquicentennial Celebration of Milwaukee-Downer College on October 13, 2001.
The Milwaukee-Downer Room is now the permanent home for memorabilia and other objects related to the long and rich history of Milwaukee-Downer College. The assembled materials on display came from the University's archives and represent gifts from generations of Milwaukee-Downer alumnae.