Gift of Civil War Materials a Highlight of McPherson Visit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 6, 2004
CONTACT: Joe Wills
Tel: 530-898-4143
Gift of Civil War Materials a Highlight of McPherson Visit
Former Department of Music Chair Alfred Loeffler’s gift of more than 200 Civil War books and maps will be announced next week during the campus visit of Pulitzer Prize-winning author James McPherson.
California State University, Chico President Paul Zingg will make the announcement before McPherson’s address, “The Global Impact of the American Civil War,” on Thursday, Oct. 14, at 7 PM in Laxson Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
McPherson, author of the acclaimed “Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era,” is acknowledged to be the world’s foremost authority on the Civil War.
Loeffler, who died in 2003, was a long-standing student of the Civil War, and visited historic battlefields accompanied by his wife, Nancy. After his death, Nancy Loeffler donated the materials to Meriam Library.
“The American Civil War was an epochal event in our history and remains a subject of great interest for scholars, students and the public,” said George Thompson, CSU, Chico librarian. “This generous gift in memory of Dr. Alfred Loeffler has substantially increased the Meriam Library’s collection relating to this period and includes studies of the military campaigns and battlefields as well as biographies, memoirs, maps and atlases. These resources will greatly benefit our students and researchers studying these events.”
In a remembrance of Loeffler published earlier this year in the university magazine “Chico Statements,” English Professor Ernst Schoen-René described Loeffler as “a class act whose depth, breadth of learning and musical accomplishment were extraordinary.”
“We are so appreciative of Nancy Loeffler’s gift to the University and to the Department of History,” said Sarah Blackstone, dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. “Al made so many contributions over his career at Chico-faculty member, chair, musical director and conductor of the Symphony, founder and leader of the Chamber Music Workshop, teacher, advisor-and this gift is one more way he gave to Chico State.”
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