Bizzell Memorial Library
Encyclopedia
The Bizzell Memorial Library, known also as Bizzell Library, is located at the University of Oklahoma
in Norman, Oklahoma
. It was constructed in 1929 during the administration of OU's fifth president, William Bennett Bizzell. It is an elaborate Collegiate Gothic building and is a National Historic Landmark
of the United States.
It is nationally significant for its association with the racial desegregation court case of George McLaurin, a black man who was at first denied admission to the University of Oklahoma's law school solely on the basis of race. After a court ruling, he was admitted, but under separate but equal
doctrine he was given a desk in the mezzanine of this building, rather than being allowed use of the regular reading room. He appealed the segregation up to the U.S. Supreme Court, in McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. In this and a companion case, the supreme court ruled against the segregation. This was a precedent for the more famous 1954 Brown v. Board of Education
case later.
Under George Lynn Cross
, the University's seventh president, a 1958 addition effectively tripled the size of the structure.
After a generous donation by Doris W. Neustadt, a 1982 addition was completed during the William Banowsky administration. Presently, Bizzell serves as the flagship research library in the state of Oklahoma
and of the University's system of eight libraries on the Norman campus that hold a combined 4.2 million volumes. Bizzell also houses the University Libraries administration, History of Science, Nichols Rare Books, Bass Business and Bizzell Bible Special Collections and the University of Oklahoma School of Library and Information Studies.
For its association with segregation and the court case overturning it, the building was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 2001.
The University of Oklahoma
Library System is a member of the Association of Research Libraries
and is the second largest system of libraries in the Big 12 Conference
.
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
in Norman, Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
. It was constructed in 1929 during the administration of OU's fifth president, William Bennett Bizzell. It is an elaborate Collegiate Gothic building and is a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
of the United States.
It is nationally significant for its association with the racial desegregation court case of George McLaurin, a black man who was at first denied admission to the University of Oklahoma's law school solely on the basis of race. After a court ruling, he was admitted, but under separate but equal
Separate but equal
Separate but equal was a legal doctrine in United States constitutional law that justified systems of segregation. Under this doctrine, services, facilities and public accommodations were allowed to be separated by race, on the condition that the quality of each group's public facilities was to...
doctrine he was given a desk in the mezzanine of this building, rather than being allowed use of the regular reading room. He appealed the segregation up to the U.S. Supreme Court, in McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. In this and a companion case, the supreme court ruled against the segregation. This was a precedent for the more famous 1954 Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
case later.
Under George Lynn Cross
George Lynn Cross
George Lynn Cross was a botanist, author, and the seventh and longest serving president of the University of Oklahoma from 1943 to 1968...
, the University's seventh president, a 1958 addition effectively tripled the size of the structure.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and of the University's system of eight libraries on the Norman campus that hold a combined 4.2 million volumes. Bizzell also houses the University Libraries administration, History of Science, Nichols Rare Books, Bass Business and Bizzell Bible Special Collections and the University of Oklahoma School of Library and Information Studies.
For its association with segregation and the court case overturning it, the building was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 2001.
The University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
Library System is a member of the Association of Research Libraries
Association of Research Libraries
The Association of Research Libraries is an organization of the leading research libraries in North America. As of October 2006, it comprises 123 libraries at comprehensive, research-intensive institutions in the US and Canada that share similar missions, aspirations, and achievements...
and is the second largest system of libraries in the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
.