Doe Memorial Library

History

Named for Charles Franklin Doe, who came from Maine in 1857 as a schoolteacher and made his fortune in California. He left a quarter of his estate to the university for construction of a new library. The Beaux Arts building, which features the magnificently restored North Reading Room and the cozy Morrison Library, was the centerpiece of architect John Galen Howard's classical campus ensemble. The placement of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, over the main entrance reflects Berkeley's aspiration to become the "Athens of the West." The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. A four-story underground addition, the Gardner Stacks, opened in 1995 to provide more space for the library's holdings.