History of the Wheaton College Library

Wheaton's library was established in October 1840 with a $100 donation from Fanny Wheaton, wife of founder Judge Laban Wheaton. Originally kept in the Boarding House, library collections were relocated several times before the present building opened in 1923. The Library was designed by Boston architect Ralph Adams Cram, who placed it at the "head" or southern end of the college green, directly opposite the Wheaton homestead. Beginning in 1941 the Library was expanded through a series of additions, the most recent being completed in 1979-80. In 1984 the building was rededicated in honor of Madeleine Clark Wallace (Wheaton Class of 1934). A multi-year renovation program, following a master plan adopted in 1998, will maximize the use of the building while integrating expanded access to information technology.