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From the Letter to the Librarian • c. 1960s

It is hoped that the individual who enters this room will immediately feel the humbling presence of the centuries of written communication portrayed by the walls.

As you stand in the entrance doorway, to your left, straight ahead, and to your right, the centuries from the end of 1000 BC to the beginning of 1800 AD were each allocated equal dimensions.

1000 BC 1800 AD Equal Dimensions
Pierre F. Goodrich
Pierre F. Goodrich wall boxes in the Goodrich Seminar Room

Cuneiform tablet

Pierre Goodrich, Letter to the Librarian
The cuneiform tablet reproduced to the left of the entrance door indicates the use of the word "freedom" first occurred, as far as is now known of recorded language, between 3000 and 2000 B.C.
800 BC
100 BC
c. 0
300 AD

Cross on the wall

Pierre Goodrich, Letter to the Librarian
The cross on the wall provoked some discussion. Why is it not at the birth or death of Jesus Christ? It seemed to go into the whole picture reasonably well where it now is.
700 AD
800 AD
900 AD
1100 AD

Sunburst symbol

Pierre Goodrich, Letter to the Librarian
You will find the reverence of early people for the sun portrayed on the right part of the wall. Long before science broke the sun's rays into ultraviolet and other rays, the sun was regarded as of great importance.