If one thing is true about SMU, it’s that the campus is constantly evolving, primarily through renovation. Just as the Cox School of Business opened its doors to a new space this past fall, blue fences and CAT machines took over Fondren Library. SMU officials hope the new Rees-Jones Library of the American West will pave the way for innovation and educational growth.
Trevor Rees-Jones, who the library is named for, is a Dallas native, Dedman School of Law alumnus and the founder and CEO of Chief Oil and Gas. An avid art collector and dedicated philanthropist, Rees-Jones wanted to give back to his community. Years ago, he came to President Turner with an idea that turned into an offer—the donation of his personal art collection to SMU Libraries, said Michael Molina, the university’s architect who is heading up the project.
“He and Dr. Turner had been discussing a gift for Western Americana and art but also a library and a collection: lithographs, maps, portfolios, memoirs from original pioneers, plus artwork and artwork media in the two-dimensional and three-dimensional realm,” Molina said.
Over the past 20 years, Rees-Jones has been buying art pieces from west of the Mississippi, according to a statement from renowned curator Rick Stewart. The artwork also has a special emphasis on the Southwest, Texas and northern areas east of the Rocky Mountains.
It includes maps, photos and books from as early as the 1600s, including a depiction of the Brazos Santiago Pass by Jean Louis Berlandier, which is one of the earliest identified views of any Texas settlement. Another gem is a rare first edition of John Woodhouse Audubon’s Illustrated Notes of an Expedition through Mexico and California, published in 1852 during the California Gold Rush.
“I think as he was building this collection, he very much had in mind that he wanted all of these things that have been in private hands to be available to the people of Dallas, to the people of Texas, to researchers, to everybody and not have it be held in private,” Holly Jeffcoat, dean of libraries, said.
With this donation came the need for space to display the collection. The Science Information Center (SIC), located inside Fondren, was ultimately chosen as the destination for the new library because of its size. The building is expected to cost $92 million and span 84,000 square feet.
The SIC was innovative for its time, serving as a hub for scientific research and resources. However, modern university libraries now prioritize interactive learning environments, digital research tools and multipurpose study spaces, which the SIC lacked in comparison to SMU’s newer facilities, Molina said.
As primary stakeholders of SMU Libraries, Molina said Jeffcoat and her colleagues have been very hands-on in this project as well. Since the beginning Jeffcoat has had the inside scoop, Molina said.
“She came in after we created the vision and helped make it operationally correct for the library functions, which is very detailed,” Molina said.
The first and second levels of the Rees-Jones Library will connect to Fondren, like the SIC, but it will be a new experience. The floors will feature student classrooms, study niches, conference rooms, computer and archiving labs for student research and an area to organize new collections.
To the left of the foyer entrance will be a new reading room, while the Western Americana exhibit room will be on the right. Other pieces from Rees-Jones’ collection will also be featured throughout the entire library.
“It’s not a museum,” said Elizabeth Killingsworth, Fondren Library director and associate dean of academic initiatives. “It’s not about looking at something for 10 minutes and moving on. It’s about engagement with the space, with the collections, and we want activity in the building.”
Killingsworth and the rest of the staff hope students will draw inspiration from the artwork and exhibits around them while studying. Faculty can bring their classes into the space, engage with the archivist, explore materials and gain new perspectives that may influence their curriculum.
Combined, the Rees-Jones and the DeGolyer Western collections will rank alongside the collections at the Bancroft Library at Cal-Berkeley and the Beinecke Library at Yale.
Formal groundbreaking on the Rees-Jones Library of the American West is set to take place in May.
“The American West has long been of great interest to me, and I’m pleased that [my wife] and I can share that passion with SMU students and faculty, the greater Dallas community and visiting scholars,” Rees-Jones said in a statement.
