A collection of 1,500 books from the Romantic and Victorian periods has been bequeathed to the libraries at The University of Memphis.
The Lawrence and Sarah J. Wynn collection is the largest single gift the library has ever received.
"A love of language is what brings us here," said Shirley Raines, president of The University.
Lawrence was an English professor at The U of M for more than 30 years. His personal library, along with his wife's, will be divided between the special collections vault and the regular collection.
In their home, nearly every wall had floor-to-ceiling bookcases, each crammed with books amassed over decades, James Wynn, a nephew, said.
"He selected books that many passed by or deemed too difficult," James said.
The collection focuses on Romantic and Victorian styles from an era historians sometimes refer to as "the long 19th century." Writers, artists and scientists of the time prized passion and nature.
Works by Byron, Keats, Shelley and Tennyson will intertwine with Victorian literature by Charlotte and Emily Bronte and Charles Dickens.
One key work the library is especially proud of is a reproduction of the first edition of Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species."
The Wynn's had no children, and so left almost their entire estate to The University. They often endeavored to ensure a strong library on campus.
They fought to create the Library Friends, encouraging gifts to the school.
Also, when Lawrence served on the library committee, he saw to it that The University took the opportunity to expand its collection with reprints of several medieval romances.
A colleague, Charles Long, had first lobbied for the addition but had been told that spending the entire budget on a single order would be "undemocratic."
However, once Wynn got on board with the idea, the library agreed to spend $125,000 on the reprints, which put The U of M's collection ahead of Princeton's.
"Wynn, a Princetonian, frowned, but was glad," Long said.
Sarah's grand piano was also included in the donation to the library.
"For the last couple of years, we've been doing a lot of musical kinds of programming, and people have asked 'Don't we have a piano?'" said Sylverna Ford, Dean of libraries.
"Now when the topic come up, we'll finally have a piano."
Sarah gave piano lessons for nearly 50 years on that piano. They added a room to their home just to hold it. Tucked between two large windows, Sarah's pupils would plunk out notes, often wrong ones, while Lawrence graded papers in the next room, according to Jack Wynn, a nephew.
Aside from the books and piano, the Wynns also provided for additional funds for upkeep of the collection and fellowships for doctorate students pursuing degrees in British or American literature.
Literature, especially that of the 18th and 19th centuries, was a stronghold in Lawrence's curriculum.
Though his students often described him as a hard taskmaster, there was always a rush to fill his classes, said Margaret Delashmit Long, former student and professor at Rust College.
"He's the reason I am a professor," said Delashmit Long. "When I teach, I can sometimes hear him."
Even other U of M professors noticed his effect on the students.
"Students would go early to sit in the front row when he was teaching," said Mary Battle, former English professor. "They would hang on to his soft words."
While Lawrence read and taught about Romantic and Victorian literature, Sarah studied music from the same periods.
She wrote several articles on the topic and published them in a book, "The Emergence of the Music Critics in Late 18th Century London." It is also part of the collection.
Looking through old editions of "The London Times" at The U of M library, she wrote about the music scene in the era.
Now, both have given their treasured possessions to The University.
