Countway Library is 60 this year!
Where It All Began
On May 26-27, 1965, a special dedication ceremony marked the opening of the brand-new Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine. The library was named at the request of Miss Sanda Countway, who donated $3.5 million to the university in honor of her brother.
At the time, Nathan Marsh Pusey was President of Harvard College, George Packer Berry was president of Harvard Medical School, and Ralph T. Esterquest led the library as its first head Librarian.
Upon opening, Countway was the largest university-based medical library in the world, housing over 450,000 volumes of print materials across six floors above ground and two below.
Over the past 60 years, Countway has continued to expand its biomedical collections while also growing into a vibrant hub for the Longwood Medical Area community. Today, the library boasts an award-winning multi-floor renovation, state-of-the-art technology, innovative open science and digital scholarship services, and world-renowned historical collections, all while evolving to meet the needs of our campus and forging new ties with our local communities.
#Countway60: Snapshots from the Past
In the months ahead, we'll be celebrating Countway's 60th anniversary by sharing archival photos and stories (and trivia!) from the past six decades, right here on this page and on our social media channels (Instagram, X, and Facebook).
Here's to 60 years of Countway—and many more to come!