Library Exhibit Featuring Celtic Materials Will Run Through May

A collection of Celtic materials donated to the university by the late Dr. Howard M. Meroney currently is on display in the foyer of Baylor University's Moody Memorial Library. The exhibit, which will run through the end of May, includes memorabilia relating to Meroney's life and a sampling of Celtic volumes, including a Bible, Irish song and prayer books, an Irish/English dictionary, the Encyclopedia of Ireland and books on Celtic folklore, Christianity, mythology, art and literature.
"This is a valuable collection of Celtic materials, and it is very rare to find this many items on the Gaelic or Irish language in a single location in the United States," said Kathy Hillman, acquisitions and collection development librarian.
Meroney was born in Waco and received his bachelor's degree with honors from Baylor in 1926. He earned his master's degree from the University of Texas and his doctorate at the University of Chicago. He served as professor of English at Temple University in Philadelphia from 1947 to 1973. He returned to Waco and was named scholar in residence at Baylor in 1980.
The editor of The Journal of Celtic Studies, Meroney achieved prominence in U.S. and European academic circles as a specialist in Old English, Celtic and Irish languages and literature. He donated his collection of Celtic books to Baylor and provided personal funds for the purchase of additional books on medieval Irish literature before his death in 1991.
For more information on the exhibit, contact Hillman at 710-6684.