Theodore Wesley Koch (1871-1941) Papers

The Theodore Wesley Koch Papers fill three boxes and document Koch's life and work at Northwestern University Library. The Papers include biographical materials, correspondence, and publications, but the bulk of the materials relate to Koch's involvement in the construction and selection of artwork for the Charles Deering Library. Materials span the years 1894 to Koch's death in 1941, but also include later observations by his daughter, Dorothy Koch Bestor, and Northwestern University librarian Rolf Erickson.

Biographical materials include biographical data supplied to publications, references to Koch's educational and professional achievements, obituaries and memorials, and clippings. A number of biographical sketches (including a study by Rolf Erickson, and a eulogy by Northwestern University President Franklyn B. Snyder) supply a detailed portrait of Koch's life and work.

One folder documents Koch's efforts to provide books to soldiers during World War I; another describes his work on the Midwest Research Libraries during World War II. General correspondence (1920-1947) is mostly concerned with Koch's constant effort to increase funding for the Library. One folder of correspondence relates to his bookplate-collecting hobby (the bookplates themselves are located in Box 4), and another to his participation in the Caxton Club.

Koch's work on the building and stocking of the Charles Deering Library, and his connection with the Deering family, is documented in correspondence dating between 1931 and 1940. This includes correspondence with Marion Deering, Charles's wife, and other Deering family members. Other folders contain correspondence relating to the purchase of specific pieces of art (e.g., portraits of Dean Holgate and Roger Deering) and to the Memorial Gardens on the surrounding the library.

Memoranda about Library needs (including discussions of the advisability of charging rental fees, the problem of stolen books, and a survey of students about Sunday hours) and extensive general reports about the state of the Library date between 1933 and 1939.

Koch's writing and speaking activities are represented by a folder of speeches, a bibliography of his publications, a few small books, copies of articles (1900-1921), translations, and reviews. Some of his writing dealt with library administration (On University Libraries, 1923); much of it reflected his lifelong bibliophilia.

Materials created after Koch's death include drafts and correspondence by Rolf Erickson for his biographical sketch, one folder relating to Dorothy Koch Bester, and a folder about the Caxton Club's 1980 exhibit about Koch.

Koch's bookplate collection, arranged in a card-file box, is organized by origin of the bookplates--those created for public libraries, institutions, private book collections, and so on. Dividers separate the categories.