Gammage (Cline Library)
Today, the building which holds the majority of NAU’s collections is Cline Library, built in 1966; however, in the past Gammage Library was the primary location of the university’s collection. Built in 1930, the building now known only as Gammage was “Gammage Library,” home to the 15,400 volumes of the Northern Arizona State Teachers College. It was built specifically to house the existing collection which was being kept in Old Main at the time, and had room for upto 60,000 volumes. The library was officially opened December 14, 1930, and was dedicated to Grady Gammage, the president of Northern Arizona State Teachers College at the time.
Originally, the Gammage building was home to both the only library and campus and administrative offices. After the addition of the Cline Library to campus, it transitioned to primarily holding administrative and service offices. Over the years it has held many different occupants in addition to the administration, from the faculty lunch club in the 1970’s, to printing services, to the Mathematics Department. By 2008, the Dean’s Offices, Registrar, Bursar, Comptroller, Travel, Accounts Payable, and Financial Compliance and Audit units were all located in the Gammage building as well.
The architectural style of Gammage is most characteristic of the Italian Renaissance style, of which the original architects based on classical Roman architecture. This style emphasizes large arches, columns, and pediments. As a building constructed after some of the original campus, it was designed to match the architecture of the older buildings, not necessarily reflective of the style of the time it was built in itself. The original entryway of the library building and window are features associated with Italian Renaissance architecture. It also features the red sandstone seen on many of the buildings on NAU’s north campus, contrasted with white blocks across the building.
In 1975-1978, there was an administration annex added to Gammage. It is located just to the North of the original Gammage building.
The entrance to this building is more in line with Art Deco architecture, leaning to modern styles rather than seeking to match the previous architecture and style of the surrounding buildings. Additionally, the interior of the building has been changed over the years, with an elevator and stairwells being added in 1987 and another remodeling in 2001.
The transition of university collections from Gammage Library to the newly constructed Cline Library in 1966.
Grady Gammage
Grady Gammage, the old library’s namesake, served as the seventh president of the Northern Arizona Normal School from 1926 to 1933. He was involved in education across the state of Arizona, as the president of both NAU and ASU in their previous incarnations and as a public school superintendent in Winslow. Gammage’s influence in the institutions of higher education in Arizona was significant, evidenced by the buildings named after him on both campuses. He also made a point to cultivate a positive relationship between the campus and the larger Flagstaff community through night classes available to locals, such as bookkeeping, Spanish, and business. He regularly invited people to visit and engage with the campus to generate further support from across Arizona. Many people may be familiar with Arizona State University’s Gammage Memorial Auditorium, which was also named in his honor!
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Today
Today, the Gammage and Administration buildings are home to Student and Departmental Accounting Services, the Office of Financial Aid, and the Office of the Registrar.
Bibliography
Cline, Platt. Mountain Campus: The Story of Northern Arizona University. Northland Press, 1983.
Department of European Paintings. “Architecture in Renaissance Italy.” Metmuseum.org, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Oct. 2002, www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/itar/hd_itar.htm.
Drickamer, Lee C and Peter Runge. Northern Arizona University: Buildings as History. University of Arizona Press, 2011.
With additional research by Abby, Morgan, and Bri