It’s one of Indiana University’s largest, most recognizable buildings and a nice hideout in which to cram before the big exam. The Herman B Wells Library boasts an impressive 4.1 million volumes and is the largest in IU Bloomington’s network of 20 libraries, one that has been ranked 12th in the Association of Research Libraries. Many new undergrads don’t realize that the library wasn’t dedicated to the late chancellor until recently, in 2005. So why choose Wells?
The easiest answer is that Wells humbly demanded that no campus building be named after him until five years passed from his death. The request was certainly respected since he passed in 2000. But the question remains: how did Herman B Wells become such a staple name in Bloomington, Indiana?
Coming from humble beginnings in Jamestown, Herman B Wells’ family moved to Lebanon, Indiana during his sophomore year in high school. While working for his father’s bank throughout his studies, Wells was able to graduate in the top 10% of his class.
Initially attending the University of Illinois, Wells went against his father’s will and transferred to Bloomington. He was quick to take advantage of leadership positions and became the head of his fraternity, Sigma Nu. After graduating in 1924 with his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, he headed back to Labanon to work as a bank cashier. Bloomington’s impact hadn’t faded, though, and Wells soon retuned to earn his Master of Arts degree.
Wells worked for the Indiana Bankers Association from 1928 to 1931 as a field secretary and travelled to all 92 counties in Indiana. He had a significant influence on the state’s banking law reform. Wells had been instructing at IU since 1930 and briefly taught as an assistant professor at IU until 1933 when he became a supervisor within the newly formed Indiana Department of Financial Institutions. That didn’t stop him from accepting the position of dean in the growing business school that would become the Kelley School of Business.
He must have been doing something right, because he was promptly offered the position of acting president in 1937, shortly after William Lowe Bryan’s retirement. Wells graciously accepted the offer, but modestly required that he be considered the interim president. The university had other ideas, and one year after his appointment, on March 22, he agreed to become the 11th president of Indiana University. This made him the nation’s youngest state university president.
It’s difficult to grasp the variety of change that occurred under Wells’ term. When World War II ended, he handled the largest population increase in the school’s history. During his tenure until 1962, the state’s student body tripled from 11,000 students to 31,000. Wells was actively involved in the managed the university’s desegregation and supported the hotly contested studies of Professor Alfred Kinsey.
He attracted the likes of scholars across the globe, many fleeing from counties overthrown by Nazi Germany. This included Nobelauriate Hermann J. Muller. Wells’ outreach spanned 33,000 miles to attract international students who would make the university the center for intellectual prosperity that it is today.
Of course, he had to make room for the rapid influx in the student body, so Wells was responsible for the addition of over 1,700 acres to the Bloomington campus. His advocacy of environmental rights and sustaining tree and green space throughout campus is why IU’s often falls in the top five for America’s most beautiful campuses.
While Wells advanced the school greatly throughout his tenure as president, his most noble triumph was the personal connection he maintained with the student body. During his presidency and especially after his retirement in 1962, Wells could often be seen roaming the campus, engaging in active discussion with students. Incredibly enough, he made a point to read and sign all 62,621 diplomas issued during his tenure, reportedly adding personal notes where he saw fit.
After his retirement, Wells accepted the position of chancellor from the board of trustees, never once accepting salary for the position. He soon purchased a home close to campus, donating it to the university under the premise that he could remain living in the home for the remainder of his life.
Herman B Wells passed away on March 18, 2000. On the 62nd anniversary of his appointment to president of the university, his funeral was held. Five years later, the Main Library was renamed in his honor.
Fun fact that will get you hot chicks: There is no period following Wells’ middle initial. It was a tradition on his mother’s side of the family to hold middle names beginning with the letter “B,” so he followed accordingly, but purposefully left out the period.
[Sources]
Herman B Wells - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
IU Bloomington's Main Library to be named for Herman B Wells: IU News Room: Indiana University
[Photo Credit]
IU Home Pages
Hoosier History: Herman B Wells
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