BSC Library SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

Birmingham-Southern College alumnus Bryant Whitmire opened his Birmingham law practice in 1937. In 1966 he was elected head of the Birmingham Bar Association, which in turn named him Lawyer of the Year in 1981--the same year that a pre-law scholarship was endowed in his name at BSC. Upon his death in 1985, his collection of over 370 books on Alabama was presented to the BSC Library.

To access the collection from the BSC Library Catalog , type "Whitmire" in the search field, and click "Subject."

The James Wren Asian Studies Collection

Dr. James A. Wren, a 1981 alumnus of Birmingham-Southern College, went on to earn a Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of Washington and a D.Lit. in modern Japanese literature from Niigata University. Dr. Wren has supported the Asian Studies program at BSC by donating more than 1,200 books, DVDs and CDs to the library. The collection covers a wide range of subjects, including Asian literature, languages, history, and philosophy.

To access the collection from the BSC Library Catalog , type "James Wren" in the search field, and click "Subject."

The Harold Katz Judaic Music Collection

Harold Katz, Executive Director of Birmingham's Jewish Community Center, presented his unusual collection of nearly 800 books and recordings of Jewish music and related topics to the BSC Library. Retired, Mr. Katz now lives in San Diego, California.

To access the collection from the BSC Library Catalog , type "Katz" in the search field, and click "Subject."

The Rabbi Milton L. Grafman Judaic Book Collection

For fifty-four years, Milton L. Grafman served Birmingham's Temple Emanu-El years as its Rabbi (1941-1975) and as Rabbi Emeritus (1975-1995). Rabbi Grafman's "commitment to God and to the people of all races and creeds," according to BSC President Berte, made him "a leadership force in bringing unity and good will to all of us." His collection of over 700 books on a variety of topics related to Judaic Studies was presented to the Library after his death in 1995.

To access the collection from the BSC Library Catalog , type "Grafman" in the search field, and click "Subject."

John Erwin (Don) Sims Book Collection

Beginning while a student, Don Sims worked as BSC President Guy Snavely's personal secretary. He later graduated from law school, served in WWII, and eventually became assistant to the Chancellor of the Georgia University System. Volumes from his personal collection, now standing at over 550, are still being added.

To access the collection from the BSC Library Catalog , type "Sims" in the search field, and click "Subject."

The Richard and Joshua Green Sherlock Holmes Collection

Richard Green is a member of the Genius Loci, a Birmingham-area chapter of the Baker Street Irregulars that originated at Birmingham-Southern College. Mr. Green began collecting Sherlockiana in the 1980s; his son Joshua later became involved as well. Together, they amassed an extensive collection of books, magazines, films, recordings, posters, comics, and memorabilia related to Sherlock Holmes. This collection has been offered on indefinite loan to the Birmingham-Southern College library, and is housed in the Library Wood Room.

The Mosely and Celia Shugerman Memorial Record Collection

Albert A. Shugerman, a lover of music and collector of things beautiful, donated to the BSC Library his personal collection of more than 13,500 LPs and CDs in memory of his mother and father. Shugerman's choices reflected his avid interest in opera and nineteenth-century orchestral works. The LP collection is the largest in the state.

To access the collection from the BSC Library Catalog , type "Shugerman" in the search field, and click "Subject."

The Minnie McGehee Branscomb Collection

Louise H. Branscomb, a member of a prominent Birmingham-Southern College family, graduated from the Johns Hopkins Medical School in 1928 and entered private practice in Birmingham as one of the city's first board-certified gynecologists and obstetricians. At the outbreak of WWII, she entered government service in North Africa, Italy, and Greece. Dr. Branscomb returned to embark on a second, parallel vocation as a Methodist church and civic leader pushing for racial and economic justice and for women's rights around the world. In 1980 she decided to honor the memory of her mother, Minnie McGehee Branscomb, by starting a women's book collection bearing her mother's name at Birmingham-Southern College Library. The collection is perpetuated by an endowment Dr. Branscomb left before her death in 1999 at the age of 98.

To access the collection from the BSC Library Catalog , type "Branscomb" in the search field, and click "Subject."

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