In Memoriam, George D. Terry, 1950-2001

George D. Terry, Vice Provost and Dean of Libraries at the University of South Carolina from 1991 to 2001, died October 20, 2001.  He held B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of South Carolina.  Before assuming the position of dean, which encompassed oversight of academic and administrative computing, telecommunications, distance education, and instructional support services, Dr. Terry had served the University as director of McKissick Museum and administrator for special projects including development of an online library system to link the University's nine campuses.

Dr. Terry excelled in facilitating the acquisition of notable materials for the libraries' special collections departments including the G. Ross Roy Collection of Robert Burns, Burnsiana, and Scottish Literature; the Matthew J. and Arlyn Bruccoli Collection of F. Scott Fitzgerald; the Speiser and Easterling-Hallman Foundation Collection of Ernest Hemingway; the Kohn-Henning Library; the C. Warren Irvin, Jr. Collection of Charles Darwin and Darwiniana; the Augusta Baker Collection of African-American Children's Literature and Folklore; the Henry W. Kendall Collection of the Papers of Henry Laurens; and many others.

A special dream of Dr. Terry's was achieved with the opening of the University of South Carolina Library Annex and Conservation Facility in 1999.  The facility provides climate-controlled storage for over one million volumes and a state-of-the art conservation and preservation laboratory.
Memorials may be made to either of two funds, the Southern Heritage Endowment which benefits both McKissick Museum and the South Caroliniana Library, or the George Terry Memorial Fund which benefits Special Collections at Thomas Cooper Library.  Contributions to both funds may be sent c/o USC Educational Foundation, 900 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC, 29208.