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Library History
The Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture was made possible through
the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society at Strybing Arboretum (formerly
the Strybing Arboretum Society) and the generosity of private donors and
foundations. It was presented to the City and County of San Francisco
for public use and inspiration at a dedication ceremony on Tuesday, April
11, 1972.
The Library was named after Mrs. Henry P. Russell (Helen Crocker Russell),
a keen amateur gardener and horticulturist who was for many years a member
of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Society. A member
of the pioneer Crocker family which is identified with cultural and educational
development in San Francisco, Mrs. Russell generously supported and actively
served on the boards of many organizations, both locally and nationally.
For these reasons, it was felt that a library of books on gardening and
horticulture, open to the general public, would be a most appropriate
and useful memorial to a woman who contributed so much to San Francisco.
The Library building was designed by the firm of Yuill-Thornton, Warner
and Levikow, to conform to the architectural concept of the adjacent San
Francisco County Fair Building and to house both the Library and offices
of the Society. The courtyard was designed by Landscape Architect Thomas
D. Church, in honor of Gardner A. Dailey, preliminary planner of the Library.
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