Lorna and Jon Kardatzke recently added 12 literary artifacts to the Frellsen Fletcher Smith Collection Gallery at Louisiana Tech University that will be housed in the Prescott Memorial Library’s Special Collections on the fourth floor of the library in Wyly Tower. The collection, established by the Kardatzkes in memory of Lorna’s father Frellsen Smith, who served as professor of technical writing from 1938-1972, houses numerous letters and first edition books from a variety of well-known British and American authors. The new donation, coordinated with assistance from English professor Dr. Patrick Garrett, includes framed letters from poet James Russell Lowell and authors Aldous Huxley and from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In addition, the Prescott Memorial Library received first editions of nine books, some with author’s signature: • Tennessee Williams’ “Moise and the World of Reason” (signed) and “Sweet Bird of Youth” • Mark Twain’s “To Mrs. Fairbanks” (signed 1st edition) • “The Adventures of Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass” (Limited Edition, No. 18 of 375) • William Faulkner’s “Absalom, Absalom!” (2nd printing) and “Notes on a Horse Thief” (Limited Edition, No. 744 of 950) • Ernest Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms” (signed, Limited Edition of 510 (Ten Presentation copies, No. 385) • Gertrude Stein’s “Useful Knowledge” (1st of the Two Rivers of Manhattan Editions) and Thornton Wilder’s “Theophilus North” (signed 1st edition, No. 6 of 275). With these and the previous donations, Garrett said of the Louisiana Tech collection, “Jon and Lorna Kardatzke have given us one of the finest collections in the South. We are forever grateful.” The collection is available to the public during the hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. More information on the collection is available on the Prescott Memorial Library website: http://www.latech.edu/library/scma/ffs.php. Written by Judith Roberts – jroberts@latech.edu