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Show Vv? October 21, 1963 Professor Arthur II. Pope Cornwall Ridge Post Office Warren, Connecticut ©ear Professor B®f»e: I em writing this ia eottaectioa with the telephone conversation between you end Dr. A. Ray Olpin, President of the University ef Utah. President 01 pin has inferred me of your Intention to sell your Persian collection. 8e is quite anxious to acquire the collection for the Kiddie last Library at the University of Utah provided the Seme* are within the University** budgetary sseaes. I am writing this letter to ash for some information on the coilection~~or what is left of ft finfl the terms under which they are being offered for sale. the Ittsmle East Center at the University of Utah was established In 1959 with the financial assistance of the Federal Government under the National 9efease Education Act of If58. Shortly after the establishment of the Center, the Middle East Library was created. At the present time it has over 18,000 volumes of books* The figure excludes periodicals, pamphlets, and unbound documents; more than 19*0*8 UllisaSt in the Riddle Seat Library are in Arabic, the Arabic collection, one of the beet in the country, was purchased in Egypt. Professor A. 0* Atiya, Director of the Middle East Center, ssade a special trip to Egypt for the sole purpose of acquiring these books; among tbea there ere & number of extremely rare manuscripts end lithographed volumes which, m far as we know, are the only copies in the United States* I regret to write that our Persian collection has no more than 400 volumes, air budgetary limitation has not permitted the simultaneous acquisition of both Arabic and Persian books in the past. This, however, is changing and we are starting to build as our Persian collection* We are anxious to add oart or all of your valuable books on Iran to this collection. President Oipia told mm something about the Ford Foundation wanting to purchase your Librsry aad to present It to the University of Teheran. Obviously we are in no position to compete with the ford foundation, but in view of the fact that most of your books are in Baglish X am |
