Penn Libraries Receives $5 Million Gift and Collection of Papers From Medieval Historian Elizabeth A.R. Brown

The University of Pennsylvania Libraries has received a $5 million gift and a collection of papers from the late Elizabeth A.R. Brown. At her bequest, the gift will be used to establish an archive of papers from medieval historians. The donation will also fund an endowed archivist position to oversee the collection.

When Dr. Brown was pursuing her Ph.D. in history from Harvard University during the 1950s, she was told by her advisor that “women have nothing to teach men.” She defied these expectations and became a prominent leader in the field of medieval history for the next six decades. She was a longtime professor with Brooklyn College and held teaching positions with Yale University and the University of California, Berkeley. Her academic interests focused on thirteenth-century France, leading her to authoring six books and numerous articles on Phillip the Fair, taxation, and the Middle Ages. She passed away on August 8 at the age of 92.

Housed within Penn Libraries’ Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books, and Manuscripts, the inaugural Elizabeth A.R. Brown Archivist will first focus their efforts on preserving and managing Dr. Brown’s personal collection. Once her papers are organized, the archivist will look to acquire new materials and documents from other historians, creating a centralized research hub for the study of medieval history.