Calling all fans of presidential history, Boca Raton’s very own Florida Atlantic University has opened the doors to a permanent exhibit showcasing personally signed letters from every single American president, dating back to George Washington.
The university opened the doors to the Alan B. and Charna Larkin American Presidential Study, located at the S.E. Wimberly Library.
The exhibit is a showcase of the late Alan B. Larkin’s lifelong collection of presidential letters and photographs. Charna Larkin donated the items to the university for the public to enjoy and learn from.
“Alan loved history, and he had compiled an amazing collection of signed presidential letters,” Charna Larkin said in a press release. “He would love to have known that all these letters were on display at Florida Atlantic as a way to encourage students to learn more about the presidency.”
Not only is the presidential study a place to store and display American history, but it also can be used for small events, classroom space, and educational programs. In the future, FAU hopes to add a digital element to the display.
FAU’s library is a treasure trove of American and revolutionary history. The Marvin & Sybil Weiner Spirit of America Collection is home to 13,000 books, newspapers, pamphlets and serials. This includes a first edition of The Federalist Papers, Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” the first edition of “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” by Mary Wollstonecraft, Thomas Hobbes’ “Leviathan,” a printing of the Declaration of Independence on July 6 in the Pennsylvania Evening Post, and more. The oldest item is “The Wit and Wisdom of Plutarch” from 1515. You can read about more archival treasures in Boca Raton in our “Behind the Vault” feature.
For more information about the presidential study, visit library.fau.edu/special-collections/larkin
