INDIANA UNIVERSITY PURDUE UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS

COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Administration Building, Suite 136 355 N. Lansing Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46202-2896 317-274-7711 Fax: 317-274-5457

VALUABLE COLONIAL AMERICAN BOOKS DONATED TO IUPUI UNIVERSITY LIBRARY; GIFTS COME FROM DESCENDANT OF GERMAN IMMIGRANTS WHO ESTABLISHED PRINTING COMPANY

INDIANAPOLIS - A descendant of German immigrants who established one of the most extensive printing operations in the American colonies has donated valuable 18th century publications to the IUPUI University Library.

Christopher Saur of Pennsylvania, ancestor of Wayne K. Sowers, printed the first Bible published in America for European colonists five years after opening the printing shop that launched the family business that would pass from Saur to his son, and then his grandson.

Wayne K. Sowers of Bloomington, a descendant of Saur, recently donated a collection of 11 books printed by the Saur family from 1750-1797 to the University Library's Special Collections and Archives.

"The donation by Wayne K. Sowers expands in a significant way the extensive collections of German-American materials in the IUPUI Special Collections and Archives," said Giles Hoyt, IUPUI professor of German and associate dean of international affairs. "Mr. Sowers has provided IUPUI with a unique collection of his ancestors' imprints. The 11 volumes provide a body of primarily religious early American English and German texts useful for research in a number of areas related to American and religious studies."

The books donated to the IUPUI library include such diverse titles as "The Archbishop of Chambray's Dissertation on Pure Love," printed in 1750; "The Fatal Consequences of the Unscriptural Doctrine of Predestination and Reprobation," printed in 1753; and "The Ready Reckoner," printed in 1774.

"These volumes are excellent examples of Colonial American publishing and provide our students, faculty and the public with a wonderful opportunity to study this period of American printing and publishing," said library Dean David Lewis.

Holman Bible Publishers, part of the present-day Broadman & Holman Publishers that prints Bibles, Christian devotionals, and other religious publications, traces its roots to the company founded by Saur.

The 11 Saur family volumes, most found in only a handful of American libraries, will not circulate, but will be available for viewing and study during the Special Collections and Archives' regular hours.

The IUPUI library's Special Collections and Archives include collections of manuscripts, rare books and archival materials developed in relation to the teaching and research activities of the university and the community. The collections are available to visiting scholars, the general public, and IUPUI faculty and students.

In addition to the more than 650,000 volumes in its main collection and subscriptions to more than 4,500 periodicals and journals, the library also provides access to more than 250 public computer stations. For additional information about the IUPUI University Library and its collections, log on at www.ulib.iupui.edu or call (317) 274-8278.

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