late 18th century colonial period and revolutionary America. Among some of his notable purchases were Christopher Columbus's letters and reports to the king and queen of Spain describing the first voyage to discover a world that did not then exist on any map. He also purchased John Smith's “True Relation of Virginia,” one of the six copies of Thomas Hariot’’s “A Briefe and True Report of Virginia of 1588,” and also Jefferson's notes on the State. William L. Clements Library In 1921 Clements started donating his collection to the University of Michigan and started plans to build a library to house his collection. Seeing the opportunity to create a memorial for himself, he envisioned this library to be exclusively for him, his close friends, and the advanced scholars and researchers in the country. This library would rival those on the east coast, which belonged to Ivy League schools, and would be a leading source of history in the Midwest. Clements provided a suitable home for his collections in the style of Italian renaissance, based on Vignola's casino for the Villa Farnese in Caprarola, Italy. This building, designed by famous architect Albert Kahn for the cost of $200,000, would also serve as the building Kahn wanted most to be remembered for. The Library was officially dedicated the William L. Clements Library on June 15, 1923, and at the time of its completion had over 20,000 volumes of rare books, 2,000 volumes of early newspapers, and several hundred maps. Between 1925 and 1930, William Clements acquired the papers of British generals Thomas Gage and Sir Henry Clinton, Cabinet Minister Lord George Germain, and the Hessian General Von Jungkenn, creating the largest archive in the United States of manuscripts and maps relating to British conduct of the American War. On the American side of the conflict, Clements purchased the papers of Continental Army General Nathanael Greene, as he believed there was value in examining the history of both sides of conflict, and holding the physical documents created much more intellectual value than a copy. Clements also collected song sheets, newspapers, magazines, cookbooks, sermons, school primers, and slave documents, all of which could be examined together to adequately study the past. University of Michigan Board of Regents (1909-1933) Later in his life, Clements was elected to serve as a Regent of the University of Michigan as a Republican succeeding Frank W. Fletcher of Alpena