▁of ▁sch ol ars ▁from ▁the ▁Lawrence ▁area , ▁writing , ▁" K enn eth ▁and ▁I ▁had ▁so ▁often ▁observed ▁and ▁reg rett ed ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁tal ented ▁native ▁K ans ans ▁to ▁other ▁larger ▁eastern ▁and ▁western ▁gradu ate ▁schools ▁because ▁most ▁of ▁them ▁found ▁employ ment ▁in ▁those ▁areas ▁and ▁never ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁Middle ▁West ." ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 6 , ▁Helen ▁don ated ▁funds ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Kansas ▁for ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁library ▁in ▁honor ▁of ▁her ▁late ▁husband ▁Kenneth . ▁Helen ' s ▁gift ▁was , ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁the ▁largest ▁single ▁gift ▁ever ▁given ▁to ▁K U ▁or ▁to ▁any ▁institution ▁in ▁Kansas . ▁When ▁the ▁gift ▁was ▁announced , ▁Chan cell or ▁W . ▁Clar ke ▁Wes co e ▁declared ▁that ▁the ▁library ▁" will ▁stand ▁as ▁a ▁living ▁mem orial ▁not ▁only ▁to ▁an ▁out standing ▁man ▁and ▁his ▁equally ▁distinguished ▁wife ▁but ▁to ▁the ▁purs uit ▁of ▁learning ▁that ▁holds ▁so ▁much ▁promise ▁for ▁the ▁future ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁spirit ▁of ▁phil anth ropy ▁which ▁holds ▁out ▁for ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Kansas ▁the ▁promise ▁of ▁future ▁great ness ." ▁ ▁Const ruction ▁of ▁the ▁library ▁began ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁The ▁library ▁was ▁dedicated ▁on ▁November ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁and ▁it ▁officially ▁opened ▁a ▁month ▁later . ▁More ▁than ▁ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁books ▁and ▁ 2 5 0 , 0