Sharing a rare book collection for future scholars

Professor Donald HaggisMaury Hanson Jr. (Ph.D. ’88) was no ordinary doctoral candidate. In fact, he was already a medical doctor when he arrived in Chapel Hill to study classics. After specializing in neurosurgery at Cornell University, Hanson spent his career as a surgeon in New York City and the Washington, D.C., area.

After retiring, Hanson decided to become a Tar Heel and study ancient medicine.

Today, his legacy will live on in Chapel Hill in a unique way: When Hanson died at age 100 last spring, he bequeathed an unrestricted planned gift of nearly $300,000 to the department of classics and a collection of rare books and manuscripts of Greek and Latin literature to University Libraries.

“It was a very pleasant surprise,” said Donald Haggis, professor and chair of the classics department. “This comes as a welcome gift for a number of reasons.”

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