Sharing a rare book collection for future scholars
Published on June 25, 2021A doctor’s interest in ancient medicine turns into gift for classics scholars.
A doctor’s interest in ancient medicine turns into gift for classics scholars.
Maury Hanson Jr. ’88 (PhD) 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.”
