Mary Gormly was the former librarian and archivist at John F. Kennedy Memorial Library at California State University, Los Angeles from 1962-1983. Gormly’s Northwest Coast artwork impacted the campus with her diverse collection and dedication to educate on Native American culture. Her interest in Northwest Coast art likely started from living in Washington. She also received her B.A. in Anthropology in 1947 from the University of Washington. Gormly also went on to Mexico and received a M.A. from Mexico City College in 1948. She received a MLS degree from the University of Washington in 1959. Gormly was employed at John F. Kennedy Memorial Library in 1962 as a social sciences librarian. Gormly’s interests at the campus centered on the arts and ethnography of Native American populations. She retired from Cal State Los Angeles in 1983 but continued to teach about Northwest Coast art and Native American history. Gormly passed away in 2004, but has left her legacy on campus with her Northwest Coast Art collection, a fellowship for Native American studies students in her honor, and an exhibit of the collection in 2007.

7.67 Linear ft.

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