Grace Doherty Library

Dedication: April 22, 1967

Named For: Grace Doherty

Architect: Murphy and Mackey

Cost: $1,348.000

Size: 69,000 square feet

Current Use: The Grace Doherty Library, faculty offices, classrooms, Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Charles G. Vahlkamp Theater

In 1964 Centre announced plans to constuct a new library-instuction building (named the Hall of Learning) and modify the Carnegie library for other academic uses. This would solve one of the college's most pressing needs - more library, classroom and faculty office space to accomodate the growing enrollment. The Hall of Learning would be built on the site of Old Main. Built in 1871, Old Main was demolished in the summer of 1964. Work had already begun when in January 1965 Centre received a grant of one million dollars from the Henry L. and Grace Doherty Charitable Foundation, the largest gift to the college up to that point. The Hall of Learning quickly became The Grace Doherty Library.

After Henry L. Doherty, the founder of Cities Service Company, died in 1939, his wife (Grace Doherty) created the foundation that bore their names. She remained the president of the foundation until her death in 1949. As a young girl, Grace and her parents had lived in Danville for a short time.

When opened, the four-level structure housed Centre's main library with an initial capacity of 160,000 volumes (twice that of the old Carnegie Library), fifteen adjoining rooms that were convertible for daily use as both classrooms and library reading rooms, faculty offices, a 200-seat auditorium, a language laboratory, and an audio-visual center.

In 1986 Centre College renamed the buidling the Crounse Academic Center in honor of Mr. and Mrs. George P. Crounse. The Grace Doherty Library retained its name, but became a part of Crounse. In 1988 the library was extensively remodeled and enlarged by taking over much of the original classroom space. This was possible because of the concurrent construction of Olin Hall. The Crounse Academic Center underwent a major expansion and remodeling project that was completed in 2005.

In the fall of 2010 a two-story addition was completed that added 40,000 square feet to the building, with the older part of the structure to be renovated during the 2010-2011 year. The renovated and expanded Young Hall houses the psychology, psychobiology, biology and biochemistry and molecular biology programs, as well as the synthetic (organic and inorganic) chemists.