McGinnis Room Poetry Collection

A wide-range of British poetry and American poetry published since 1900 is housed in the McGinnis Room in the lower level of the library.

The McGinnis Room was established by friends and colleagues of Patrick McGinnis, an Associate Professor of English, after his death in August 1966. The consensus was that since McGinnis loved and taught poetry, a fitting collection for the room would be contemporary poetry. The collection has grown over the years with many first editions of noted poets as well as less well- known authors. The room also houses an excellent collection of "Little Magazines", perhaps the most complete in the United States. These items were donated by Richard Grant, a colleague and friend of McGinnis.

Mr. McGinnis joined the faculty of UMM in 1961 in its second year of existence. He taught 17th Century English Literature until the summer he died, weeks after he received his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. McGinnis had been diagnosed with leukemia two years earlier, but was able to keep teaching and living a normal life.