West, Roy Owen, 1868-1958
Biographical Note
A Delta Tau Delta and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of DePauw University in 1890, Roy O. West (1868-1958) was admitted to the Illinois bar that same year and rose to national prominence as an attorney, political leader and presidential cabinet member. He was appointed city attorney for Chicago in 1896, served as chairman of the Illinois Republican state committee 1904-14, secretary of the National Republican Committee 1924-28, and as Secretary of the Interior in the cabinet of Calvin Coolidge, 1928-29 and assistant to the attorney general to hear cases of conscientious objectors from 1941 to 1953.
He became a member of DePauw’s Board of Trustees in1914 and served as its president from 1924 until his retirement in 1950. Through his influence with alumni and friends of DePauw, he was responsible for more than $10,000,000 in gifts to the university. He also encouraged his close friends, Edward and Lucy Rector, to donate the money for the building of Rector, Lucy Rowland and Longden Halls and to establish the Rector scholarship fund, one of the largest single-grant funds in the world.
For his outstanding service to his country and his university, Roy O. West Library, dedicated on Saturday October 20, 1956, was named in his honor. He died on November 29, 1958, at the age of 90.
Found in 4 Collections and/or Records:
DePauw University Libraries, 1962-present records
This collection includes annual reports, handbooks, histories, policies, gifts, Freshmen Talks, furnishings, planning, exhibits, correspondence and endowment records from 1962 to 2014.
Roy Owen West, an archives exhibit
Exhibit materials for an exhibit on Roy O. West, DePauw class of 1890, for a celebration of his birthday, October 27. The exhibit was set up at the celebration in the periodicals area (southeast corner of the library) on October 27, 2011 and ran until February 2012. The photographs and documents are copies mounted on foam core with Velcro attachment on the back of the pieces.
Roy Owen West papers
Collection includes biographical information, photographs, newspaper clippings, DePauw Board of Trustees materials 1914-1950, correspondence, record of gifts to DePauw from West, survey of the DePauw Lilly endowment, obituaries and West family genealogy.
Additional filters:
- Type
- Collection 3
- Archival Object 1
- Subject
- Alumni activities 1
- Awards 1
- Manuscripts of alumni. Class of 1890. 1
- Trophies 1
- Universities and colleges 1
