Gift Supports IU South Bend Library

A former music professor at Indiana University South Bend has made a $300,000 gift to the Franklin D. Schurz Library in honor of his mother. The gift from David Barton and his wife Evelyn will establish the Dorothy B. Barton Memorial Fund at the university.

IU South Bend says the money will be used to fund the archive of PLATO & the Western Tradition, a postmodern improvisation ensemble co-founded by David Barton, along with the digitization and discovery of recordings and scores from the university’s music department. It will also fund the acquisitions of library materials.

Dorothy Barton earned her master’s degree in library science from the University of Southern California in 1970 and worked as a librarian for the Los Angeles County Public Library System. She later became a reference librarian at the Municipal Reference Library of the City of Los Angeles. Barton passed away last year.

"She always wanted to be a librarian," said David Barton. "She instilled in us a love of books and reading."

David Baron taught music theory, composition and music history at IU South Bend for 34 years. He is also a former chair of the Library Affairs Committee at the university. The donation from the Bartons will go toward the university’s $35 million goal, which is part of the Indiana University "For All" Bicentennial Campaign.