by It was 57 years ago today, on June 3rd, 1956 that ground was broken for Pius XII Memorial Library!
This photograph commemorating the occasion was taken moments before the first spade of dirt was turned. Pictured here, from left to right, are: Morton D. May, chairman of the Saint Louis Library Fund Committee; Saint Louis Mayor Raymond R. Tucker; Unknown; Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter blessing the groundbreaking; Luke E. Hart, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus; Saint Louis University President, the Very Reverend Paul C. Reinert SJ; and speaking at the podium in the background is the Reverend Lowrie J. Daly SJ, who initiated the project of microfilming Vatican manuscripts which comprise the main research body of the Vatican Film Library.
