Grove City College will be the repository of the personal library of former Pennsylvania Governor and U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh.

The gift is courtesy of Dick's wife, Ginny Thornburgh alongside her sons, who agreed to donate more than 2,000 volumes amassed over Dick's lifetime of public service to the college.

Ginny says her huspand was an avid reader and collector of books.

"This collection represents his many interests and the many influential and aspiring people he was blessed to work with over his decades of service," Ginny said.

Thornburgh was a well-regarded and respected state and national leader from the 1970s to his death in 2020 at the age of 88.

Grove City College President, Paul McNulty says the college he and the college staff are grateful for the generous donation. 

"Students will benefit from the breadth and depth of these volumes for generations to come," McNulty said.

During his time as governor, Thornburgh rose to national prominence with the handling of the state's response to the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster of 1979. The Thornburgh Collection includes many volumes and original memoranda and writings related to the crisis.

"The collection's depth is impressive and reveals a real thirst for knowledge. Thornburgh had a habit of marking up books and many in the collection include his own handwritten annotations including the Three Mile Island Material. They show his thought process and observations about what was a major historical event," said Director of College Archives and Galleries, Hilary Walczak.