Elizabeth J. Bogen (1943-2011) earned a bachelor’s degree cum laude from Bryn Mawr College, a master’s degree in social work (Hunter College), and a second master’s degree in East Asian studies from Columbia University.   Her master’s thesis in East Asian studies concerned the design and production of Chinese deco rugs. She was one of the first people to study these rugs and she published and spoke extensively on the topic.

In her will, Ms. Bogen left part of her estate to the C.V. Starr East Asian Library at Columbia University as an unrestricted bequest: a sum of $203,461.60 that will constitute the principal of the endowment fund.

The endowment’s income will support the C.V. Starr East Asian Library in its efforts to build, manage, and provide services for its world-class collections in East Asian Studies.

“Some of our staff members still remember Elizabeth, as a frequent user of the library, specifically her determination and tenacity in her research,” said Jim Cheng, Director of the C.V. Starr East Asian Library. “I am deeply grateful that Elizabeth remembered us too.  The endowment provides much needed long-term support for the library and keeps Elizabeth’s passion in East Asian Studies alive. The gift will benefit future students and users in a library where she spent memorable time.”

“Liz would have been truly delighted to know that her passions live on in people and places devoted to the life of the mind,” observes Dr. Emily Klein, professor at Duke University, who is Elizabeth’s sister-in-law and also a Columbia alumna.

The C.V. Starr East Asian Library houses one of the best collections for the study of East Asia in the United States, with over 1.2 million volumes of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tibetan, and Western language materials, as well as some holdings in Mongol and Manchu, over 8,500 periodical titles, 4.5 million e-books, and many archival and special collections. The collection, established in 1902, is particularly strong in Chinese history, literature, and social sciences; Japanese literature, history, and religion, particularly Buddhism; Korean history, and modern Tibetan studies. For more information, please visit the Starr East Asian website.