Grove City College’s Henry Buhl Library is now the repository for a massive collection of books produced under the auspices of Earhart Foundation, which has supported scholarly research and efforts to spread the gospel of faith and freedom for nine decades.

The 2,337-volume Earhart Collection covers many disciplines, including philosophy, ethics, history, politics and government, and will fill an entire wall of shelves in the campus library, according to Barbra Munnell ’92, director of Library Services.

All of the books were produced by authors and scholars who enjoyed the support of the foundation, which was established in 1929 by entrepreneur Harry Boyd Earhart to advance scholarship that reflected his belief in the free market and rugged individualism.

“This collection is a tremendous resource for our students and faculty. The breadth of the collection, from history to social science to economics and philosophy, is amazing. The ideas and information contained in these volumes goes to the heart of the academic program here at Grove City College,” College President Paul McNulty ’80 said.

McNulty accepted the donation of the Earhart Collection from foundation President Ingrid Gregg and one of his predecessors, Dr. John H. Moore, Grove City College’s sixth president and an Earhart Foundation board member for more than 20 years. It was Moore’s idea to bring the collection to the College. The foundation is closing down at the end of the year and was seeking a permanent home for the literary “harvest” of its efforts.

Moore isn’t the only Grove City College connection to Earhart Foundation. Among the collection are several books written by faculty members who were supported by the foundation during the writing process. They include Dr. Gary Scott Smith, Dr. Paul Kengor, and former faculty members such as Dr. John Sparks and the late Dr. Hans Senholtz, the legendary economist who brought the flame of Austrian School economics to Grove City College in the 1950s.

The Earhart Collection is being housed in the library’s Reference Room and will be identified with a plaque, but the books are intended to be read and will be added to the library’s catalog so students and others can borrow them, Munnell said.

Henry Buhl Library, built in 1954, remains a center of activity and a key campus asset in the digital age. It provides the campus community with access to more than 141,000 books, 155,000-plus e-books, 96,000 journals, more than 3,000 videos and hundreds of audio books.