Bridging Cultures
Gift pays tribute to librarian’s pioneering career
Alumna Ann Hartness, former UT librarian, discovered her passion for Latin American history during visits to Rio de Janeiro. Her son and daughter-in-law, also alumni, honored Hartness with a gift to the UT Libraries.
Jon Graham likes to tell the story of his mother, Ann Hartness, who as a young woman left her small hometown to follow her dreams. Ann is renowned for her 38-year career as head librarian of the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection at The University of Texas at Austin, which showcases one of the world’s foremost collections of Brazilian history and culture.
“My mother raised three boys in two countries while balancing her education and her work,” Jon says. “At a time when women from her background essentially followed their husbands, she made her own very distinctive career.”
Ann graduated from UT with a B.A. in 1958 and a graduate degree in library science in 1961.
She joined the Benson in 1970, cataloging Latin American periodicals. Throughout her tenure, she expanded the library’s depth and breadth of Brazilian materials. She retired at 73 in 2008.
A Meaningful Gift
Jon and his wife, Elizabeth Ulmer, both UT graduates, have donated to the collection to honor Ann’s legacy. A portion of the couple’s gift has established the Jonathan Graham and Elizabeth Ulmer Fund for Library Materials on Brazil. The remainder of their gift will match other donors’ gifts to endowments at the Benson.
The Benson’s main reading room, where Jon spent countless hours studying as a Texas Law student, opened in spring 2022 as the Ann Hartness Reading Room.
“It was a quiet place to read, wander and collect my thoughts. This is a perfect way to honor my mother,” says Jon.
Advance the Future of UT Libraries
Join Jon and Elizabeth in supporting UT Libraries. To learn more about making a difference today and in the future, contact the Gift and Estate Planning Team for no-obligation help at 512-475-9632 or giftplan@austin.utexas.edu.