Have You Had a Bear Hug Today? The Lovable, Huggable World of Teddy Bears
May 3 – 31, 2013
Blagg-Huey Library
Curated by the Woman’s Collection Staff

Teddy bears come in all shapes and sizes. Some are small while others are large. Some are soft, and others worn. They express a myriad of sentiments and evoke emotions and memories from childhood. What child doesn’t enjoy the companionship of their special friend? In 1902 President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a small bear while on a hunting expedition in Mississippi. The Washington Post picked up the story turning the event into a cartoon. Toy store owners, Morris and Rose Michtom, wrote to President Roosevelt for permission to call their stuffed animals “Teddy Bears.” He said yes, and the rest as they say is history. Teddy Bears became wildly popular among children and adults and the company founded by the Michtom’s went on to become the Ideal Toy Company, one of the largest toy companies in the world. Wander through this colorful featuring the history of Teddy Bears and see for yourself why they are so huggably popular.

Displays

TWU Herbarium, Native Plant Specimens 

Blagg-Huey Library, First Floor
The Herbarium features various plant specimens which date from 1909-1949. Over 325 specimens in theTWU Herbarium were collected by faculty and students from 1915-1949.

Lady of the Day & Woman of the Night Sculptures

Blagg-Huey Library, First Floor
Two sculptures dedicated to the TWU Library in September 1996 by Valerie M. Bentz, former associate professor in sociology at TWU. The artist, David Shipley, is from Lubbock, TX. He attended the Dallas Art Institute, the Cornish School of the Arts in Seattle, the University of Texas and Texas Tech University.

Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) Memorial Statue

Blagg-Huey Library, Second Floor
The WASP memorial statue was sculpted by Jewel Estes of Dallas and donated to the TWU Library on April 20, 1995, by the WASP, WWII. The life-size bronze statue commemorating the experience of America's women pilots of World War II is located in the Woman's Collection.