FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY
S.E. Wimberly Memorial Library: A History
The S.E. Wimberly Memorial Library is one of the oldest and most historically significant buildings on the Boca Raton campus of Florida Atlantic University. Constructed in 1963, the facility was built atop the abandoned wooden structures of the former Boca Raton Army Air Field, linking the University’s earliest academic mission with the site’s earlier military history.
From its opening, the library stood at the physical and intellectual center of the campus. When the building opened to students on September 14th, 1964, Florida Atlantic University was a young institution serving a charter class of 867 upper-division and graduate students. The first graduating class, in 1965, consisted of just 30 students.
A Technological Leader from the Start
Even in its earliest years, the Florida Atlantic Library was recognized as one of the most technologically advanced centers on campus. It featured a sophisticated Media Center, an automatic check-out system, and a computer-generated catalog - innovations that replaced the traditional manual card catalog and positioned the library as a forward-looking academic hub.
As the University evolved, so too did the library, continually adapting to meet the changing academic and research needs of Florida Atlantic University students, faculty, staff, and the community.
Who was S.E. Wimberly?
On November 1st, 1974, President Glenwood L. Creech formally dedicated the Florida Atlantic Library as the S.E. Wimberly Memorial Library, honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Stanley Eugene Wimberly (1915–1971).
Dr. Wimberly was a founding administrator at Florida Atlantic University and joined the faculty in 1964 as Dean of the College of Social Sciences. In May 1967, he became Dean of Academic Affairs, a role that was retitled Vice President for Academic Affairs later that year. He served in this capacity until his passing in 1971.
During the naming ceremony, Dr. Wimberly was remembered as a leader of boundless imagination, deeply committed to academic excellence and an inspiration to those who worked alongside him.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Dr. Wimberly later moved with his family to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Florida and completed his doctorate in psychology at the University of Michigan. Prior to joining Florida Atlantic University, he spent fifteen years teaching and serving as Assistant Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Florida.
Growth and Renovations Through the Years
When the Wimberly Library opened in 1964, it was a five-story building that housed not only the library but also the offices of the University President, the Dean of Academic Affairs, the College of Business, the College of Education, and Administrative Affairs. At that time, the library occupied only the middle three floors.
As Florida Atlantic University grew, the library expanded to match its needs. In 1984, the University admitted its charter freshman class of 257 students, officially becoming a four-year university. One year later, the Wimberly Library underwent its first major renovation.
All non-library offices were relocated to new buildings across campus, while library staff moved into a new three-story, 86,268-square-foot addition. This new wing was connected to the original building by a 60-by-80-foot atrium, now the library’s main lobby.
Construction was completed in November 1985, and the renovated library opened for student use in July 1986. As part of this expansion, Florida Atlantic University also received Collective Memory, a stainless steel and weathering steel sculpture by artist Dirck Cruser, which remains prominently displayed outside the library today.
A Modern Academic Hub
Twenty years later, the Wimberly Library would see its most current renovation. In 2005, enrollment was up to almost 25,000 students, and it was time to expand the library again. In the winter of 2007, the $5 million, 22,000-square-foot addition was complete. The five-story east wing would be named The Paul C. Wimbish Wing.
The Wimberly Library Today
Today, the S.E. Wimberly Memorial Library welcomes more than one million visits annually and serves a campus community of over 30,000 students. While the building itself has not undergone a full renovation since 2007, select spaces continue to be modernized as funding allows.
Under the leadership of Dr. Linda Marie Golian-Lui, Dean of the Florida Atlantic Libraries, the Wimberly Library is being thoughtfully reimagined to support modern scholarship, collaborative learning, and student success, continuing its long-standing tradition as a cornerstone of Florida Atlantic University.
