A $1 million gift from a Kansas University librarian will establish a fellowship for Medieval and Early Modern European manuscripts.

The donor, Alexandra “Sandy” Mason, was the Spencer Research Library’s first librarian, according to a news release from KU Endowment. Mason, who died in 2011, was a distinguished librarian at KU from 1957 until she retired in 1999.

Mason left a $1.03 million estate gift to KU Endowment from her retirement account, according to KU Endowment. The money will establish the Ann Hyde Fellowship for Medieval and Early Modern British and European Manuscripts. Hyde, Mason’s lifetime friend who died in 2014, was manuscripts librarian at the Spencer Research Library before her retirement in 2000.

Alexandra “Sandy” Mason, who died in 2011, was a distinguished librarian at KU from 1957 until she retired in 1999. She was the Spencer Research Library's first librarian, according to KU.

Mason was beloved at KU and known internationally for her library work.

Beth Whittaker, KU Libraries assistant dean for distinguished collections and Spencer Research Library director, worked with Mason as a student assistant from 1992 to 1994.

“Sandy was a pioneering scholar-librarian,” Whittaker said in a news release. “She played a significant role in building the renowned and rich collections within this library, and she encouraged me to become a librarian.”

Mason built special collections of research materials at KU, guided generations of scholars and librarians, and was a leader in the Rare Books and Manuscripts section of the American Library Association. She received numerous professional awards for her work at KU and internationally.

“Sandy believed viscerally in the importance of books and libraries, both the intellectual value of their content and cultural value of their physical selves,” Bill Mitchell, a longtime friend and colleague, said in a news release. “I think Sandy wore a special kind of trifocals, for she seemed to be able to focus on the past, present and future.” 

Mason’s estate gift counts toward Far Above: The Campaign for Kansas, the university’s current comprehensive fundraising campaign.