Marion E. Wade Center facts for kids

The Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College (Illinois) is a special place. It holds many important books, letters, and writings. These items are mostly about seven famous writers from the United Kingdom. These authors are C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, G. K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, Charles Williams, Owen Barfield, and George MacDonald. The center also has items from C. S. Lewis's wife, the poet Joy Davidman. The center is named after Marion E. Wade, who started ServiceMaster Corp.

The Wade Center is a place for people to study these authors. Scholars, who are like expert researchers, come from all over the world to visit. The center has at least one copy of every book written by these authors. It also has many books, articles, and other materials about them. For example, it has the most complete collection of Dorothy L. Sayers' writings. This includes thousands of her letters and documents. Some family papers from the authors are also kept here.

The center has a museum too. It shows off cool items and changing exhibits about the authors. You can see their books, letters, and other special things.

Discover the Wade Center: A Special Collection

The Marion E. Wade Center is a unique library and museum. It is located at Wheaton College (Illinois). This center is dedicated to preserving the works of famous authors. It helps people learn more about their stories and ideas.

Who Are the Amazing Authors?

The Wade Center focuses on seven important writers. They are all from the United Kingdom.

• C. S. Lewis is famous for The Chronicles of Narnia. This series includes The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
• J. R. R. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. These are beloved fantasy adventures.
• G. K. Chesterton was a writer of many kinds of books. He wrote stories, poems, and essays.
• Dorothy L. Sayers was known for her detective stories. She also wrote plays and essays.
• Charles Williams wrote fantasy novels and poetry. His stories often explored deep ideas.
• Owen Barfield was a philosopher and writer. He explored language and imagination.
• George MacDonald wrote fantasy novels and fairy tales. He inspired many later authors, including C. S. Lewis.

The center also has items from Joy Davidman, who was C. S. Lewis's wife. She was a talented poet.

What Can You Explore at the Center?

The Wade Center is like a treasure chest for fans of these authors.

• Books and Writings: You can find almost every book written by the Wade authors. There are also many articles and studies about them.
• Letters and Documents: The center holds thousands of original letters. These give a peek into the authors' lives. For Dorothy L. Sayers, there are over 30,000 pages of her letters!
• Museum Exhibits: The museum has cool items from the authors. You might see their personal belongings or early versions of their books. The exhibits change, so there's always something new to see.
• Special Items: A famous item is C. S. Lewis's dining-room table. It used to be used by researchers. Now, it's part of the museum exhibits. You can also see a special wardrobe, like the one in Narnia!

How the Wade Center Began

The Wade Center started a long time ago. It was founded in 1965 by a person named Clyde S. Kilby. He wanted to create a place to keep the works of these important authors safe.

A New Home for the Collection

In 2001, the Wade Center moved into a brand new building. This building is on the edge of the Wheaton College campus. The new space has a bigger reading room for visitors. It also has classrooms and a larger area for the museum exhibits. This new building helps the center welcome more people.

Leaders of the Center

Many people have helped lead the Wade Center over the years.

• Clyde S. Kilby was the first director. He started the center.
• Later directors included Lyle W. Dorsett and Christopher W. Mitchell. Christopher Mitchell wrote a book about C. S. Lewis.
• Marjorie Lamp Mead was an interim director. She wrote guides to C. S. Lewis's Narnia books.
• Since 2018, David Downing and Crystal Downing have been co-directors. David Downing has written several books about C. S. Lewis. Crystal Downing has written books about Dorothy L. Sayers.

Fun Events and Activities

The Wade Center often hosts special events. These events are related to the authors it studies.

• Meetings: Scholarly groups sometimes meet here to discuss the authors.
• Book Discussions: You can join groups that talk about the authors' books.
• Classes: The center sometimes offers classes to learn more about the authors.
• Celebrations: They might even have parties for new movies or books related to the authors!]