Dr. Garcia Reading Room Dedication

By: Honor Tamminga

Photographed by: Victoria Prieto

On Oct. 14, students and faculty of the Honors Program gathered in Armstrong House to join together in the dedication of the Dr. Garcia Reading Room, which is now home to the personal library of the late Dr. Javier Garcia.

Dr. Ross McCullough, associate professor of philosophy, led the service, using words from the Book of Common Prayer to guide the dedication. Voices joined together in the responsive reading, consecrating the dedication with a sense of solemnity and unity. To conclude the dedication, the group sang the hymn “Nearer, My God, to Thee” in harmony with one another. Following the service, many were able to walk through the room and honor the memory of Dr. Garcia.

As the George Fox University (GFU) community, and specifically the Honors Program, mourns the death of Dr. Garcia, the Dr. Garcia Reading Room will be a place for those who knew him, as well as those who will hear of him, to remember him. His legacy lives on in the books he left behind and in the hearts of the students and faculty of the Honors Program.

The Dr. Garcia Reading Room holds books that his family donated to the Honors Program. These books contain his own personal notes and reflections. Dr. McCullough said, “I think [this dedication will] take a space that has already been a study space for many students in the past and consecrate it, [...] as a way of connecting with the past of the program and also connecting in a prayerful way with the rest of the program and with God.”

The dedication of the reading room marked one of the last formal moments of celebrating Dr. Garcia’s life and legacy. At the same time, this service marked the beginning of a new way his life and legacy will continue to shape the program.

The Dr. Garcia Reading Room is located on the first floor of the Armstrong House, across the street from the Pennington House, on East Sheridan Street.