J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit: A 75th
Anniversary Celebration

RAYNOR MEMORIAL LIBRARIES will be hosting three events during the academic year to commemorate the 75th anniversary of J. R. R. Tolkien's beloved classic, The Hobbit, first published by George Allen & Unwin, Ltd. on September 21, 1937.

February 21 (Thursday), 2013
“A Roundtable Discussion on Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit.”
     Dr. Robin Reid, Texas A&M University
     Dr. Yvette Kisor, Ramapo College of New Jersey
     Dr. Edward L. Risden, St. Norbert College
     Richard C. West, UW-Madison

Past events:

October 3 (Wednesday), 2012
“How The Hobbit Came to Milwaukee.”
Dr. John D. Rateliff (Grad '90)
(View video from this lecture)

November 8 (Thursday), 2012
“J. R. R. Tolkien and the Art of Middle-Earth”
Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull

Each of the events will be held at 4:30 p.m. in the Raynor Library Conference Center (lower level), Beaumier Suites B/C. They are free and open to the Marquette community and the general public. Members of the public without a Marquette ID should telephone the library archives by noon of the day before the event to pre-register: (414) 288-7256.

Marquette University has the distinction of owning the original manuscripts for The Hobbit as well as The Lord of the Rings, having acquired them from Professor Tolkien in the 1950s. The manuscripts are housed in the Department of Special Collections and University Archives located on the third floor of the John P. Raynor, S.J., Library. A permanent exhibit about the collection, including selected reproductions from the manuscripts, is located in the archives reading room. Visitors are welcome to view the exhibit during the department's normal hours of operation: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Questions about these events or the J. R. R. Tolkien Collection can be directed to: William Fliss, archivist and interim curator of the Tolkien Collection.

Dustjacket designed by
J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973)