Walter Welch Collection

Walter Frederick Welch Jr. was an avid lover of scholarship across many different fields and sought, throughout his life, to cultivate a similar love among others. Born in Jamaica, New York in 1906, he attended Jamaica High School where he was a member of the Chemical Society, History Club, and Philosophy Club. He attended Tufts University and graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry in 1928. 

Welch maintained a fascination with literature and history throughout his life. His senior yearbook quote, “asleep in laps of legends old,” an excerpt of John Keats’ poem “The Eve of St. Agnes,” embodies this passion. After leaving school, Welch traveled the world collecting rare books and manuscripts, with the hopes of cultivating a collection spanning five centuries, with approximately one book for each decade. In 1953, Welch began donating parts of his collection to Tufts University with the aim of enhancing literary enthusiasm among Tufts students and giving them tangible examples tracing the history of communication, bookbinding, and the writing and printing of language. He continued to acquire and donate materials including Medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, early printed books, literary first editions, and modern fine press books for nearly two decades. He hoped his donation would encourage other donations to the school and contribute to a robust collection for Tufts’s students. Today and in every semester, instructors and students study books donated through Walter Welch’s foresight and generosity, while Tisch Library Special Collections continues to build on the strengths of the Welch Collection with new acquisitions exemplifying the history of writing and printing.