A prominent Dallas physician with a close connection to the University has donated a rare collection of 10 historic books and pamphlets to UT Dallas’ McDermott Library.

The books donated by Dr. Ludwig Michael, a trustee emeritus of the Foundation for the Callier Center, capture important moments in the history of American literature and in the English language itself.

Dr. Michael had been an avid collector of Mark Twain material since his college days and frequently visited antiquarian book stores on his travels to medical conventions and meetings. He eventually expanded his tastes beyond Twain as he sought rare items to add to his eclectic collection.

Ludwig Michael

Dr. Ludwig Michael had been an avid collector of Mark Twain material since his college days.

The most prominent of Michael’s books joining UT Dallas’ Special Collections are a petite edition of Poems of the Old South and a two-volume, first-edition set of Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language. The latter, published in 1755, is considered to be one of the most influential dictionaries in the history of the English language.

“Dr. Michael’s gift provides McDermott Library with several treasures, including the Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language,” said Dr. Ellen Safley, Director of UT Libraries. “It was the English dictionary for more than 150 years until the publication of the Oxford English Dictionary.”

Despite its title, Poems of the Old South refers to a historic structure in the northeast United States. The Old South Meeting House (and church) in Boston preceded the better-known Old North Church of Paul Revere fame and was the organizing point for the 1773 Boston Tea Party. When the Old South faced demolition in the 1880s, preservationists rallied to save it. They raised funds by issuing a book with exclusive works by famous poets.

“Dr. Michael’s gift provides McDermott Library with several treasures including the Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language. It was the English dictionary for more than 150 years, until the publication of the Oxford English Dictionary.”

Dr. Ellen Safley, director of UT Libraries

The UT Dallas copy donated by Michael was a second edition issued in 1879, whose glamour is provided by the signatures of all of the contributors – Henry W. Longfellow, John G. Whittier, Julia Ward Howe (who also wrote “Battle Hymn of the Republic”), Edward E. Hale, James F. Clarke and Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.  Longfellow and Holmes dated their signatures by adding “1879.”

Dr. Michael served in the Army in Chickasha, Okla., and at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he worked with soldiers who had suffered hearing loss. He received a B.A. and M.D. from New York University and completed otolaryngology work at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis.

He came to Dallas in 1948, joining the staff of Baylor Medical Center, where he was named chief of otolaryngology in 1964 and again in 1975.

“My association with UT Dallas comes, really, through Callier,” Michael said. “Nelle Johnston and I were two founders of the Callier Hearing and Speech Center in 1963.”

Johnston was also the first administrative assistant to the founders of Texas Instruments – Erik Jonsson, Eugene McDermott and Cecil Green – who also founded the predecessor to UT Dallas. Michael has served as president of the Foundation for the Callier Center and is now one of its emeritus trustees.

Dr. Michael and his wife, Dr. Carmen Michael, a psychologist, have been active in the Dallas area with Baylor University Medical Center, UT Southwestern, SMU, UT Dallas Callier Center and numerous community organizations.