SR-900-000-01
LIBRARY: Admin
December 10, 2002 Santa Monica, CA
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Request to name the auditorium at the new Santa Monica Public
Library in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Introduction
This report conveys the Library Board?s support for the Martin Luther King Jr.
Westside Coalition?s request to name the new Library?s auditorium after Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Background
In December 1967 the current Library?s auditorium was named for Russell K.
Hart who had served as a City Councilman and was twice elected Mayor of
Santa Monica. Mr. Hart was the Chairman of the Citizen?s Committee that
successfully supported the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium Bond Issue and
during Mr. Hart?s years of service from 1962-1967 on the Library Board he led
the Citizen?s Committee for Library Bonds in a successful campaign for funds to
build the current main library building. He was selected to be included in the
Santa Monica High School Hall of Fame and in 1964 was honored with
community-wide observance of Russell K. Hart day when he was named a life
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member of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce in recognition of his fifty
years of continuous membership and which organization he served as President.
He was a charter member of the Santa Monica Rotary Club and served on many
civic associations.
Staff has spoken to the Hart family about the replacement of the current building.
The family would very much like to have the plaque honoring Mr. Hart as a
keepsake.
For several years the Coalition has been seeking an appropriate naming
opportunity in the City of Santa Monica in order to honor Dr. King. The Board
encouraged the Coalition to consider naming opportunities within the Library,
rather than the building itself, because they, too, felt the Library was a good
venue for honoring Dr. King. They suggested a specially designed peace
garden, the central courtyard, or the auditorium.
On October 29, 2002 the Coalition sent a formal request to the City to name the
Main Library?s new auditorium after Dr. King. The letter (see attached) was
forwarded to the Library Board from the City Clerk and agendized by the Board
for the November 7 Library Board meeting.
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Discussion
Michelle Wittig, Chair of the Martin Luther King Jr. Westside Coalition and
Darlene Evans, member of the Coalition addressed the Board and explained the
Coalition?s reason for asking that the Auditorium as be named for Dr. King. The
Coalition feels that the ?auditorium offered the greatest opportunity for Dr. King?s
name to live on in perpetuity in our community. It is the Coalition?s
understanding that every event and notice advertising such event will carry the
name of the auditorium as part of the standard text included in such
announcements and invitations.?
Additionally, the Coalition offered to have a bronze plaque commissioned with
Dr. King?s name.
Library Board Chair Gene Oppenheim suggested that a peace garden named
after Dr. King seemed more fitting and more symbolic of Dr. King?s place in
American history. Ms. Wittig explained that the coalition felt strongly that a
garden was not perceived as a significant enough recognition of Dr. King?s
contributions.
After careful discussion of the matter the Library Board voted unanimously to
support the Coalition?s request to Council that the auditorium in the new Main
Library be named the Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium.
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Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council consider the request of the Martin Luther
King Jr. Westside Coalition and the support of the Library Board to name the
auditorium in the new Library for Martin Luther King, Jr. and to direct staff to
work with the Coalition and architects to design an appropriate plaque.
Prepared By:
Rachel Foyt, Administrative Analyst
Wini Allard, City Librarian
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