In 1952 George Willets Davison, class of 1892, established an attractive rare book room on Olin Library's main floor, where Wesleyan undergraduates might encounter the original editions and beautiful books which had added so much meaning and pleasure to his own life. Davison, who served on the University's Board of Trustees from 1912 until his death in 1953 and was its president from 1928 to 1943, is remembered as one of Wesleyan's greatest benefactors.
Together with architect Arthur Harmon, Davison carefully planned the room's appearance: handcarved walnut paneling, built-in glass-fronted book shelves, a built-in exhibition case for his four Shakespeare folios, and a marble fireplace. Its formal dedication ceremonies on 6 December 1952 featured a talk by Lawrance Thompson, 1928, entitled "Rare Books in Liberal Arts College Teaching." Today the room represents a showplace for approximately ten per cent of the library's rare books as well as a setting where classes and other small groups can examine rare books. Two-thirds of the 1500 volumes in the room belonged to George Davison's own collection; most of the remaining third came from other major donors.
Notable among the Davison Room's holdings are more than 125 titles printed in the 15th century, Bibles from the 13th to the 20th centuries, important works of English and American literature and thought, landmarks of typography, fine press books, and books about papermaking. Its many illustrated books complement George Davison's prints, the foundation for the University's print collection in the Davison Art Center.