Once a symbol of modern technology, the printing press represents a piece of history that gave birth to contemporary means of communication. This particular Columbian press is housed in the Bonnie Bell Wardman Library and came to Whittier in the early 1980s at the request of Phil O’Brien ’61, who was the library director at that time. The Hathaway family—involved in the ranch and oil industries for five generations—were the owners of the press. Valuing the importance of its historical meaning, O’Brien reached out to the family and asked for the press to be gifted to the College.
“It’s a symbol of one of the major revolutions in early American history,” said O’Brien. “It represents the letter press printing from the beginning of time, starting with Guttenberg.”
Invented by George Clymer in the early 19th century, the Columbian press is the first of its kind to be manufactured in the United States. Before that, printing presses had mostly been made in Europe. When this unit first arrived at Whittier, O’Brien put it to use printing flyers for basketball playoff games, displaying the typefaces available,
and printing broadsheets.
In 1988, world-renowned British printer John Randall came to Whittier to teach a JanTerm course specifically on this press.
Today, the press sits on the main floor of Wardman library and serves as reminder of an era that gave rise to the widespread printing of books.