Historic USC library offers a feast for the eyes and the mind

Just off Exposition Boulevard on the south side of USC’s University Park Campus lies a storied building often affectionately referred to by students as “Hogwarts.” Hoose Library of Philosophy offers a quiet enclave for study and reflection by scholars of the School of Philosophy at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences as well as others on campus.

Named for the original head of the Department of Philosophy, James Harman Hoose, the library is USC’s oldest, with features that include furniture designed by local artists of the 1920s and tile mosaics by artist Helen Bruton and her sister, Esther.

Its collections include items from historically momentous figures such as Roman statesman Cicero, William of Ockham (source of the “Occam’s Razor” principle) and Enlightenment philosopher John Locke.

“This building is a designated national historic register as well as Los Angeles cultural monument,” says Hoose’s head librarian, Melissa Miller. Artifacts and the building itself are nearly 100 years old, and it has served as an international hub of intellectual thought since its founding, she adds.

Philosophy is a central and fundamental field at USC Dornsife, says School of Philosophy Director Ralph Wedgwood, professor of philosophy. “The fact that we have this beautiful building shows that USC was determined to invest in it.”