Bound Together: From Library Study Dates to Shaping Miami’s Future
“We spent many weeknights at King Library during our Miami days,” Alan recalls. “It was a quiet retreat from noisy dorms and fraternity houses. It was a place for exploring new ideas and developing what would become our own future together.” For Alan ’73 and Susan Moesta Letson ’75, Miami University’s King Library wasn’t just a place to study—it was the backdrop to their love story.
When King Library opened in 1966, named for longtime library director Edgar W. King, it marked a pivotal shift in campus life, creating a centralized research and study space.
Decades later, as King Library has grown into a modern four-story hub, the Letsons are ensuring that Miami University Libraries remain a sanctuary for future generations. Through their continued support of the Alan and Susan Letson Library Development Fund, the couple is helping Miami’s library meet the demands of modern information management and scholarly preservation.
As a career librarian herself, Susan brings a deep reverence for the preservation of primary sources—a tradition King Library has maintained since becoming Miami’s main library in the late 1960s. “Digitizing is not the same as archiving,” Susan emphasizes, underscoring the importance of protecting physical history. This profound understanding of stewardship makes the Letsons’ generous contribution all the more impactful. Expressing his gratitude, Dean Jerome Conley shares, “By aligning their financial planning so thoughtfully with their philanthropic passions, the Letsons are providing a transformative gift. Their vision and support help us ensure that the library remains a vibrant, cutting-edge resource for generations to come.”
Their most recent gift establishes the Letson Scholar, a named librarian position dedicated to ongoing professional development. They utilized a smart financial strategy: making a gift directly through their IRA. By directing their RMDs straight to Miami University, the Letsons maximize the impact of their giving, reduce their taxable income, and seamlessly sustain the fund that means so much to them.