The Wichita Public Library Foundation has received a $100,000 gift from John Hyde, grandson of a Wichitan who invented mentholatum ointment.
The funds will go towards the campaign to build Wichita’s new Advanced Learning Library.
John Hyde serves on the foundation's board of directors and is Professor Emeritus of History at Williams College in Massachusetts. Hyde says he believes in supporting a project that invests in the knowledge of the community and the preservation of its history.
More than 125 years ago, Hyde's grandfather, A.A. Hyde, invented the aromatic ointment mentholatum on a kitchen stove in a building located on Douglas Street.
The Hyde philanthropy can be seen in the naming of a local elementary school, camp and park.
The Advanced Learning Library Capital Campaign has secured more than $6.2 million toward its overall goal of $8 million.
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Carla Eckels is assistant news director and the host of Soulsations. Follow her on Twitter @Eckels.
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