Who is Emerson College's library named after?
Answer
The library is named for Shoo Iwasaki, who was born in 1934 in Kagawa, Japan. After graduating from Chuo University's legal program in 1961, he established himself as a well-known announcer in the Nishi Nippon Broadcasting Company. Dr. Iwasaki has had a life-long passion for preserving the environment and promoting the importance of education, with some of his major accomplishments including:
- Establishing Green Cross Japan in 1993, for which he became the president in 1996;
- Serving on the board of Yoshii School (Kagoshima, Japan) and the Togahara Welfare Foundation in 1998;
- Establishing the Iwasaki Scholarship Fund for students in the Honors Program at Emerson College with his wife (Toshiko Iwasaki) in 1998;
- Receiving an Honorary Doctorate from Emerson College in 1997 and another from Kyonggi University (South Korea) in 2003; and
- Serving as President of Active Asia Association in 2004.
In 2007, Dr. Iwasaki established a $1 million endowment for the Emerson College Library, which was renamed in his honor during a ceremony that took place on October 10, 2007.
Learn more about the dedication in 2007, or his 80th birthday party in 2014.