UNC alumna Florence Fearrington has given $5 million to the Wilson Special Collections Library. This is the largest gift ever given to a library on the UNC campus.

She designated $1 million of her gift to help update the reading room in Wilson for the first time since a three-year renovation that began in 1984. It will be renamed the Fearrington Reading Room in her honor. The rest of her contribution will create the Fearrington Special Collections Library Fund, and will be used for research work and student resources.

Fearrington has made previous gifts to the the UNC Library’s Rare Book Collection. She also created the Joseph Peyton Fearrington and James Cornelius Pass Fearrington Fund at the Health Sciences Library to honor her grandfather and father.

Fearrington graduated from UNC in 1958. She was honored at this year’s University Day Convocation for her career in finance since graduating with a degree in mathematics, and for her achievements as a collector of rare books.