TOP LEFT In a marble-edged lunette above the main entrance, set in brilliant mosaic, is the seal of the university, bearing an inscription familiar to all Trojans: Palmam qui meruit ferat (“Let whomever earns the palm bear it”). TOP RIGHT A portrait of Estelle and Edward L. Doheny Sr. The bereaved parents took an active part in shaping the lasting memorial to their son. MIDDLE LEFT An enthusiastic crowd gathered September 12, 1932, at the library’s entrance to watch the mighty cast-bronze doors swing open for the first time. MIDDLE RIGHT Wainscoted in Palaccio tile and marble bands, the central hall on the ground level features a secluded semi-octagon seat of Vaurion stone. BOTTOM Soaring three stories high, the breathtaking Rotunda is delicately lit by six stained-glass windows – the work of Wilbur Herbert Burnam of Boston. The three medallions in each window represent a major philosopher, a celebrated American university and an eminent foreign institution of higher learning. Suspended from the wood-beam ceiling is a magnificent, jewel-like chandelier ornamented with pewter and gold. Inset in the Roman travertine floor is a geometric design of marble, balancing the 12-foot band of Porta Rosa marble that brackets the colored windows.

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