Ella Gardener McQuarrie Hatch Book collection, 1540-1972

Anne McQuarrie Hatch (1897-1979), the wife of Lorenzo Boyd Hatch (1897-1957), had an idea that turned into a hallmark of preserving history and art. In 1944, she wrote to the president of Utah State Agricultural College (USAC, now Utah State University) proposing to build a significant book collection at the college in honor of her recently deceased mother Ella Gardener McQuarrie Hatch (1866-1943). Ella had married Lorenzo's father, Hezekiah Hatch, in 1924.

President E.G. Peterson approved the proposal and with the help of library staff, Ann began to work on developing the book collection. In 1952 Boyd and Anne proposed the creation of a dedicated reading room within the library to house the collection and other rare materials. This proposal was accepted by the college's Board of Trustees, and in October of 1953, the USAC Library hosted a reception to officially open the Ella Gardener McQuarrie Hatch Memorial Library, today known as the Hatch Room.