Walker Memorial Library at Howard Payne University

10/23/2026

Campus Heritage Spotlight: S. L. Coggin Memorial Chapel & Theatre

Completed in 1921 on the original Daniel Baker College campus, the S. L. Coggin Memorial Chapel stood for decades as a centerpiece of student life, culture, and creative expression.

A Hub for the Arts: The building housed fine arts, home economics, publications, and speech and hearing resources, while its auditorium showcased generations of Footlight Players productions.

Gatherings & Community: From enthusiastic Homecoming assemblies and pep rallies to inspiring addresses by noted spiritual leaders, Coggin Chapel served as a true storehouse of memories for the campus community.

The Howard Payne Era: Following the 1953 consolidation of Daniel Baker College into Howard Payne, the facility underwent extensive renovations in 1956—officially transitioning into the Coggin Chapel Theatre (later Coggin Memorial Theatre) to serve generations of Yellow Jackets for campus talent shows, speech classes, and mainstage dramatic productions.

Legacy: Closed in the late 1990s due to structural concerns and eventually razed in 1999/2000, Coggin Theatre remains a cherished chapter in our university's history.

Did you ever attend a performance, service, or class in Coggin Theater? Did you tread the boards in a production? Share your favorite memories in the comments below! 👇

10/12/2026

The library will be closed for Fall break. Online library resources will remain available through the library's webpage.

10/08/2026

Before the yellow jackets filled campus with memories, there was Old Main.

Here’s a look back at Howard Payne’s historic Old Main — a landmark that stood at the heart of campus and became part of generations of HPU memories.

Though the building is no longer standing, its legacy lives on in the stories, traditions and Yellow Jackets who have called Howard Payne home.

Some things change. The HPU spirit never does.

What’s your favorite Howard Payne memory? Share it with us below!

If you remember Old Main, tell us what it was like!

Photo credit: Howard Payne University Library / The Portal to Texas History.

09/18/2026

Flashback Friday! Daze of Payne 2014. Were you there?

09/17/2026

Happy Constitution & Citizenship Day! Stop by the library today and pick up a free, pocket-sized constitution. Everyone should read it!

09/16/2026

Need to find peer-reviewed research for your paper? Don't start with a broad web search—head straight to Academic Search Complete on the library website.

Use simple keyword combinations, wrap exact phrases in quotation marks (like "climate change"), and check the "Full Text" filter box to instantly read complete articles.

Save time, skip paywalls, and cite like a pro!

08/28/2026

04/13/2026

Happy National Scrabble Day!

Whether you're a strategic "Triple Word Score" hunter or just here for the fun of tile-shuffling, today is the perfect day to celebrate the world’s favorite word game. Did you know that National Scrabble Day is celebrated on April 13th to honor the birthday of the game's inventor, Alfred Mosher Butts?

Here are a few ways to celebrate today:

Challenge a Friend: Dust off the board or start a digital match.

Learn a New Word: Did you know "Qi" (vital force) is one of the most played two-letter words?

Hunt for Bingo: Try to use all seven of your tiles in one turn for that sweet 50-point bonus!

Tell us: What’s the highest-scoring word you’ve ever played? 👇

10/14/2025

Library resources will remain available through the library's website. Have a great break!

09/12/2025

Did you know that Academic Search Complete is a powerful multidisciplinary database for scholarly research? It's a leading resource for academic institutions, providing access to thousands of full-text, peer-reviewed journals, periodicals, reports, books, and more.

It's a great tool for high-level research in a wide range of subjects, from the sciences to humanities.

We have it, and we can help you learn to use it!