The William J. and Laura B. Corbett Medieval Library Endowment was established in 1946. The fund, started by the Corbetts, has been critical in the development of the Medieval Institute, one of the University’s most distinguished programs. The family has continued to support this endowment for three generations.

Will and Laura’s lifelong relationship with Notre Dame began in 1923 when their son William Jr. (’27) came to campus as a freshman. They developed lasting friendships with Rev. John F. O’Hara, C.S.C., and many other religious and lay members of the staff and faculty. Will was a member of the Notre Dame Board of Trustees and Laura was a charter member of the Women’s Advisory Council. Numerous descendants have since attended Notre Dame.

Today, the Corbett’s endowment supports the purchase of current publications in the Medieval Institute’s traditional areas of special strength: theology, philosophy, church history, education, and manuscript studies. It serves to enrich this core collection with supporting scholarly works, as well as to add the occasional “luxury” item. One such item was a reproduction of the Apocalypse of the Duke of Savoy.

Since the very inception of the Medieval Institute at Notre Dame, the Corbett Endowment has been the basic source for materials in the study of medieval philosophy and theology and the manuscripts in which these texts were first recorded. Over the years, funding from the endowment has allowed the Medieval Institute to expand and develop along with the range of interests of medievalists at the University and around the world.