This fund was established in 1995 for the purchase and preservation of books, periodicals, electronic and other materials in the subject of American History by Charles Denston Dickey, Jr., who received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Penn in 1988.

A Penn Parent, Mr. Dickey is a Trustee emeritus of the University of Pennsylvania, having given thoughtful support to a wide range of university activities. His support of the Penn Library includes not only the American History endowed fund for collection development, but the establishment of the Stovall/Dickey Group Study Room in the Goldstein Undergraduate Study Center.