September 11, 1997
Contact: Carmen Ramos Chandler,
(818) 677-2130
cchandler@exec.csun.edu
The Boniface I. Obichere Research Library will house the books and papers of the former UCLA African studies professor, and will be open to researchers and students.
"CSUN has a number of Obichere's Ph.D. students teaching here so we prevailed on Dr. Obichere's widow and son to grant his books, papers and correspondence to Northridge where we thought we could give it the attention it deserved," said David L. Horne, chairman of CSUN's Pan-African Studies Department and a former Obichere student.
The collection, valued at $275,000, includes 4,250 books as well as personal correspondence, notebooks, research material, articles, book manuscripts, theses and dissertations, periodicals, maps, murals, photographs and African art and artifacts that Obichere amassed during his 30-year career.
It will be formally presented to the university by Obichere's family at the Oct. 3 ceremony at 1 p.m. in Sierra Hall on the west side of the campus at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge.
Obichere died of prostate cancer on March 14 in Los Angeles. he was 64.
Born in Awaka Owerri, Nigeria, Obichere earned a doctorate in African history from Oxford University in 1967. He won international acclaim among academicians for his innovative, interdisciplinary study of the relationship between African and African American history.
In addition to his teaching and research work, Obichere also founded and was editor-in-chief of "The Journal of African Studies," which was published by UCLA until 1989.
Horne said the CSUN scholars were reviving the publication, and its first issue is due in November.
"There is this African saying that African men live for two reasons - for family and for making contributions to the society in which they have lived," Horne said. "If you have lived a good life, then you will have people, not only your offspring, who have known you and who will continue what you have done. If there is no continuation, then you haven't done anything.
"What Dr. Obichere did will be continued for a very long time," Horne said.
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