Broomfield's library is named for Mamie Doud Eisenhower, who came to its dedication

Broomfield’s public library has a name many newcomers ask about: the Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library. The story behind it is a real piece of local history.

Mamie Doud Eisenhower was the wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and her family had Denver roots. When Broomfield dedicated its new library building in 1963, a local supporter named Bal Swan asked that it carry her name. The honor turned into something warmer than a plaque on a wall. Both Mamie and General Eisenhower came to the library’s dedication on July 7, 1963, as honored guests.

The library has moved and grown since then. The building you visit today on Community Park Road is the third home to carry the Eisenhower name, and the city has kept the name through each move. The library also keeps a historic book collection tied to its early years, a link back to the days when the town’s library fit in a much smaller space.

So the next time you check out a book in Broomfield, you are standing in an institution a former First Lady honored in person. For the full timeline, and for details on the historic collection, the City and County of Broomfield’s library history page tells the story.