WENHAM, Mass. – A decision by a Boston-area Christian college to auction a portion of its rare collection of Bibles and Shakespeare folios donated nearly a century ago by the family of a railroad executive isn't sitting well with his descendants and some faculty.
The family of Edward Payson Vining donated the 7,000-volume collection to Gordon College in 1922 with the condition that it remain intact and with the school.
Gordon wants to sell about 10 percent of the collection, a sale that could generate as much as $2.5 million to help preserve the remainder.
Vining's great-granddaughter, 76-year-old Sandra Webber, said she was "shocked" when told of the sale by a Boston Globe (http://bit.ly/181rHAg ) reporter.
Professor James Trent calls the auction "an example of the larger issue of a breakdown between the faculty and the administration."
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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.bostonglobe.com
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