Once again, it is brought to our attention the unique treasures that are housed in the Libraries’ Special Collections department and its equally treasured staff members.

For months Ilias Chrissochoidis, a Stanford alumnus and Continuing Studies lecturer, frequented SUL's Special Collections department. It wasn't until recently that staff members were pleasantly surprised to find out the results of those visits. In February 2013, Chrissochoidis published a book, Spyros P. Skouras, Memoirs (1893-1953).

You see, Special Collections is home to 86 boxes of documents chronicling Skouras' life, all of which Chrissochoidis had been spending months going through. It was, in part, these treasured items and the patience and expertise of Special Collections staff members, Mattie Taormina, Polly Armstrong and Nan Mehan, those whom Chrissochoidis specifically acknowledges in his book, that helped give way to this memoir.

In an article published by Stanford News, Stanford scholar sheds light on Greek immigrant's rags-to-riches story, it's stated, "Chrissochoidis found that few people were aware of the significance of his [Spyros] contributions. Even fewer knew that the only primary source on his life, and probably on Twentieth Century-Fox's company history during his presidency, is kept in the Stanford University Libraries' Department of Special Collections."

Read more about Spyros P. Skouras and Ilias Chrissochoidis' book, Spyros P. Skouras, Memoirs (1893-1953) in:

• SearchWorks
• Stanford scholar sheds light on Greek immigrant's rags-to-riches story 
• Spyros P. Skouras
• The Pappas Post
• Amazon

Kudos to Special Collections!