Senator Tim Kennedy Honors Dr. Eva M. Doyle with Auditorium Dedication Ceremony at Buffalo's Frank E. Merriweather, Jr. Branch Library 

BUFFALO, N.Y. The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library System and New York State Senator Timothy M. Kennedy officially dedicated the newly named Dr. Eva M. Doyle Auditorium at the Frank E. Merriweather, Jr. Branch Library, 1324 Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo.

The auditorium naming and ribbon cutting public ceremony recognizes Mrs. Doyle’s vast contributions as a teacher, writer and community leader. She is a retired Buffalo Public School teacher with 30 years of classroom experience and presently lectures extensively on topics of African and African American history. Dr. Doyle writes the “Eye on History” column for The Buffalo Criterion and has hosted the bimonthly “Eye on History” talk show on WUFO Radio for over 14 years. She has also received numerous awards for her work in education and service to the community, including being recognized as 2012 Citizen of the Year by The Buffalo News.

“The Library is honored to celebrate the accomplishments of Eva Doyle,” said Dorinda Darden, Library Assistant Deputy Director. “She is a cheerful, familiar face here and at our other Buffalo library locations. An educator and advocate, Mrs. Doyle authored 11 books and created the prestigious annual ‘Roses for Outstanding Women’ program held each year at a Buffalo library. We are thrilled to commemorate her legacy by dedicating the Frank E. Merriweather, Jr. Branch Library auditorium in her name.”

“Dr. Eva Doyle has dedicated her life to preserving African American history in Buffalo and beyond. Her incredible commitment to this city's culture, paired with her outstanding activism for education and strengthening opportunities for our students, deserves to be fully celebrated. I can think of no better place than at the Frank E. Merriweather, Jr. Branch Library, which houses one of the largest resource centers in Western New York for information on African American History," said Senator Tim Kennedy. "I'm thrilled to join the Library System to commemorate Dr. Doyle's decades of literature, leadership and service with the renaming of the Merriweather Library's auditorium in her honor."

“Eva Doyle’s decades long commitment to black history education and telling Buffalo’s African American story through teaching, writing and speaking continues to make her a treasured asset to the City of Buffalo and Western New York.
Mrs. Doyle’s passion for teaching history, infectious spirit and deep pride in her community have inspired me and scores of City residents to keep building on our shared commitment to create an inclusive, diverse and equitable Buffalo for all of our residents,” Mayor Byron W. Brown said. “Renaming the Merriweather Library Auditorium to honor Eva Doyle is a wonderful way to thank her for making a positive difference in our community.”

The ceremony also featured Buffalo Common Council President Darius G. Pridgen, community drummers, a song sung by Brenda Brown of the New Beginnings Choral Ensemble and an invocation from Dr. James A. Lewis III, Overseer Pastor, Miracle Missions Full Gospel Church.

The Frank E. Merriweather, Jr. Branch Library, located on Buffalo’s East Side, features African American history in its design and collections. The building’s interconnected interior spaces, designed by the late Robert Traynham Coles, are intended to suggest an African village. The Merriweather Branch is home to the William A. Miles Center for African and African-American Studies, the largest resource center in Western New York for information on African American history.

For more information, call the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library System at 716-858-8900 or visit www.BuffaloLib.org.

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