A former librarian has left the University of Kansas library a $1 million gift.

The university announced Thursday that Alexandra “Sandy” Mason left the estate gift to the Kansas Endowment from her retirement account. The money will establish the Ann Hyde Fellowship for Medieval and Early Modern British and European Manuscripts.

Mason was the Spencer Research Library’s first librarian, working from 1957 until 1999. She died in 2011. Hyde, Mason’s lifetime friend, was manuscripts librarian at Spencer before retiring in 2000. She died in 2014.

The university said Mason played a significant role in building the library’s collection. She received numerous professional awards for her work at Kansas and internationally.