John Paden, Robinson Professor of International Studies at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and a noted Africana scholar, has donated a large archive of material to the university’s library.
The Paden Collection includes about 4,000 items. Among the items in the collection are rare books, manuscripts, maps, and photographs. One of the more unique pieces is a book compiled in the early twentieth century for the British government of Nigeria that serves as a translation guide for the Hausa language. Also in the collection is a leather-bound copy of Henry M. Stanley’s book, In Darkest Africa.
