Spencer L. Taggart first developed a love for Czech culture and language when he served a 3-year mission for the LDS Church in the early 1930's. Taggart was profoundly impressed by the president of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš G. Masaryk. Taggart wrote that he especially respected Masaryk's "deep and abiding love of truth, and his life-long defense of truth." After World War II, Taggart returned to Czechoslovakia and began collecting anything he could find written by or about Masaryk. He developed a camaraderie with the owners of several book stores in Prague and Taggart recorded that this friendship established trust and many "rare and valuable items were brought out of hiding and made available to [him]." Taggart accumulated over a thousand books, beginning with Masaryk and his works and expanding to include all four main periods of Czech history over the last centuries.
Taggart passed away in November of 2000, yet, through his generosity, visitors to Utah State University will continue to benefit from Masaryk's influence and the lessons to be learned from Czech and Slovak historical study.
