Kirby Collection of Historical Paintings, assembled by Allan P Kirby, class of 1915, consists of nineteenth and 20th century American portraits, history paintings, and sculpture.

Assembled by Allan P. Kirby in the 1940s and 50s, “It was intended to have broadly represented the many fields of achievement through which men can leave lasting impressions upon the nation.”  Recent additions include a portrait of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall; a portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsberg–recently commissioned–will be added to the portraits in Kirby Hall of Civil Rights. A selection of the portraits can been seen in Kirby Hall of Civil Rights, built in 1929–30, given by Fred Morgan Kirby, to house the Department of Government and Law. Of special note are portraits of Thomas Jefferson at the Natural Bridge, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, John Marshall, and Thurgood Marshall. The Kirby Collection’s history paintings include Barbara Frietchie by Dennis Malone Carter and The Landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock by Peter Frederick Rothermel. Other portraits and history paintings can now be viewed in the new the Kirby Art Study Center, at the Williams Center for the Arts.