The restoration of the Stamps Reading Room was made possible through the support of the charitable foundation of E. Roe Stamps IV (MBA 1974) and Penelope W. Stamps and is named in honor of their support of the renovation of Baker Library.

A generous gift from the charitable foundation of E. Roe Stamps IV (MBA 1974) and Penelope W. Stamps funded the meticulous restoration of Baker Library’s historic lobby and reading room during the building’s 2003–05 renovation. The gift also supported the creation of two floors of environmentally controlled underground stacks to house books and periodicals.

The Stamps Reading Room offers many vital library services, including the reference desk, current periodicals and books, and access to various financial databases. The space offers visitors and students a comfortable study and reading area. During the restoration of the space, workers uncovered and restored skylights that were painted over during World War II per order of the government, as during that time the School served as a military training program for army and navy personnel.

About the Name

After graduating from HBS, Roe Stamps spent a decade learning the ropes of venture capital in Chicago and Boston. By 1984 he was ready to launch his own endeavor and asked his colleague, Steve Woodsum, to join him in the founding of Summit Partners. Today, Summit is a leading, Boston-based private equity and venture capital firm.

Since stepping down from day-to-day operations at Summit, Stamps, with his wife of 41 years, Penny, turned a favorite vacation spot, Miami, into home. Together Roe and Penny run the family foundation and support a wide range of educational institutions and charitable causes. The primary focus of their philanthropy, however, is the Stamps Scholars Program, which they initially launched at Georgia Tech and have since expanded to two dozen universities across the country. The program offers top students full scholarships as well as access to supplemental funds for study-abroad programs, internships, or other activities that enrich the college experience. In addition, Roe—a 2012 HBS Alumni Achievement Award recipient—serves as a director of many private and public companies. Both Penny and Roe have been active members of the HBS Board of Dean’s Advisors since 2009, and Roe has been a successful leader in his class reunion fund.