20 years of Slocum puzzles at Lilly Library

Special Rubik's Cube stickers were made by Graphic Designer and Lilly Library Communications Coordinator David Orr for the occasion and were handed out to participants at the NPL. Slocum received his already placed on two special Rubik's Cubes.

After a masterful career at Hughes Aircraft Company, where he was instrumental in creating and implementing Head Up Display for airplanes, Jerry retired in 1993. By then, he had 30,000 puzzles, his own puzzle museum, and had created the International Puzzle Party, an invitation only party for puzzle enthusiasts. He was looking for a permanent home for his collection and visiting libraries with Tangram puzzles, the Chinese classic puzzle with typically seven geometric shapes – called tans – that must be fit together in a specific way to create a figure such as a bird.

Along with the Library of Congress, UCLA, Huntington Library, and others, Slocum visited the Lilly Library. He was touched by the courtesy and helpfulness of the staff. In his latest book, Jerry Slocum’s Cockpit Design Career and Mechanical Puzzle Collection Hobby, Slocum wrote, “The Lilly Library also had a marvelous set of Tangram problem cards that I believe is the only copy in the world of that set.”

Besides being impressed with the Lilly Library, one of Slocum’s antiquarian bookseller friends from New York City recommended the Lilly Library as an ideal home for the Slocum puzzles. 

During his visit, Jerry said that he loves the people at Lilly Library, especially Andrew Rhoda, Lilly Library’s Puzzle Curator. During the National Puzzlers’ League Convention, the lecture hall in the Library was transformed into an activity room.  Rhoda had book carts full of approximately 90 mechanical puzzles. Tables were arranged around the middle of the room in an oval. Participants chose a puzzle and attempted to solve it, often with a friend or two.

Slocum, who was with his son and other family and friends, watched and walked around. Slocum was asked if he had touched and figured out all the puzzles on the carts. At one time or other, he had. Julie Schulz, Slocum’s niece, handed out Tangram puzzles from Slocum himself.

The next day, Slocum spent most of the time in the Slocum room, Lilly Library’s puzzle room. He talked to people about his life and handed out his latest book. It’s a summary of his life, one part engineer, second part puzzler extraordinaire.

On his flight to the National Puzzle League Convention, Slocum told the pilot about his helping to create Head Up Display for airplanes. He said that the pilot thanked him, saying it was a very important invention. Engineering and puzzles fit together perfectly.

You can take a tour of the Jerry Slocum Collection with Curator of Puzzles Andrew Rhoda on Fridays at 1:00 p.m. Come in and pick up Slocum’s latest book while supplies last. The Lilly Library will be closed this summer from July 27 to August 3.

Learn more about the Jerry Slocum Collection from the website and Rhoda’s blogs.