Dedicated in honor of President James Gilliam Gee in 1972, the James G. Gee Library was designed by George Dahl with expansion in mind. The original, two-story portion of the building was completed in 1959. Shortly thereafter, an expansion was required, which nearly doubled the building's footprint. The library became the second tallest structure on campus following the third and final expansion, which added the third, fourth, and fifth floors to the building. In 2020 the library was renamed the Velma K. Waters Library in order to honor Velma Kinchlow Waters, one of the first Black students to attend the university. Velma K. Waters Library is located near the center of campus between McDowell Administration Building and Sowers Education South.