TCU's Mary Couts Burnett Library has a rather unusual history. It is named for an individual who had no formal association with the University. When cattleman S. Burk Burnett died in 1923, his will indicated that his estate was not to be inherited by his wife, Mary Couts Burnett, or any school or religious institution. Mrs. Burnett, however, prevailed, and from her estate came one of the largest gifts in TCU history.