William R. and Erlyn J. Gould established an endowment in their names in 1992 in support of the activities conducted within the Utah Science, Engineering, and Medical Archives of the Marriott Library.

In addition to supporting the archives, the endowment also funds the annual William R. and Erlyn J. Gould Distinguished Lecture on Technology and the Quality of Life. The annual lectures focus on technical and environmental topics, and how these relate to society as a whole.

William R. Gould, one of the world's leading engineers, businessmen, and entrepreneurs, has named the Marriott Library as repository of record for his professional and personal papers spanning more than forty years. As with many of the donors of collections housed in the Utah Science Archives, extensive oral history interviews have been conducted with Mr. Gould, as a supplement to his collection.

Through support by the Gould Endowment of the Gould Distinguished Lecture series, Bill and Erlyn have expressed their desire to share with the public their hope for the future: that through a more complete understanding of technology and its application, perhaps the humanity of which we are all a part may find a stronger path to greater social potential.

In their support of the Marriott Library, the Utah Science Archives, and the Gould Distinguished Lecture series, Bill and Erlyn Gould have established a durable marker by which we may more easily find our way.