UC San Diego, “due to conflicting activities on campus,” canceled its annual Seuss Day birthday celebration this year on March 2 at Geisel Library. On-campus labor union workers held a protest over high costs where the event was scheduled to take place.

“Our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience this might cause,” said the university in a release.

“While many of the activities did not go forward as originally planned, cake was distributed as part of the commemoration of Read Across America Day,” said university spokesperson Leslie Sepuka, associate director of communications. “The university shared information regarding the Seuss event through social media and online channels. The team planning the media outreach for the event also reached out to reporters, producers and bloggers directly via email.”

Countless readers have been delighted by Dr. Seuss’s unmatched ability to craft catchy rhymes that are nearly impossible to forget in his more than 60 children’s books. To help celebrate the life and work of the iconic American author, UC San Diego every year hosts its annual birthday celebration for Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, near the Silent Tree outside Geisel Library.

This year marked the author’s 116th birthday, a celebration that coincided with national Read Across America Day. Geisel died of cancer Sept. 24, 1991, at age 87 at his home in La Jolla.

On Dec. 1, 1995, the University Library Building was renamed Geisel Library in honor of Audrey and Theodor Geisel for the generous contributions they have made to the library and their devotion to improving literacy.