Herman H. Fussler
Encyclopedia
Herman Howe Fussler was an American librarian
, library administrator, teacher
, writer
and editor
, who was a pioneer in the use of microphotography. Fussler was ranked as number 36 out of 100, in the article “100 of the Most Important Leaders we had in the 20th Century” published by American Libraries. Fussler served as director of the University of Chicago
libraries from 1948 to 1971, was Dean of the University of Chicago’s Library school, from 1961 to 1963, and was instrumental in the founding of the Regenstein Library
. He helped create the Center for Research Libraries. He was an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
and the American Association for the Advancement of Science
.
. Sometime during his childhood, Fussler’s parents moved the family to Chapel Hill, North Carolina
. Fussler’s father, Karl Hartley Fussler, was a physics professor and worked at the University of North Carolina
. While Fussler was in high school, he was fortunate to get a position as a student assistant in the physics department, where his father worked. During this time, Fussler obtained an interest in microphotography, which he carried with him into his college education and career.
, and in 1935 received his A.B. degree in Mathematics. Louis Round Wilson
, who was a friend of the Fussler family, encouraged Fussler to become a Librarian. In 1936, Fussler received his Bachelors degree in Library Science
. During his schooling, Fussler’s social world flourished as well; a year later, Fussler married Gladys Foster Otten. They had one child, a daughter, named Barbara Lynn. The summer after Fussler graduated from the University of North Carolina, he accepted a position with the New York Public Library
(NYPL). He worked in the Science and Technology Division in the library and was noticed by Harry Miller Lydenberg, the then Director of NYPL, and Keyes Metcalf
, who was currently the head of the Reference Department. Even though Fussler was offered a full time position with the NYPL, he decided to accept an offer from Director M. Llewellyn Raney to work for the libraries at the University of Chicago.
, Fussler continued his education, receiving his M.A. in 1941 and eventually his Ph.D. in 1948. When he arrived from New York, Fussler was asked to start up the Department of Photographic Reproduction. Fussler ran the Department for ten years from 1936-1946, while concurrently working as a Science Librarian for the University for the last three years. As the Science Librarian, he was expected to “oversee the collection development and administration of the departmental libraries.” Fussler was very ambitious; he worked his way up from Assistant Director to Associate Director, and finally became the Director of the university libraries. He held that title from 1948-1971. In 1971, Fussler decided to step down, so that he could pursue his other passion full-time, teaching. He had the same sense of enthusiasm while teaching graduate students that he did for working in the university libraries. He began as an instructor in 1942, became an Assistant Professor in 1944, a Professor in 1948, and acting Dean of the Library School in 1961.
During his term as Library Director, Fussler published several articles in scholarly publications such as Library Quarterly and American Documentation. In these articles he wrote about problems that face academic libraries and what he expected to see in happen in these libraries the future.
provided much needed grants to open the Midwest Inter-Library Center (MILC). The MILC is known today as the CRL or Center for Research Libraries.
began in 1967 and three years later the library was completed and opened. Herman Fussler died thirty years later, in March of 1997.
Librarian
A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...
, library administrator, teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, who was a pioneer in the use of microphotography. Fussler was ranked as number 36 out of 100, in the article “100 of the Most Important Leaders we had in the 20th Century” published by American Libraries. Fussler served as director of the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
libraries from 1948 to 1971, was Dean of the University of Chicago’s Library school, from 1961 to 1963, and was instrumental in the founding of the Regenstein Library
Regenstein Library
The Joseph Regenstein Library is the main library of the University of Chicago, named after industrialist and philanthropist Joseph Regenstein. Holding over 7.9 million volumes, it is one of the largest repositories of books in the world, and is noted for its brutalist architecture.-History:The...
. He helped create the Center for Research Libraries. He was an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
and the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
.
Early Years
Herman H. Fussler was born on May 15th, 1914 in the city of Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. Sometime during his childhood, Fussler’s parents moved the family to Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
. Fussler’s father, Karl Hartley Fussler, was a physics professor and worked at the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
. While Fussler was in high school, he was fortunate to get a position as a student assistant in the physics department, where his father worked. During this time, Fussler obtained an interest in microphotography, which he carried with him into his college education and career.
University of North Carolina
Fussler decided to attend the University of North CarolinaUniversity of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
, and in 1935 received his A.B. degree in Mathematics. Louis Round Wilson
Louis Round Wilson
Louis Round Wilson is an important figure to the field of library science, and is listed in “100 of the most important leaders we had in the 20th century,” an article in the December 1999 issue of American Libraries...
, who was a friend of the Fussler family, encouraged Fussler to become a Librarian. In 1936, Fussler received his Bachelors degree in Library Science
Library science
Library science is an interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, and other areas to libraries; the collection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information resources; and the...
. During his schooling, Fussler’s social world flourished as well; a year later, Fussler married Gladys Foster Otten. They had one child, a daughter, named Barbara Lynn. The summer after Fussler graduated from the University of North Carolina, he accepted a position with the New York Public Library
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
(NYPL). He worked in the Science and Technology Division in the library and was noticed by Harry Miller Lydenberg, the then Director of NYPL, and Keyes Metcalf
Keyes Metcalf
Keyes DeWitt Metcalf was an American librarian. He has been identified as one of the 100 most important leaders in librarianship by the journal American Libraries. In a career spanning over 75 years, he worked in various roles at the New York Public Library and served as the director of the...
, who was currently the head of the Reference Department. Even though Fussler was offered a full time position with the NYPL, he decided to accept an offer from Director M. Llewellyn Raney to work for the libraries at the University of Chicago.
University of Chicago
While at the University of ChicagoUniversity of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, Fussler continued his education, receiving his M.A. in 1941 and eventually his Ph.D. in 1948. When he arrived from New York, Fussler was asked to start up the Department of Photographic Reproduction. Fussler ran the Department for ten years from 1936-1946, while concurrently working as a Science Librarian for the University for the last three years. As the Science Librarian, he was expected to “oversee the collection development and administration of the departmental libraries.” Fussler was very ambitious; he worked his way up from Assistant Director to Associate Director, and finally became the Director of the university libraries. He held that title from 1948-1971. In 1971, Fussler decided to step down, so that he could pursue his other passion full-time, teaching. He had the same sense of enthusiasm while teaching graduate students that he did for working in the university libraries. He began as an instructor in 1942, became an Assistant Professor in 1944, a Professor in 1948, and acting Dean of the Library School in 1961.
During his term as Library Director, Fussler published several articles in scholarly publications such as Library Quarterly and American Documentation. In these articles he wrote about problems that face academic libraries and what he expected to see in happen in these libraries the future.
Center for Research Libraries (CRL)
In the 1940s, Fussler and some of his colleagues began considering how they could create a storage facility for important, expensive, and underused texts, mainly those for research purposes. Following the example set forth by the New England Deposit Library, librarians from the Midwestern schools known as the Big Ten, as well as Fussler came together to make this dream a reality. The Carnegie Corporation and the Rockefeller FoundationRockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
provided much needed grants to open the Midwest Inter-Library Center (MILC). The MILC is known today as the CRL or Center for Research Libraries.
Regenstein Library
Fussler was asked to help with the planning of a new Library for the University of Chicago. He was genuinely frustrated that there were certain school departments that housed their libraries’ collections in several buildings. He believed that these departments should join forces and house their materials together under one roof in this new construction. In 1965, the Joseph and Helen Regenstein Foundation granted ten million dollars to be put to use to create the new university library that would incorporate several departments’ materials. Fussler worked closely with the architect Ralph Youngren to plan a library that would utilize the space well for patrons and collections alike. Groundbreaking for the Regenstein LibraryRegenstein Library
The Joseph Regenstein Library is the main library of the University of Chicago, named after industrialist and philanthropist Joseph Regenstein. Holding over 7.9 million volumes, it is one of the largest repositories of books in the world, and is noted for its brutalist architecture.-History:The...
began in 1967 and three years later the library was completed and opened. Herman Fussler died thirty years later, in March of 1997.
Publications as Editor
- Journal of Documentary Reproduction, Associate Editor, (1938-1942)
- Library Quarterly, Associate Editor, (1949)
- American Documentation, (now known as The Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology), Associate Editor, (1950-1952)
Selected Published Works
- “Photographic Reproduction for Libraries: A Study of Administrative Problems”, Author, (1942)
- “Library Buildings for Library Service”, Editor, (1947)
- “Characteristics of the Research Literature Used by Chemists and Physicists in the United States”, Author, (1949)
- “The Function of the Library in the Modern College”, Editor, (1954)
- “The Research Library in Transition”, Editor, (1957)
- Patterns in the Use of Books in Large Libraries, Co-Author, (1969)
- “Management Implications for Libraries and Library Schools”, Editor, (1973)
- “Research Libraries and Technology”, Editor, (1973)
Recognition
- Melvil Dewey Award, American Library Association, (1954)
- Board of Regents of the National Library of Medicine, (1963)
- National Advisory Commission on Libraries, (1966)
- Martin A. Ryerson Distinguished Service Professor, University of Chicago, (1974)
- Ralph R. Shaw Award for library literature, (1976)
- Distinguished Career Citation, Association of Career and Research Libraries, (1989)