Title: Benjamin E. Powell Papers, 1957-1961
Biographical Note
Benjamin Edward Powell was born on August 28, 1905. He graduated from Duke University in 1924, having majored in history. He also earned a B.S. in library science from Columbia University in 1930 and a Ph.D. in library science from the University of Chicago in 1946. Most notably in his career, he was the University Librarian at Duke University from 1946 until he retired in 1975. Over the course of his career he was actively involved with numerous professional associations. He was president of the Missouri Library Association from 1938 to 1939, secretary of the Association of College and Research Libraries from 1940 to 1944, chair of its nomination committee from 1944 to 1945, director from 1946 to 1947, and president from 1948 to 1949. He was chair of the Cooperative Committee on Library Building Plans from 1947 to 1948. He served on the executive board of the Southeastern Library Association from 1950 to 1954 and was acting chair from 1951 to 1952. He was also on the executive board of the North Carolina Library Association from 1952 to 1954. He was president of the American Library Association from 1959 to 1960, in addition to having served on the executive board from 1956 to 1961 and chairing six committees between 1950 and 1963. He died on March 11, 1981 [1].
Sources:
1. Mattie U. Russell, "Powell, Benjamin Edward (1905-1981)," in Supplement to the Dictionary of American Library Biography, ed. Wayne A. Wiegand. (Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 1990), 95-98.
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