Luther Harris Evans: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 18:37, 15 April 2025

Luther Harris Evans (1902-1981) was Librarian of Congress and third Director-General of UNESCO.

Life

Luther Harris Evans was born on October 13, 1902 in Sayersville, Texas. He received an BA (1923) and MA (1924) from the University of Texas at Austin and an PhD from Stanford University in 1927, all in political science.

Evans taught political science at New York University, Dartmouth College, and Princeton University from 1927 until 1935. From 1935 to 1939 he organized and directed the Historical Records Survey for the Works Project Administration. After that, the Librarian of Congress, Archibald MacLeish, appointed him head of the Legislative Reference Service and later Chief Assistant Librarian of Congress. After MacLeish resigned, president Harry S. Truman appointed Evans as Librarian of Congress, a position he held from 1945 to 1953.

Evans was Director-General of UNESCO from 1953 to 1958. From 1962, he was director of international and legal collections at the Columbia University Libraries until his retirement in 1971. He died on December 23, 1981 in San Antonio, Texas.

Contributions

As Librarian of Congress Evans opposed censorship of the library's holdings and greatly expanded the library's collection. He helped draft the Universal Copyright Convention in 1952 Evans helped organize the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and served as its third Director-General.

Publications

Google Scholar lists numerous publications. [1] Maurel (2013) also lists numerous items by and about Evans. [2]

The job of the Librarian of Congress. Washington, DC: Library of Congress, 1945.
"The Library of Congress and Its Service to Science and Technology." College & Research Libraries 8, no. 3 (1947): 315-321. [3]
"Research libraries in the war period, 1939-45." The Library Quarterly 17, no. 4 (1947): 241-262.
"Bibliography by cooperation." Bulletin of the Medical Library Association 37, no. 3 (1949): 197-212. [4]
"UNESCO work and method illustrated by the library programs." The Library Quarterly 24, no. 2 (1954): 92-100.
"UNESCO and Libraries." ALA Bulletin 49, no. 9 (1955): 492-494.
Reminiscences of Luther Harris Evans: oral history, 1965. Columbia University, New York, Oral History Project. [5]

Offices

American Documentation Institute. President, 1950-52.

Awards

American Library Association. Honorary Membership, 1972.

Papers

Columbia University Libraries, New York, NY: Luther Harris Evans papers, 1952-1970. [8]
Stanford University, Hoover Institution Archives. Collection 81121. Evans (Luther Harris) conference summaries. [9]
Library of Congress. Luther Harris Evans papers, 1918-1981. [10]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+'''Luther Harris Evans''' (1902-1981) was Librarian of Congress and third Director-General of UNESCO.
 [[File:Luther Evans.jpg|thumb|Luther Harris Evans]]
-Luther Harris Evans (1902-1981) helped to draft the Universal Copyright Convention and to organize UNESCO.
 == Life ==
+'''Luther Harris Evans''' was born on October 13, 1902 in Sayersville, Texas. He received an BA (1923) and MA (1924) from the University of Texas at Austin and an PhD from Stanford University in 1927, all in political science.
-== Contributions ==
+Evans taught political science at New York University, Dartmouth College, and Princeton University from 1927 until 1935. From 1935 to 1939 he organized and directed the Historical Records Survey for the Works Project Administration. After that, the Librarian of Congress, Archibald MacLeish, appointed him head of the Legislative Reference Service and later Chief Assistant Librarian of Congress. After MacLeish resigned, president Harry S. Truman appointed Evans as Librarian of Congress, a position he held from 1945 to 1953.
-'''OTHER INFORMATION:'''
-Opposed censorship of library holdings; Helped to draft the Universal Copyright Convention and to organize UNESCO; Director of Historical Records Survey, WPA; This program was characterized as "the greatest single achievement of any nation in describing and interpreting the records of its people" (''Current Biography'').
+Evans was Director-General of UNESCO from 1953 to 1958. From 1962, he was director of international and legal collections at the Columbia University Libraries until his retirement in 1971. He died on December 23, 1981 in San Antonio, Texas.
-LC: 1939-?; Librarian 1945-?; Helped expand the services of the LC; Saw the LC as a reference center not a reading room; Worked on increasing ILLs; Felt the LC was "a great factory on the frontier of knowledge" (''Current Biography'')
+== Contributions ==
+As Librarian of Congress Evans opposed censorship of the library's holdings and greatly expanded the library's collection.
+He helped draft the Universal Copyright Convention in 1952
+Evans helped organize the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and served as its third Director-General.
-Worked to obtain any information possibly needed by government offices.
+== Publications ==
+Google Scholar lists numerous publications. [https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22Luther+H.+Evans%22]
+Maurel (2013) also lists numerous items by and about Evans. [https://surfdrive.surf.nl/files/index.php/s/5UT5AKH20THs1sm/download?path=%2F&files=EVANS%2C%20Luther%20Harris%2C%20UNESCO%201953-58.pdf]
-For more information, see Sittig, W. J. (1976). Luther Evans: Man for a new age. ''Quarterly Journal of the Library of Congress,'' ''33'', 251-267.
+*''The job of the Librarian of Congress.'' Washington, DC: Library of Congress, 1945.
+*"The Library of Congress and Its Service to Science and Technology." ''College & Research Libraries'' 8, no. 3 (1947): 315-321. [http://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/article/viewFile/10311/11757]
+*"Research libraries in the war period, 1939-45." ''The Library Quarterly'' 17, no. 4 (1947): 241-262.
+*"Bibliography by cooperation." ''Bulletin of the Medical Library Association'' 37, no. 3 (1949): 197-212. [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC234308/]
+*"UNESCO work and method illustrated by the library programs." ''The Library Quarterly'' 24, no. 2 (1954): 92-100.
+*"UNESCO and Libraries." ''ALA Bulletin'' 49, no. 9 (1955): 492-494.
+*''Reminiscences of Luther Harris Evans: oral history, 1965''. Columbia University, New York, Oral History Project. [https://dlc.library.columbia.edu/catalog/cul:5qfttdz29t]
-'''OFFICES:'''
+== Offices ==
+*[[ASIST|American Documentation Institute]]. President, 1950-52.
-[[American Society for Information Science|'''ADI/ASIS''']] Pres. 1950-52; Director-General of UNESCO 1953-58
+== Awards ==
-----
+*American Library Association. Honorary Membership, 1972.
-== Selected Publications ==
+== Further reading ==
+*Cole, John Y. "Evans, Luther Harris (1902-1981)." ''Supplement to the Dictionary of American library biography.'' Ed. by Wayne A. Wiegand. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1990, pp 22-26.
+*Sittig, W. J. (1976). "Luther Evans: Man for a new age." ''Quarterly Journal of the Library of Congress'' 33 (1976): 251-267.
+*"Luther H. Evans." ''Wikipedia'' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_H._Evans]
+*Maurel, Chloé. "Evans, Luther Harris." In: ''IO BIO, Biographical Dictionary of Secretaries-General of International Organizations'', edited by Bob Reinalda, Kent J. Kille and Jaci Eisenberg. 2013. [https://surfdrive.surf.nl/files/index.php/s/5UT5AKH20THs1sm/download?path=%2F&files=EVANS%2C%20Luther%20Harris%2C%20UNESCO%201953-58.pdf]
 == Papers ==
-'''LOCATION #1:''' Columbia University Libraries, New York, NY
+*Columbia University Libraries, New York, NY: Luther Harris Evans papers, 1952-1970. [https://findingaids.library.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-rb/ldpd_4079697]
+*Stanford University, Hoover Institution Archives. Collection 81121. Evans (Luther Harris) conference summaries. [https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt496nd9br/?query=evans,+luther]
-'''PAPERS DATES:'''1925-1970
+*Library of Congress. 	Luther Harris Evans papers, 1918-1981. [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms023025]
-'''SIZE:''' ca. 25,500 items
-'''FINDING AID:''' Correspondence, mss. of writings, reports, and related printed material documenting Evan's activities in law, international relations, and library service. Extensive files on Federal Library Survey Project, UNESCO.
-'''SOURCE:''' ''NUCMC'', MS 78-680, p. 80.
-'''LOCATION #2:''' Columbia University, Rare books and Manuscripts Library (New York, NY)
-'''PAPERS DATES:''' 1952-1970
-'''SIZE:''' 23 linear feet (54 boxes)
-'''INCLUDES:''' Luther Harris Evans Papers: Correspondence, manuscripts, reports, and printed materials. The papers, which consist to a large extent of mimeographed and printed reports of various organizations with which Evans was affiliated, chronicle a wide range of his activities in the fields of law, international relations, and library service. Among the cataloged correspondents are: Dorothy Canfield Fisher, Norman Cousins, S. Radhakrishnan, and Paul H. Douglas.
-Note: An appointment must be made in advance to to use this collection material in the reading room.
-'''FINDING AID:''' https://findingaids.library.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-rb/ldpd_4079697
-'''SOURCE:''' https://findingaids.library.columbia.edu/ead/nnc-rb/ldpd_4079697
-'''LOCATION #3:''' Columbia University, Oral History Project, New York, NY; search under: Evans, Luther Harris, 1902-. Reminiscences of Luther Harris Evans: oral history, 1965.
-'''PAPERS DATES:''' 1965
-'''SIZE:''' Transcript: 844 leaves; Tape: 1 reel
-'''INCLUDES:''' Describes early life and education as well as work as instructor at New York University, Dartmouth Princeton; Works Progress Administration, 1935-1939; director of Historical Records Survey; director of Legislative Reference Service; Librarian of Congress, 1945-1953; new projects, programs; establishment of Council of National Library Association; United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization(UNESCO); United States National Commission, 1946; Executive Board, 1949, director-general, 1953, delegate to General Conference, 1947-1951; UNESCO program development: education, agriculture, mass communication, financial aid; Brookings Institutions; National Education Association; automation project; United States Commission for Refugees; American Civil Liberties Union. Interviewed by Thomas F. Hogan.
-'''SOURCE:''' RLIN
-'''LOCATION #4:''' Stanford University, Hoover Institution Archives; search under: Evans, Luther Harris, 1902-. Conference summaries, 1949.
-'''PAPERS DATES:''' 1949
-'''SIZE:''' 1 folder
-'''INCLUDES:''' Relates to meetings of the US delegation to the Third Session of the UNESCO General Conference, 1948.
-'''SOURCE:''' RLIN
-'''LOCATION #5:''' Columbia University, Oral History Collection; search under: Evans, Luther Harris, 1920-. Reminiscences of Luther Harris Evans: oral history, 1970.
-'''PAPERS DATES:''' 1970
-'''SIZE:''' 34 leaves
-'''INCLUDES:''' Discusses Works Progress Administration, Historical Records Survey; Library of Congress, 1939 and 1945; UNESCO, 1949-1958; First meeting with Dwight D. Eisenhower as President of Columbia University; Interviewed by Donald North; Forms part of the Eisenhower administration project; (Copyright by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York, 1976.) Permission required to cite, quote, and reproduce; Contact repository for information; Microfiche copy available for purchase; (Columbia University oral history collection, part III, published by Meckler Publishing, Westport, CT).
-'''FINDING AID:''' Name index available
-'''SOURCE:''' RLIN
-'''LOCATION #6:''' Library of Congress
-'''PAPERS DATES:''' 1920-1981
-'''SIZE:''' 84,000 items, 117 containers, 8 microfilm reels, 46.8 linear feet
-'''INCLUDES:''' Personal and professional files of Evans's work as director of the Historical Records Survey (U.S.), as Librarian of Congress, and member of the Unesco Executive Board. Also includes notes and drafts of writings, materials pertaining to his studies at the University of Texas at Austin and Stanford University, and lecture notes for classes he taught at Dartmouth and Princeton universities. Includes correspondence (1934-1942) of Francis S. Philbrick relating to the Historical Records Survey (U.S.).
-'''FINDING AID:''' Available in the Library of Congress Manuscript Reading Room.
-'''SOURCE:''' Library of Congress Catalog (<nowiki>https://lccn.loc.gov/mm82020008</nowiki>)