Robert Bingham Downs (May 25, 1903 – February 24, 1991) was an American writer and librarian. Downs was an advocate for intellectual freedom,Donald G. Davis, D. G. D. J. (2003). Dictionary of American Library Biography: Second Supplement, Libraries Unlimited. and spent the majority of his career working against literary censorship. Downs authored many books and publications regarding the topics of censorship, and on the topics of responsible and efficient leadership in the library context.
Life Robert Downs was born May 25, 1903, Lenoir, North Carolina, United States.Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2008. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2008. He was the seventh child of eight of Mr. John McLeod, an educator and local part-time politico, and Clarissa Catherine Hartley Downs. Downs married Elizabeth Crooks in 1929 and they had two daughters. In 1982, Elizabeth Downs died and Downs remarried Jane Wilson in 1983. Downs had three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Robert B. Downs died at the age of 87 of pneumonia in 1991 in Urbana, Illinois.Unknown (1991). Robert B. Downs, 87, Librarian and Author. The New York Times.
Educational background
Downs attended a one-room schoolhouse called Shady Grove until his high school years when his family relocated to Asheville, North Carolina. After high school Downs attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (A.B. 1926), and the Columbia University School of Library Service (B.S. 1927, M.S. 1929). During his Masters coursework, Downs was employed at the New York Library and later as a librarian for two years (1929 to 1931) at Colby College in Maine.
Employment The following "Employment" section uses data procured from the source: Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2008.
1922–1926: Assistant Librarian, University of North Carolina 1927–1929: Librarian, Colby College 1929–1931: Assistant Librarian, New York Public Library 1931–1932: Assistant Librarian, University of North Carolina 1932–1934: Librarian and associate professor of Library Science, University of North Carolina 1934–1938: Librarian and professor, University of North Carolina 1938–1943: Director of Library and Library Sch. – Director of Libraries, New York University 1943–1958: Professor of Library Science, University of Illinois 1958–1971: Dean Library Administration, University of Illinois 1971: Dean Emeritus, University of Illinois 1973: Visiting professor at University of Toronto 1975: University of North Carolina In addition, Downs served as an adviser to many overseas libraries.
Professional/academic memberships The following "Professional/academic" section uses data procured from the source: Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2008.
1951–1952: Vice President, American Library Association 1952–1953: President, American Library Association 1955–1956: President, Illinois Library Association
In addition, Downs was a member of:
Southeastern Library Association American Association of University Professors Authors League America Caxton Club Society of Midland Authors Committee on Books Abroad United States Information Agency Phi Beta Kappa Beta Phi Mu Phi Kappa Phi
Endeavors
While Downs looked to heroes Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson for guidance when challenges were encumbered, it was the influences of his distant cousin, Mr. Louis Round Wilson, that formed Downs' librarian leadership foundation. During his tenure as President of the American Library Association, Downs became a strong force against what he viewed as suppressive forces of literature. Downs produced many publications during his life and is best known for his book titled Books That Changed the World. This publication enjoyed a great deal of success and was subsequently translated into many languages., Downs was also known for his accession talents and developed a proclivity for rare books regarding the topic of American folklore. Aided by Mr. Gordon N. Ray, Downs' talents would eventually facilitate realization of the private papers of noted authors H. G. Wells and Carl Sandburg. These collections are currently part of The Rare Book & Manuscript Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Honors Joseph W. Lippincott Award for distinguished service to the profession of librarianship. 1964.Joseph W. Lippincott Award. American Library Association. 1964. Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award established in 1969 to celebrate Downs' 25th year as director of the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois.Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award. University of Illinois, School of Information Sciences. Melvil Dewey Medal. 1974 American Library Association Honorary Membership. 1976.American Library Association. Honorary Membership.
Works The following "Works" section is a direct reflection of data from the source: Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2008.
(With Louis R. Wilson) Report of a Survey of the Libraries of Cornell University, Cornell University Press, 1948. Books That Changed the World, New American Library, 1956, 2nd edition, American Library Association, 1978. (With others) Family Saga and Other Phases of American Folklore, University of Illinois Press, 1958. Molders of the Modern Mind: 111 Books That Shaped Western Civilization, Barnes & Noble, 1961. Strengthening and Improving Library Resources for Southern Higher Education, Southern Regional Education Board, 1962. The Kabul University Library, University of Wyoming Education Program, 1963. (Editor) The Bear Went over the Mountain, Macmillan, 1964. Famous Books, Ancient and Medieval, Barnes & Noble, 1964. Resources of North Carolina Libraries, Governor's Commission on Library Resources, 1965. How to Do Library Research, University of Illinois Press, 1966, 2nd edition, 1975. Resources of Missouri Libraries, Missouri State Library, 1966. (With Frances B. Jenkins) Bibliography: Current State and Future Trends, University of Illinois Press, 1967. Resources of Canadian Academic and Research Libraries, Association of Universities of Canada, 1967. University Library Statistics, Association of Research Libraries, 1968. Books That Changed America, Macmillan, 1970. Famous American Books, McGraw, 1971. Books and History, University of Illinois Library School, 1974. Horace Mann, Twayne, 1974. Heinrich Pestalozzi, Twayne, 1975. Famous Books, Littlefield, 1975. Books That Changed the South, University of North Carolina Press, 1977. Henry Barnard, Twayne, 1977. Friedrich Froebel, Twayne, 1978. Australian and New Zealand Library Resources, Mansell, 1979. British and Irish Resources, Mansell, 1981. Landmarks in Science, Libraries Unlimited, 1982. (With others) Memorable Americans, Libraries Unlimited, 1983. Perspectives on the Past, an Autobiography, Scarecrow, 1984. (With John T. Flanagan and Harold W. Scott) More Memorable Americans, Libraries Unlimited, 1985. Books in My Life, Library of Congress (Washington, DC), 1985. (Compiler) Images of America: Travelers from Abroad in the New World, University of Illinois Press, 1987. Scientific Enigmas, Libraries Unlimited, 1987. A Dictionary of Eminent Librarians, High Plains Publishing (Worland, WY), 1990. (With Jane B. Downs) Journalists of the United States: Biographical Sketches of Print and Broadcast News Shapers from the Late seventeenth Century to the Present, McFarland (Jefferson, NC), 1991.
References