By Archives Staff
Title: John H. Moriarty papers, 1964-1971
Primary Creator: Moriarty, John H. (1903-1971)
Extent: 2.0 Folders. More info below.
Arrangement: Chronological
Subjects: Purdue University--Faculty, Purdue University. Libraries
Forms of Material: Newsletters
Languages: English
The papers of John Moriarty include newspaper clippings and an article from a Purdue newsletter on his career, articles written by Moriarty, a program from a recognition dinner dated, December 4, 1965, letters written to him upon his retirement, his memorial resolution and two obituaries
See also the records series on the Purdue University Libraries.
John H. Moriarty was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, November 9, 1903. He received his B.A. from Columbia College in 1926 and spent the next seven years working for the New York Telephone Co. as manager of its Buffalo office. The lure of library work proved overwhelming in 1933, and he re-entered Columbia where he received his B.L.S. in 1934. He served as a librarian at Cooper Union and after earning his M.L.S., again at Columbia, he became assistant to the director of libraries there. Three years of administrative experience at the Library of Congress followed and in 1944 he accepted the appointment as director of the Purdue University Library. In 1950 he took on the additional responsibility of directing the Audio-Visual Center.
Mr. Moriarty was active in professional organizations, serving on numerous committees. He was past president of the Indiana Chapter of the Special Libraries Association, the Indiana Library Association, and the University Film Producers Association. He served two terms on the ALA Council. He was a visiting lecturer at the University of Illinois Library School and was a frequent contributor to library journals.
Community activities included a long standing membership in the Rotary Club and the Torch Club. He served eight years in the West Lafayette School Board, including two terms as president. He was active in bringing the Tippecanoe-Montgomery county bookmobile service to citizens. While getting petitions signed for a Tippecanoe County Contractual Library Board, under which the county bookmobiles would operate, he had a heart attack and later died at St. Elizabeth Hospital, February 13, 1971.
Repository: Purdue University Libraries, Archives and Special Collections
Alternate Extent Statement: 2 folders
Access Restrictions: Collection is open for research.
Preferred Citation: MSF 276, John H. Moriarty papers, Archives and Special Collections, Purdue University Libraries
Three letters written to John Moriarty upon his retirement in 1969.
Letter from Frederick L. Hovde, President, Purdue University, dated December 4, 1969.
Letter from John W. Hicks, Assistant to the President, dated November 13, 1969.
Letter from R. B. Downs, Dean of Library Administration, University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, dated November 7, 1969.
University Library Development in Indiana, 1910 to 1966, Miller, Robert A.; Moriarty, John H. Library Trends, October, 1966, pp. 248-257.
Academic Library Management: Traditional, Moriarty, John H., [no publication information available] pp. 50-56
