Dorothy Dodd (April 19, 1902 – August 19, 1994) was the first State Archivist and second State Librarian of
Florida. She was inducted into the
Florida Women's Hall of Fame
The Florida Women's Hall of Fame is an honor roll of women who have contributed to life for citizens of the US state of Florida. An awards ceremony for the hall of fame was first held in 1982 and recipient names are displayed in the Florida State ...
in 1986.
Education
Dodd attended the
Florida State College for Women
Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
. She then graduated from
Columbia University in 1925 with a master's degree in journalism. She later earned her doctorate in history from the
University of Chicago.
Career
Dodd was appointed as Florida's first State Archivist in 1941. She preserved more than 15,000 cataloged items from around the state for the Florida Collection of the State Library of Florida, equaling a total of 260 linear feet.
In addition to numerous published articles, Dodd edited ''Florida Becomes a State'' () in 1945, using many of the resources she had acquired, and later wrote ''Florida, the Land of Romance'' (). Ten years later, in 1951, she succeeded
William Thomas Cash as State Librarian. She retired in 1965.
She retired as State Librarian in 1965.
Controversy
In 1959, Dodd released a staff manual detailing policies for regional branches, one policy including the particular selection of children's books. The manual listed various books advised to be removed from libraries on account of their being "poorly written, untrue to life...unwholesome for the children in your community."
Among those mentioned were ''
The Wizard of Oz
''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' or ''The Wizard of Oz'' most commonly refers to:
*'' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', a 1900 American novel by L. Frank Baum often reprinted as ''The Wizard of Oz''
** Wizard of Oz (character), from the Baum novel serie ...
'' series, ''
Tarzan,
Nancy Drew,'' Boy and Girl Scout series, and works by
Horatio Alger
Horatio Alger Jr. (; January 13, 1832 – July 18, 1899) was an American author who wrote young adult novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through good works. His wri ...
. The decision caused much outcry from the community, including Governor
LeRoy Collins, a fan of Horatio Alger. Patrons accused her of censorship, which Dodd denied as the intent of the policy. She did, however, firmly stand by her decision, explaining that while she did not oppose children reading poorly written books, she did not want the library to be where children could find those books.
Death
Dodd is buried in Oakland Cemetery in
Tallahassee, Florida.
See also
*
State Library and Archives of Florida
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dodd, Dorothy
1902 births
1994 deaths
American librarians
People from Florida
Florida State University alumni
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alumni
University of Chicago alumni
American archivists
Female archivists
American women librarians
Women in Florida
20th-century American women
20th-century American people