John Peter
McDonald (October 17, 1922 – November 19, 1993)
was an American
librarian
A librarian is a person who works professionally in a library providing access to information, and sometimes social or technical programming, or instruction on information literacy to users.
The role of the librarian has changed much over time, ...
. McDonald served as university librarian and director at the
University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...
(1963–74; 1976–86) and executive director of the
Association of Research Libraries (1974–76).
Early life
McDonald was born on October 17, 1922 in
Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, to parents Edward D. and Marguerite McDonald.
According to the
1940 US census
The United States census of 1940, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 132,164,569, an increase of 7.3 percent over the 1930 population of 122,775,046 people. The census date of record wa ...
, McDonald's father was a teacher, and both parents were born in Ohio. McDonald served four years in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and attained the rank of lieutenant. He was serving in the
US Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2005, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are categorized as being in either the Se ...
as of 1951. He was a nephew of
James Grover McDonald
James Grover McDonald (November 29, 1886 – September 25, 1964) was a United States diplomat. He served as the first U.S. Ambassador to Israel.
Early life
McDonald was born in Coldwater, Ohio, on November 29, 1886. His parents operated a hot ...
.
Education
McDonald earned a bachelor's degree from the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...
(1946) and a master's degree in library science from
Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...
(1951).
He held a
Carnegie fellowship at
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
's
Library School in 1957–58, where he studied library administration under
Keyes Metcalf.
Career
Prior to joining the University of Connecticut as library director in July 1963,
McDonald worked in the libraries of the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
and
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University is r ...
, where he served as head of the reference department and then as associate director of libraries.
During his tenure at UConn, McDonald presided over construction of the
Homer D. Babbidge Library
The Homer D. Babbidge Library (HBL) is the main library on the University of Connecticut campus in Storrs.
History
In December 1962 University of Connecticut President Homer D. Babbidge Jr. went before the Connecticut Legislature to advocate fo ...
and grew the library's collections from 450,000 volumes to more than 2.2 million volumes, becoming one of the largest libraries in New England.
He took initial steps towards library automation, engaged in state and national library network and resource sharing initiatives, and built strong archival and special collections. He also served as a consultant on buildings and management for libraries and museums across the United States and as far away as
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...
,
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
.
McDonald retired as director in 1986 and served for one year as director of library development before retiring for good. He was succeeded by
Norman D. Stevens
Norman D. Stevens (1932 - Dec. 15, 2018) was the director of University Libraries at the University of Connecticut and the author of ''A Guide to Collecting Librariana.'' He is considered one of the world's greatest collectors of librariana. His co ...
.
McDonald served as president (1971–72) and, while on leave of absence from UConn, executive director (1974–76) of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). He served on several committees of ARL and the
American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...
(ALA), including ALA Council, the board of directors of the ALA Library Administration Division, and the ALA Nominating Committee.
McDonald was an avid bird watcher and conservationist, serving on the boards of
Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust
Joshua's Tract Conservation and Historic Trust, or Joshua's Trust, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) land trust operating in northeast Connecticut. Joshua's Trust was incorporated in 1966 to help conserve property of significant natural or historic inter ...
and the Connecticut Ornithological Society, among other organizations. McDonald's friendship with
Edwin Way Teale was instrumental in gaining Teale's papers for UConn's special collections.
Honors
McDonald received an honorary doctor of laws degree from
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...
in 1986, the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the
Drexel Library School Alumni Association in 1975, the Distinguished Service Award from the
Connecticut Library Association
The Connecticut Library Association (CLA) is a professional organization for Connecticut's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Belchertown, Massachusetts. It was founded on February 23, 1891, in New Haven, Connecticut, with the ...
in 1986, and the Leadership Award from the University of Connecticut Alumni Association in 1986.
The John P. McDonald Reading Room located in the
Thomas J. Dodd Research Center
The Dodd Center for Human Rights (formerly the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center) is a University of Connecticut center which supports programming, educational initiatives, and events dedicated to the theme of human rights. The Dodd Center also houses ...
was named in his honor.
Personal life
McDonald married to
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
native and
Vassar College
Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely follo ...
alumna Josephine Sheppard Herring (1931–2010)
in 1951.
The couple had two sons.
They lived in
Storrs, Connecticut
Storrs is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in the New England town, town of Mansfield, Connecticut, Mansfield in eastern Tolland County, Connecticut, Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 15,344 at the 2010 Unite ...
.
McDonald died of cancer on November 19, 1993.
He was interred in New Storrs Cemetery, on a hill overlooking the UConn campus.
References
External links
John P. McDonald Papersat the University of Connecticut
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mcdonald, John P.
1922 births
1993 deaths
American librarians
Academic librarians
University of Connecticut people
Drexel University alumni
University of Virginia alumni
American conservationists
Birdwatchers
United States Navy personnel of World War II
Rutgers University School of Communication and Information alumni