Rice University Fondren Library records

This collection covers the administrations of six Fondren Library librarians, William S. Dix, Hardin Craig, Jr., Richard L. O'Keefe, Samuel Carrington, Beth Shaprio, Chuck Henry, and Sara Lowman.

William S. Dix served as University Librarian and a professor of Enlish at the university between the years 1946 and 1953, after which time he went on to become to head librarian at Princeton University. He also served on various committees, and eventually as president of the American Library Association. Dix retired in 1975, and died in 1978.

Hardin Craig, Jr., served as University Librarian between 1953, after the departure of Dix, until 1968. During Craig's fifteen year tenure as librarian, Fondren's collection grew from 250,000 to 546,000 volumes. Craig retired as librarian in 1968 to serve full-time as associate professor of history at Rice. Dr. Craig died in 1971.

Richard L. O'Keefe was the University Librarian from 1968 until 1978. During O'Keefe's tenure as university librarian, Fondren Library was designated as an official patent depository by the United States Department of Commerce. O'Keefe also served on councils and committees for the American Library Association. O'Keefe died in September, 2001.

Samuel Carrington, professor of French at Rice since 1967, served as the University Librarian from 1978 until 1990. Carrington oversaw one of the most transformative periods in the library's history, serving as head librarian when computerization of library records first began to occur. Carrington died in 1996.

Beh Shapiro served as University Librarian from 1991 until her death in 1995. Shaprio was active in a number of professional groups, including the American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, American Sociological Association, and the Association of University Professors.

Chuck Henry served as University Librarian from 1996 (when he was also appointed Vice Provost) until 2007. While serving as librarian, Henry also became Rice's Vice President for Information Technology and the chief information officer. Henry left Rice after being named the president of the Council on Library and Information Resources in 2006. Henry was awarded four Fullbright Scholar Grants to lecture on university administration, information technology, and library administration in the Slovak Republic, New Zealand, Austria, and China.

Sara Lowman began serving as Vice Provost and University Librarian in 2007 and continues to serve today. Lowman served as coordinator of collection development and online search services, interim co-director of reader services, head of reference, assistant university librarian for public services and associate university librarian before becoming director of Fondren Library in 2000. She has served as president of the board of trustees for the Houston Area Research Libraries and of Amigos Library Services, a library resources consortium. She was a coordinating council member for TexShare and has held a number of positions with the American Library Association. She is a recipient of the Shapiro Award for innovative library service and service to the university.

The Fondren Library records contains information spanning the tenures of all seven of these University Librarians.