Introduction

William Andrew Moffett was a historian

Historian

A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...

 and librarian

Librarian

A librarian is an information professional trained in library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials for those with information needs...

 who placed on the 1999 American Libraries

American Libraries

American Libraries is the official news and features magazine of the American Library Association. Published six times per year, along with four additional digital-only supplements, it is distributed to all members of the organization...

list of "100 of the Most Important Leaders We Had in the 20th Century". He is primarily known for aiding in the capture of a prolific library thief and, more famously, opening access of the Dead Sea Scrolls for scholarly use, both of which news stories made the cover of the New York Times. Moffett was also known for being a highly influential academic librarian director at Oberlin College

Oberlin College

Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...

, the 6th Librarian at the Huntington Library and for being named Academic/Research Librarian of the Year in 1993 by the Association of College and Research Libraries

Association of College and Research Libraries

The Association of College and Research Libraries , a division of the American Library Association , is a professional association of academic librarians and other interested individuals...

 (ACRL).

Early Life and Career

William Moffett was born on January 25, 1933 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was traditionally educated in Mississippi and finished his schooling at the Chamberlain-Hunt Academy

Chamberlain-Hunt Academy

Chamberlain-Hunt Academy, founded in 1879, is a private Christian military boarding school in rural Port Gibson, Mississippi, USA, for boys in grades 7 through 12...

. From there, Moffett went on to pursue a collegiate academic path in history, earning an A.B. degree from Davidson College

Davidson College

Davidson College is a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina. The college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine, although it has recently dropped to 11th in U.S. News...

 as well as going on to pursue higher education at Duke University

Duke University

Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...

 where he earned a M.A. degree and Ph.D. degree in English history.

Between 1956 and 1974 Moffett was an educator at various institutions, including Alma College

Alma College

Alma College is a private, liberal arts college located in Alma, Michigan. The enrollment is approximately 1,400 students, and the college is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The college's 13th President, Dr...

 and Charlotte Country Day School

Charlotte Country Day School

Charlotte Country Day School is a private, secular school in Charlotte, North Carolina, with classes in grades Kindergarten-12. A junior kindergarten program is also offered. Applications to the school are reviewed on the basis of character, intellectual ability, emotional maturity, curiosity, and...

. While working as an assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston

University of Massachusetts Boston

The University of Massachusetts Boston, also known as UMass Boston, is an urban public research university and the second largest campus in the five-campus University of Massachusetts system. The university is located on on Harbor Point in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States...

 William became involved in several roles at the campus’ library that influenced him to go and earn a Master of Library Science from Simmons College

Simmons College (Massachusetts)

Simmons College, established in 1899, is a private women's undergraduate college and private co-educational graduate school in Boston, Massachusetts.-History:Simmons was founded in 1899 with a bequest by John Simmons a wealthy clothing manufacturer in Boston...

 in Boston. Moffett eventually moved on from a lack of teaching opportunities to a newly burgeoning field in libraries, a field which would define the remainder of his career. He first worked as an academic librarian at the Crumb Library of the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Potsdam

State University of New York at Potsdam

The State University of New York at Potsdam, also known as SUNY Potsdam, or, colloquially, Potsdam, is a public university located in the Village of Potsdam in St. Lawrence County, New York. Founded in 1816, it is among the 50 oldest colleges in the United States...

. Here he combined his past experiences in education with librarianship, incorporating library instruction at the university.

Oberlin College and Library Security

Eventually, Moffett moved to a new post at Oberlin College

Oberlin College

Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...

 where from 1979-1990 he occupied the position of Azariah Smith Root Director of Libraries. During this time, he embraced the emergence of technology, being the first library to install the online catalog of the Online Computer Library Center. He was also very invested in taking steps to make the library the heart of the Oberlin campus. Much to his colleagues’ dismay Moffett was well known to be persnickety about furniture placement in order to create an inviting environment for library patrons.

William Andrew Moffett’s name rose to fame in April 1981 when he helped capture a renowned book thief who was discovered to have stolen $50,000 worth of material from various libraries. Library security was an ongoing passion for Moffett as he came to be known as a specialist in the field. He worked to establish the Rare Books and Manuscripts (RBMS) division of the ACRL which was a pioneering organization in library security, helping to connect institutions and warn of potential and reoccurring thefts. The RMBS, as well as Moffett’s expertise in the field of library security, helped the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Bureau of Investigation

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...

 to capture and convict Stephen Blumberg

Stephen Blumberg

Stephen Carrie Blumberg is best known as a bibliomane who lived in Ottumwa, Iowa. He became known as the Book Bandit and was the most successful book thief of the 20th century in the United States.-Personal:At 2:00 a.m...

 in one of the largest cases of library theft in modern history. Moffett though publicized greatly, maintained humility throughout the situation. He adamantly shared the credit for the book thief’s capture, publishing an editorial and giving detailed recognition to his peers who had helped in the capture in his article “Credit due and overdue”.

Huntington Library and the Dead Sea Scrolls

After working for over a decade at Oberlin College

Oberlin College

Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...

, Moffett moved on to become the Director of the Huntington Library in San Marino, California

San Marino, California

San Marino is a small, affluent city in Los Angeles County, California. Incorporated in 1913, the City founders designed the community to be uniquely residential, with expansive properties surrounded by beautiful gardens, wide streets, and well maintained parkways...

 in 1990. On September 22, 1991, Moffett’s name was splashed across newspaper headlines yet again when he announced the Huntington Library’s decision to open access to over 3000 photographic negatives of the Dead Sea Scrolls

Dead Sea scrolls

The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents found between 1947 and 1956 on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name...

 for scholarly use. Israel Antiquities Authority

Israel Antiquities Authority

The Israel Antiquities Authority is an independent Israeli governmental authority responsible for enforcing the 1978 Law of Antiquities. The IAA regulates excavation and conservation, and promotes research...

 had reserved tight control over who was allowed access to the Scrolls since the discovery of the historic artifacts. Moffett believed that allowing access to the study of such a historic importance was vital and what libraries were all about. Moffett’s modest response to being at the head of such a controversial decision was: “I maintain that what we’re doing is no more than other librarians are doing ever day – collecting, preserving, and providing access”.

Death and Legacy

Moffett died on February 20, 1995 from cancer of the bladder. His legacy was not just limited to sensational stories found in headlines. His intelligence and charm created a lasting impact on his peers and colleagues. The Association of College and Research Libraries

Association of College and Research Libraries

The Association of College and Research Libraries , a division of the American Library Association , is a professional association of academic librarians and other interested individuals...

 passed a memorial resolution honoring William Moffett upon his death and the auditorium at the Oberlin College Library

Oberlin College Library

The Oberlin College Library is a library located in Oberlin, Ohio. The recipient of the ACRL in 2002, the Oberlin College Library is recognized for superior collections and services. The library system has more than 2.4 million items of print and media materials, as well as extensive online...

 was named in his honor. Many book funds have been established in his name, including Duke University

Duke University

Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...

 and the Huntington Library, continuing to honor his legacy and promote Moffett’s life-long passion of education

Education

Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

 and librarianship.