Special Libraries News

University Archivist Patrick Quinn Retires

After an archival career spanning 42 years, Patrick M. Quinn has retired from his position as University Archivist at Northwestern. Effective June 1, Kevin Leonard will assume responsibilities as Acting University Archivist.

Patrick commenced his career in 1966 at the Wisconsin Historical Society where he served successively as Accessioner of State Records, Director of the County and Local records program, and Acting Curator of Manuscripts. In 1972 he was appointed Assistant University Archivist at the University of Wisconsin. In 1974 he accepted the position of University Archivist at Northwestern University where, over the next 34 years, he built the Northwestern University Archives from a collection filling two filing cabinets into what is now universally regarded as one of the best academic archives in the United States, with holdings comprising over 25,000 cubic feet of university records and papers of distinguished faculty. Patrick has also been very active professionally at the national, regional and local levels. He was a founding member of both the Midwest Archives Conference and the Chicago Area Archivists. He was made a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists in 1984. He also served as an archival educator for over thirty years, teaching at Northwestern University, Loyola University, and Dominican University's Graduate School of Library and Information Science. Many of the archivists in the Chicago area were trained by Patrick. He also served as chair of the Illinois State Historical Records Advisory Board and the Illinois State Archives Advisory Board and as chair of the CIC-University Archivists Group.

Patrick's many decades of service to the Northwestern community were celebrated at a special reception in late May. Professor Carl Smith held the laudatio, while speeches were presented by Kevin Leonard, Jeffrey Garrett, in addition to reflections from Patrick himself. Attendees included colleagues from within the university and neighboring institutions as faraway as Urbana and Madison.

Please join in congratulating Patrick on his retirement and Kevin on his accession to the acting position in University Archives!

Pictures from the party can be viewed here.