Robert Bingham Downs (May 25, 1903 – February 24, 1991) was an American writer and librarian. Downs was an advocate for intellectual freedom, and spent the majority of his career working against literary censorship. Downs authored many books and publications regarding the topics of censorship, and on the topics of responsible and efficient leadership in the library context.

Life

Robert Downs was born May 25, 1903, Lenoir, North Carolina, United States. He was the seventh child of eight of Mr. John McLeod, an educator and local part-time politico, and Clarissa Catherine Hartley Downs. Downs married Elizabeth Crooks in 1929 and they had two daughters. In 1982, Elizabeth Downs died and Downs remarried Jane Wilson in 1983. Downs had three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Robert B. Downs died at the age of 87 of pneumonia in 1991 in Urbana, Illinois.

Educational background

Downs attended a one-room schoolhouse called Shady Grove until his high school years when his family relocated to Asheville, North Carolina. After high school Downs attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (A.B. 1926), and the School of Library Science at Columbia University (B.S. 1927, M.S. 1929). During his Masters coursework, Downs was employed at the New York Library and later as a librarian for two years (1929 to 1931) at Colby College in Maine.

Employment

The following "Employment" section uses data procured from the source: Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2008.

Professional/academic memberships

The following "Professional/academic" section uses data procured from the source: Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2008. In addition, Downs was a member of:

Endeavors

While Downs looked to heroes Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson for guidance when challenges were encumbered, it was the influences of his distant cousin, Mr. Louis Round Wilson, that formed Downs' librarian leadership foundation. During his tenure as President of the American Library Association, Downs became a strong force against what he viewed as suppressive forces of literature. Downs produced many publications during his life and is best known for his book titled Books That Changed the World. This publication enjoyed a great deal of success and was subsequently translated into many languages., Downs was also known for his accession talents and developed a proclivity for rare books regarding the topic of American folklore. Aided by Mr. Gordon N. Ray, Downs' talents would eventually facilitate realization of the private papers of noted authors H. G. Wells and Carl Sandburg. These collections are currently part of The Rare Book & Manuscript Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Honors

Works

The following "Works" section is a direct reflection of data from the source: Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2008.