Records of the John Frost Library Collection
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Abstract
The John Frost Library collection contains the administrative files of John Frost, who served as head librarian of the Gould Memorial Library at the University Heights campus between 1955-1972 and as a member of the library faculty from 1972-1982. The collection contains administrative files, including correspondence, committee meeting minutes, reports, publications and library floor plans.
Biographical Note
John Eldridge Frost, clergyman, genealogist, and librarian at New York University, was born in Eliot, Maine, on January 13, 1917. He received a B.A. degree in Sacred Theology from Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University in 1941; a B.S. degree in library science from Columbia University in 1948; an M.A. degree from the University of New Hampshire in 1948; and a Ph.D. from New York University in 1953.
In 1942, he was ordained in the Episcopalian Church and served at the Church of the Advent in Westbury, New York; St. Mary's Chapel in Carle Place, New York; and All Saints Church in Worcester, Massachusetts. Frost was a chaplain in the Navy during World War II in 1945 and 1946.
While completing his Ph.D. at NYU, Frost served as an assistant librarian for the Washington Square College of Arts and Sciences. From 1955 to 1972, Frost held the position of head librarian at Gould Memorial Library, which was the main library in the University Heights campus in the Bronx. From 1972 to 1982, Frost was a member of the NYU library faculty.
In addition to his work as a librarian, Frost was a prominent genealogist and the author of The Nicholas Frost Family, Colonial Village, Sarah Orne Jewett and Maine Genealogy. He also authored and edited Maine Probate Abstracts, 2nd volume, 1991.
Dr. Frost was a long time member of the American Library Association, the Newcomen Society of England, and the Maine Historical Society, and was trustee and founder of the Gundalow Club, which was devoted to New England maritime history.
John Eldridge Frost died at the age of 75 on July 23, 1992, in York, Maine.
Arrangement
Folders are arranged alphabetically. The files are grouped into 3 series:
Missing Title
- Series I: Library Administration
- Series II: Bobst Library
- Series III: Floor Plans
- Series IV: Miscellaneous Publications
The folders are arranged alphabetically within each series. This collection consists of four series:
Scope and Contents
This collection contains administrative files, including correspondence, committee meeting minutes, reports, publications and library floor plans collected by John Eldridge Frost. The materials date from his time as head librarian of the Gould Memorial Library as well as his subsequent library faculty position at Washington Square College from 1972 onward. A portion of this collection contains documents regarding the construction, planning and dedication of Elmer Holmes Bobst Library on the Washington Square campus.
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Access Restrictions
Administrative records and unpublished reports of New York University are closed for a period of 20 years from the date of their creation. Access to files spanning multiple years will be opened to researchers based on the date of the most recent materials.
Board of Trustees records are closed for 35 years from the date of creation.
Materials related to personnel, faculty grievances, job searches and all files restricted under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) are permanently restricted.
Additional restrictions may apply to other materials in this collection. For questions regarding specific restrictions, please contact the University Archives.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the:
New York University Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 998-2641
Fax: (212) 995-4225
E-mail: university-archives@nyu.edu
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form: Identification of item, date (if known); Records of the John Frost Library Collection; RG 38.0; box number; folder number; New York University Archives, New York University Libraries.
Location of Materials
Separated Materials
Book plates, slides, photographs, and a number of publications have been separated from this collection. A collection of book plates have been integrated into our memorabilia collection. Slides and photographs depicting the library and NYU Professor Oscar Cargill have been transferred to our photograph collection. Publications, including books, newsletters, and journals have been integrated into the Bobst Main Collection.