DONALD URQUHART, 1909–1994

Abstract

Donald Urquhart, the longest‐serving member of our Editorial Board, died on 2nd December 1994. Physicist, metallurgist, war‐time administrator, he became — much to his own surprise — a librarian at the Science Museum Library in London. He transferred to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research technical information section in 1948, and played a prominent role in the Royal Society Scientific Information Conference held in that year. The most significant event in his professional life occurred one afternoon in November 1956, when he was asked to stop everything he was doing, and to start planning a library. Already discussed for some years, the uk National Lending Library for Science and Technology was now to become more than a dream, achieving full reality at its official opening at Boston Spa in November 1962. He continued as its Director until retirement in 1974. Donald's account of its development is the major concern of his autobiography.

Citation

VICKERY, B. (1995), "DONALD URQUHART, 1909–1994", Journal of Documentation, Vol. 51 No. 1, pp. 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb026938