Howard Dodson Jr., has been named director of the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center and director of the library system at Howard University in Washington, D.C. He retired in 2011 as director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. He directed the work of the Schomburg Center for 27 years.
A native of Chester, Pennsylvania, Dodson is a graduate of West Chester University. He earned a master’s degree at Villanova University and then entered the Peace Corps. He later studied in the doctoral program in history at the University of California at Berkeley.
The Moorland-Spingarn Research Center is recognized as one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive repositories for the documentation of the history and culture of people of African descent in Africa, the Americas, and other parts of the world. Its collections include more than 175,000 bound volumes and tens of thousands of journals, periodicals, and newspapers; more than 17,000 feet of manuscript and archival collections; nearly 1,000 audio tapes; hundreds of artifacts; 100,000 prints, photographs, maps, and other graphic items.
new york’s loss is dc’s gain. this man is a national treasure!
Glad to see Mr. Dodson in this position, he is more than qualified for this job. As a native New Yorker of some age, now living Virginia I remember the old library on 135th Street and The Schomburg Center. Mr. Dodson did an outstanding job in making Schomburg Center one of worldwide interest and visitation. I’ve made it to a few Harlem Week celebrations mainly for the panel discussions at the Schomburg. His knowledge in this area will enhance the libraries in D.C. I wish him well.
Howard University is very fortunate to have Howard Dotson leading the Founders Library and Moorland-Spingarn Foundation. His leadership at the Schomburg Center has been outstanding through the years. I am sure he will bring the same world class leadership talent to his new post in Washington,D.C.
Miles M. Jackson,Ph.D, Professor and Dean Emeritus
University of Hawaii