Ainsworth Rand Spofford

I collect Library and Librarian of Congress memorabilia. I have letters and documents signed by 5 Librarians of Congress going back to Ainsworth Spofford. Spofford is my total fav! I'm not sure if it is his name or that he was appointed by Lincoln that makes him seem nifty. I always say that my cubicle is on Librarian Blvd. but I am really on the corner of Librarian Blvd. and Spofford's Alley.

Here's a little Spofford bio from the Library of Congress Web site:

When it became apparent that Librarian Stephenson was going to resign, Assistant Librarian Spofford began to gather political endorsements for the job, and on December 31, 1864, President Lincoln appointed Ainsworth Rand Spofford to be the sixth Librarian of Congress. In 1896, on the eve of the move into the Library's first separate building, the leaders of the American Library Association made it clear that they hoped the 71-year old Spofford would step aside in favor of a younger and more progressive professional library administrator. On June 30, 1897, Pres. William McKinley nominated John Russell Young to be Librarian of Congress; the next day, Young named Spofford as Chief Assistant Librarian, an important job which Spofford held until his death. Ainsworth Rand Spofford was born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, on September 12, 1825; he died on August 11, 1908, and is buried in Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, DC. -www.loc.gov