John Russell Mason papers

John Russell Mason (1900-1981) was associated with The George Washington University (GW) for most of his adult life, first as a student, then as the University Librarian and Curator of Art from 1933 to 1966.

Mason was born January 1, 1900 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and his family moved to Washington, D.C. when he was a young boy. He graduated from Washington's Roosevelt High School, and entered GW in 1918. Mason earned an B.A. in 1923, and an M.A. in 1925 both concentrating in English.

Mason began working in the library while an undergraduate and was appointed Chief Assistant in 1920. He was made Assistant Librarian following his gradation, a post he held until 1929. He decided to dedicate his career to librarianship, and enrolled in the Library School of Columbia University. Before finishing at Columbia in 1933, Mason was promoted at GW from Associate Librarian to the position of Chief Librarian the same year. In 1939, the Lisner Library was constructed and during Mason's service, the library holdings increased fourfold, including the purchase of the library of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in 1950.

In 1944, he was given the added responsibly of being the Curator of Art. In that capacity he arranged 176 exhibitions of works of art which ranged from the Walter P. Chrysler Collection to the annual student shows. He was instrumental in the acquisition of two full length Gilbert Stuart portraits of George Washington, a Rembrandt Peale "porthole" portrait, and the oil portraits of presidents of the University.

An accomplished organist, Mason played at numerous universality convocations and commencements for over thirty-five years. He also played for a number of Washington churches, among them Central Presbyterian Church from 1926 to 1944 as the organist. In 1951, the University honored him with an alumni achievement award, and in 1965 he was confirmed the status of Librarian and Curator of Art Emeritus. He retired officially a year later.

He was a member of the American Library Association, the Library Association of Great Britain, the District of Columbia Library Association (serving as President from 1942 to 1944), the Special Libraries Association, the American Guild of Organists, Theta Delta Chi, the Cosmos Club, and the Arts Club of Washington. In 1974, the Friends of the Libraries dedicated the John Russell Mason Room in the University Library (named Gelman Library in 1980).

He continued his life of bachelorhood at his long residence in the Arts Club of Washington until his death. John Russell Mason died February 28, 1981 in Washington, D.C. In 1983, Mason's will provided for the establishment of a $220,000 permanent endowment for the purchase of books for the Gelman Library, known as the John Russell Mason Book Fund.

N.B. This history note was written in 2005