In Memoriam: David H. Stam, 1935-2023
February 7, 2023
K-SAA commemorates our colleague and supporter David H. Stam, University Librarian Emeritus at Syracuse University and the former Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Research Libraries of the New York Public Library, who died on February 7, 2023 at the age of 87 after nearly twenty years with amytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Stam was a director on the K-SAA board from 2006-2009.
Stam was born in Paterson, New Jersey, on July 11, 1935, the fifth of seven children of Jacob and Deana Stam. He graduated from Eastern Academy in Prospect Park, NJ and went on to Wheaton College (Ill.) where he received his BA English degree in 1955; there he edited the college student newspaper until removed from office for divergent views. Further degrees were a Master of Library Service from Rutgers University in 1962 and a Ph.D. in History from Northwestern University in 1978.
After a year of graduate divinity school at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, he served two years in the US Navy Reserve. His final assignment as ship's librarian of the USS Galveston, a cruiser under conversion in Philadelphia, jump-started his forty-year career as a librarian, beginning as a clerk typist at New York Public Library in 1959 and then as assistant editor of library publications from 1959 to 1963. After a number of subsequent appointments, Stam returned to the New York Public Library as Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Research Libraries in 1978, a tumultuous time in both the city and the library. Eight years later he returned to Academia as University Librarian at Syracuse University, where he spent twelve active years.
Throughout his career, Stam served on many national boards and visiting communities, including the Boards of the Research Libraries Group, the Grolier Club, the Association of Research Libraries, the Research Division of the American Historical Association, the visiting committees of Stanford, Chicago, Princeton libraries, and the library of the Metropolitan Museum. His Board service also included the Keats-Shelley Association of America, the American Trust for the British Library, and Chamber Music America. For almost thirty years he was a Trustee of the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation in New York and became Trustee Emeritus when he retired from that Board in 2012. He also published a book of memoirs in 2014, What Happened to Me.
He and his wife, Deirdre Corcoran Stam, co-curated a major exhibition on Polar Literature at the Grolier Club called Books on Ice (2005). He was passionate about correct English usage though capable of occasional misuses of his own. His prohibited list was lengthy including such current media favorites as absolutely, exactly, incredible, literally, moving forward, and above all, passed away.
He is survived by his wife, Deirdre; three children, Julian (Anja) of Wellsboro, PA, Kathryn of New Hartford, NY, and Wendell (Rachel) of Jackson, WY; four grandchildren, Kristin Stam, Maia (Shane) Mahosky, Terrin Munawet, and Benjamin Stam; and great-grandchild, Flint David Mahosky.
K-SAA expresses its deepest gratitude to David and Deirdre for their support via the Delmas Foundation and offers its condolences to his family.
Read the full obituary here.
