November, 26, 2005 archives

i ran across this little anecdote while digging up more information adelaide hasse, an assistant librarian in the los angeles public library’s early days (from a biography of adelaide hasse):

“Hasse also had contact with Melvil Dewey. While trying to seek support for publishing her grand series, Index of Economic Material in Documents of the States of the United States, correspondence indicates that Dewey arranged a meeting with Hasse at which he acted inappropriately. As it turns out, Hasse was one of several women toward whom Dewey’s behavior was less than appropriate.”

the actual circumstances are murky, because hasse had no interest in having them dealt with publicly.