Oliver Wendell Holmes (archivist)
Oliver Wendell Holmes was an American archivist and historian, and served as executive director of the National Historical Publications Commission from 1961 to 1971.
Holmes was born in St. Paul, Minnesota to Swedish-born parents, and was raised on a farm in the southeastern part of the state. He received his bachelor's degree from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota in 1922, then worked toward a Ph.D. in history at Columbia University in New York. While in school at Columbia he began working as an encyclopedia writer, delaying the completion of his graduate degree until 1956.
In 1936, Holmes began working for the National Archives, serving in positions of increasing responsibility over the course of his career. In 1961 he was appointed executive director of the National Historical Publications Commission, where he remained until his retirement in 1972. Holmes was also deeply involved in professional service, and was elected fellow and president of the Society of American Archivists in 1958.
