Lawrence Clark Powell (b. Washington, DC, September 6, 1906; d. Arizona, March 14, 2001) was a librarian, literary critic, bibliographer and author of more than 100 books.
He was University Librarian at the UCLA Library and head librarian of the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library from 1944 until 1961. He was the first dean of the School of Library Service at UCLA, which later merged to become the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. He received a BA from Occidental College in 1928, a doctorate from University of Burgundy in Dijon (Université de Bourgogne) in 1932, and Certificate of Librarianship from UC Berkeley in 1937.
In 1934, Powell moved to Laguna Beach, California with his wife Fay, to live next door to M.F.K. Fisher, with whom he maintained a great correspondence and friendship.
Henry Miller wrote in his book The Air-Conditioned Nightmare that L. C. Powell, "a humble, modest librarian at U.C.L.A." was (apart from Ed Ricketts) the only person whom Miller, during his journey across USA, found "satisfied with his lot, adjusted to his environment, happy in his work, and representative of all that is best in the American tradition".
Famous quotes containing the words lawrence, clark and/or powell:
“Isn’t it remarkable how everyone who knew Lawrence has felt compelled to write about him? Why, he’s had more books written about him than any writer since Byron!”
—Aldous Huxley (1894–1963)
“In the beginning, I wanted to enter what was essentially a man’s field. I wanted to prove I could do it. Then I found that when I did as well as the men in the field I got more credit for my work because I am a woman, which seems unfair.”
—Eugenie Clark (b. 1922)
“Remove advertising, disable a person or firm from preconising [proclaiming] its wares and their merits, and the whole of society and of the economy is transformed. The enemies of advertising are the enemies of freedom.”
—J. Enoch Powell (b. 1912)