William Andrew Moffett

William Andrew Moffett (January 25, 1933 – February 20, 1995) was a historian and librarian who was named on the list of the "100 of the Most Important Leaders We Had in the 20th Century" by American Libraries in 1999. He is primarily known for aiding in the capture of a prolific library thief, James Richard Shinn, and, more famously, opening access of the Dead Sea Scrolls for scholarly use, both of which news stories made the front page of the New York Times. Moffett was also known for being a highly influential academic librarian director at Oberlin College, the 6th Librarian at the Huntington Library and for being named Academic/Research Librarian of the Year in 1993 by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).

Early life and career William Moffett was born on January 25, 1933, in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was traditionally educated in Mississippi and finished his schooling at the Chamberlain-Hunt Academy. From there, Moffett went on to pursue a collegiate academic path in history, earning an A.B. degree from Davidson College as well as going on to pursue higher education at Duke University where he earned a M.A. degree and Ph.D. degree in English history. He worked to establish the Rare Books and Manuscripts (RBMS) division of the ACRL which was a pioneering organization in library security, helping to connect institutions and warn of potential and reoccurring thefts. Moffett shared the credit for the book thief's capture, publishing an editorial and giving detailed recognition to his peers who had helped in the capture in his article "Credit due and overdue". Moffett believed that allowing access to the study of such a historic importance was vital and what libraries were all about. Moffett's modest response to being at the head of such a controversial decision was: "I maintain that what we're doing is no more than other librarians are doing day – collecting, preserving, and providing access". The Association of College and Research Libraries passed a memorial resolution honoring William Moffett upon his death and the auditorium at the Oberlin College Library was named in his honor. Many book funds have been established in his name, including Davidson College, Duke University and the Huntington Library, continuing to honor his legacy and promote Moffett's lifelong passion of education and librarianship.