ARCHIVISTS WE LOVE: STANTON BIDDLE

Dr. Stanton F. Biddle (1943-2025)

Dr. Stanton F. Biddle, an esteemed librarian, scholar, and advocate for the preservation of African American history, passed away after a lifetime of extraordinary service to libraries, education, and community. His career, spanning more than five decades, reflected a deep and unwavering commitment to knowledge, access, and historical memory.

Born in Cuba, New York, in 1943, Dr. Biddle was the only son of Christopher and Imogene Peterson Biddle. He attended Cuba Central and Friendship Central Schools before relocating with his family to Rochester, New York, where he graduated from West High School in 1961. His academic journey was both rigorous and distinguished: he earned a bachelor’s degree in government from Howard University (1965), a master’s in library service from Atlanta University (1966), a master’s in public administration from New York University (1973), and a doctorate in Library and Information Studies from University of California Berkeley (1988).

Dr. Biddle devoted his entire professional life to libraries, beginning as a library page at the Rochester Public Library while still in high school. He later worked as a library assistant at the Library of Congress during his undergraduate years. Following his graduate studies, he joined the New York Public Library, where he held positions at the Municipal Reference Library and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. There, he served as an archivist during a pivotal period, contributing to the development of the Schomburg Center into one of the world’s leading research institutions on the global Black experience. He also processed the papers Arthur A. Schomburg.

In 1973, Dr. Biddle was appointed Associate Director of Libraries at Howard University. He went on to serve as Associate Director of Libraries at the University at Buffalo in 1979, and in 1984 became Chief Librarian at Baruch College of the City University of New York. From 1988 until his retirement in 2011, he held several senior leadership roles within the City University of New York system, influencing generations of students, scholars, and library professionals.

Beyond his institutional leadership, Dr. Biddle was deeply engaged in professional and community organizations. His affiliations included the American Library Association, the Association of College and Research Libraries, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Society of American Archivists, and numerous historical and genealogical societies. Through these roles, he helped shape national conversations around equity, access, and representation in libraries and archives.

Biddle and Storyteller Andre Keitt, BCALA,1994

A pioneering genealogist, Dr. Biddle began researching his family history while still a child in rural western New York. His early questions about his ancestors’ migration and presence in the state evolved into a lifelong pursuit of historical inquiry. Over the course of 50 years, he consulted on research initiatives for institutions including Columbia University and the National Endowment for the Humanities, among many others.

Dr. Biddle was also a prolific author and editor, producing resource guides, directories, and scholarly writings that have become essential to the documentation and study of Black librarianship, genealogy, oral history, and archival practice. His work continues to inform and inspire the field.

In his personal life, Dr. Biddle lived in New York City with his partner, Ty Martin. He was a dedicated volunteer with SAGE, serving the community since 1978 with compassion and commitment. He passed away peacefully in November 2025. 

Fullwood, Biddle, Martin

He is deeply missed.