Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
John J. Beckley
John James Beckley (August 4, 1757 – April 8, 1807) was the first U.S. Librarian of Congress, serving from 1802 to 1807.
Born in England, at age 11 he was sent to Virginia to work as a scribe for a mercantile firm. He was a political ally of President Thomas Jefferson and Jefferson appointed Beckley to the dual post of Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and Librarian of Congress. (The posts were not separated until 1815.)
His son Alfred Beckley founded the town of Beckley, West Virginia and named it in honor of his father.
| Preceded by: none | Librarian of Congress | Succeeded by: Patrick Magruder |
10-26-2009 08:16:03
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details