Cheney, John Vance, 1848-1922

Author and librarian.

American author and librarian.

John Vance Cheney, author and librarian, grew up at Dorset, Vermont, studied law, and was admitted to the bar. He found legal work irksome, however and moved to California. From 1873 he was a frequent contributer of poetry to periodicals, especially to the "Century." From 1887 to 1894 he served as librarian of the San Francisco Free Library. His literary associates included Muir, Markham and Miller. In 1894 he went to Chicago to become librarian of the Newberry Library, where he remained until 1909. His last years were spent in San Diego, California.

Poet, essayist and second Librarian of the Newberry Library, 1894-1909.

After serving from 1887 to 1894 as Librarian of the San Francisco Public Library, Cheney assumed the Newberry Librarian's position left vacant by the death of William Frederick Poole in 1894. Cheney's San Francisco assistant, Alexander J. Rudolph, came with Cheney to the Newberry, where he introduced Rudolph binders and Rudolph indexer catalogues. While in Chicago, Cheney was active in literary affairs, publishing two volumes of poetry and serving as a newspaper literary critic. Resigning in 1909, Cheney retired to California where he wrote poetry and manufactured hair tonic.

Biographical Note