Quaife, Milo Milton, 1880-1959

Milo M. Quaife was born in Nashua, Iowa on October 6, 1880, the son of Albert E. and Barbara S. (Hine) Quaife. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1908. Dr. Quaife taught at Lewis Institute in Chicago, Wayne University and the University of Detroit. He served as superintendent of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin from 1914 until 1920. He was editor and founder of Wisconsin Magazine of History to 1.922 and managing editor of Mississippi Valle, Historical Review, 1924-1930. The author of many books and articles, Quaife edited the Lakeside Classics Series, 1916-1959, and was editor of the American Lake Series. He married Letitia Goslin in 1908 and they had four children. When the Detroit Public Library opened its new building in 1921, the Burton Historical Collection moved into its specially-designed quarters. A history of the Detroit Public Library, Parnassus on Main Street, by Frank Woodford, describes the evolution of the department: "In order to share its treasures with scholars and the public generally, the Burton Historical Collection began issuing a series of publications. To do that, as well as to organize its materials, the position of editor of the collection was created in 1923. After surveying the field of eminent scholars to find a man for the position, Dr. Milo M. Quaife was appointed, effective April 1, 1924. Quaife was well known as a historian, archivist, writer and editor.. .An acknowledged authority on the Old Northwest, he began the publication of a series of pamphlets known as the "Burton Leaflets", which were monographs on some phase of local history based upon materials in the Burton Collection... In 1935 financial considerations forced suspension of publishing by the Burton Collection, and Quaife's status was changed from editor to secretary, a post he continued to hold until his retirement in 1947..." Dr. Milo Quaife died in a automobile accident on September 1, 1959.