Kahn, Herman, 1907-1975

Herman Kahn was born in Rochester, Minnesota, in 1907. He received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Minnesota in 1928 and 1930 respectively. From 1931 to 1933 he was an assistant professor of history at Nebraska State Teachers College. Kahn then served as associate historian for the National Park Service until 1936. In 1936 he entered the archival profession and worked at the National Archives, serving as chief of the Division of Interior Department Archives from 1942 to 1947. From 1948 to 1961 Kahn was the director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park, New York, after which he served as a special assistant to the National Archivist and Chief of Civil Archives. From 1964 to 1968 he was assistant archivist for Presidential Libraries for the National Archives Service. After a brief retirement in 1968, Kahn became associate librarian for Manuscripts and Archives in the Yale University Library, where he served until his death in 1975. Kahn was a forceful advocate of the idea that the archival profession did not merely serve the needs of historians, but was a profession in its own right. Occasionally he was called to testify before the United States Congress on matters relating to the profession. Kahn's specialties were presidential libraries and the history of the New Deal, and he wrote several articles on these and other topics.

Herman Kahn (1907-1975), educator, librarian, archivist, was the Director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library from 1948 to 1968. He also served in posts at the National Archives, the National Park Service, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Yale University, and was a past president of the Society of American Archivists.

Herman Kahn was born in Rochester, Minnesota in 1907. He received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Minnesota in in 1928 and 1930, respectively. From 1931 to 1933 he was an assistant professor of history at Nebraska State Teachers College. Kahn then served as associate historian for the National Park Service until 1936. In 1936 he entered the archival profession and worked at the National Archives, serving as chief of the Division of Interior Department Archives from 1942 to 1947. From 1948 to 1961 Kahn was the director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park, New York, after which he served as a special assistant to the National Archivist and Chief of Civil Archives. From 1964 to 1968 he was assistant archivist for Presidential Libraries for the National Archives Service. After a brief retirement in 1968, Kahn became associate librarian for Manuscripts and Archives in the Yale University Library, where he served until his death in 1975. Kahn was a forceful advocate of the idea that the archival profession did not merely serve the needs of historians, but was a profession in its own right. Occasionally he was called to testify before the United States Congress on matters relating to the profession. Kahn's specialties were presidential libraries and the history of the New Deal, and he wrote several articles on these and other topics.