Salmon, Eugene Nathan

Biography / Administrative History

Eugene Nathan Salmon was a librarian and English professor in Sacramento, California during the 1960s and 1970s. A good portion of his life was spent within academia, both as student and educator. His contributions to the library profession consisted of a number of scholarly papers and articles, and involvement with the ALA's Library Technology Project. As a student of English literature, Eugene Salmon helped develop Sacramento State University's first course on the History of the Book. As the Head Humanities Librarian at Sacramento State University, he also helped establish an enormous collection of English literature and materials--many of which can still be found in the university's library and archives today.

Eugene Salmon was born in Sacramento on May 2, 1917. His parents were Wallace Salmon and Beatrice Myra Loewe Salmon. Four years after his birth, the Salmon family moved to New York City where Eugene attended Theodore Roosevelt High School. In 1954, Eugene attained his Bachelors Degree in English from the University of Denver and, by 1955, he completed his Masters in Library Science from the same institution. Working only part-time at the University of Denver library, Salmon soon received his first professional position as Head Circulation Librarian at the University of Oregon in Eugene.

By January 22, 1962, Eugene Salmon joined the American Library Association's Library Technology Project staff in Chicago as head of the project's technical information service. During this time, he managed to also take extra courses at the University of Chicago Graduate Library School. In September of 1963, Eugene Salmon moved back to Sacramento where he joined the staff of the California State Library as Head of Technical Services. Shortly thereafter, he received the position of Head Humanities Reference Librarian at, what was then, Sacramento State College. Over the next two decades, he helped acquire a large assortment of English literature and poetry for the academic institution--including an extensive collection on Edith, Osbert, and Sacheverell Sitwell.

From 1965 through 1970, Eugene Salmon pursued his Master's Degree in English at the Sacramento State College. In 1965 he co-taught a course alongside Perry D. Morrison at the college entitled History of the Book. In the 1970s, he taught additional courses in library science and management at the American River College and Sacramento City College. Eugene Salmon retired in 1982. He passed away on March 2, 1995.

From the guide to the Eugene N. Salmon papers, 1940-1985, 1950-1980, (California State University, Sacramento. Library. Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives.)