Charles V. Park

Who was Charles V. Park?

Charles V. Park was a noted librarian. The Charles V. Park Library at Central Michigan University is named after him. He was born in Hill City, Kansas. His parents were Abraham and Lovina Park. He married Frances Odenheimer on September 1, 1917 in Los Angeles, California. They had a son and daughter together, James "Ted" and Mrs. Ray Rynberg.

Park graduated with an A.B. degree from Stanford University in 1909. He received a library certificate from the New York Public Library in 1915. He was an assistant librarian at Stanford University from 1910 to 1930. He was the Director of the Central Michigan University library from 1930 until his retirement in 1957. The library at Central Michigan University was named after him in 1968. He died in 1982 at the age of 97.

In his memoir “A Country Boy’s Road to College”. Park writes “J.E. Goodwin, Assistant Librarian in charge of services to the public decided to try to find two or three students who would be interested in working full time in the library – seven hours per day – while they carried a part-time schedule of graduate work”. This proposal from J.E. Goodwin at Stanford came to Park during his senior year of studies in economics at the institution. As can be assumed, Park accepted the position to further fund his graduate work – originally more economics. Two years later, Park’s economics professor, while accepting a new position at Cornell, offered Park the opportunity to study for his Ph.D. as his assistant. At the same time, Park was offered the assistant librarian position at Stanford as the aforementioned J.E. Goodwin resigned his position.. As can be assumed, Park accepted the position at Stanford, where he remained for 15 years.