Virginia C. Purdy

Virginia C. Purdy
in 1971
Born	August 1, 1922 Columbia, South Carolina
Died	May 22, 2015 (aged 92)
Nationality	American
Education	B.A. University of South Carolina, M.A. and Ph.D. George Washington University.
Occupation	historian and archivist
Employer	National Archives and Records Administration
Spouse(s)	Donald Roderick Purdy
Children	2

Virginia Cardwell Purdy (1922-2015) was an American archivist and historian at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).^[1] She was a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists and an editor of the journal The American Archivist (1978-1980).^[2]

Personal life

Purdy was born in Columbia, South Carolina.^[3] In 1942, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Carolina. She briefly taught in South Carolina before her career at NARA. She also earned an M.A. (1960) and Ph.D. (1970) in history from the George Washington University.

Professional Life

James B. Rhoads, Archivist of the United States (right), holding an award for the Formation of the Union catalog with Steven Tutellian of the Edward Stern Majestic Press, and Virginia C. Purdy, January 26, 1971.

Purdy's first position was as a reference librarian at the Library of Congress (1964-1966). Later, at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, she was Assistant Historian (1966–1969) and Keeper of the Catalog of American Portraits (1969–70). At NARA (1970-1989), she worked as exhibits curator, Director of the Education Division, Microfilms Publications Coordinator, and Specialist in Women’s History.^[3] She published on the history of the NARA building and the history of women in the United States in addition to making contributions to theory and practice of archival management.^[4][5][6][7]

Honors and Awards

• Fellow, Society of American Archivists

Bibliography

Clio Was a Woman: Studies in the History of American Women (Harvard University Press, 1980), with Mabel Deutrich.

References

1. "VIRGINIA C. PURDY". Retrieved 3 August 2016.
2. "History of SAA Leadership: Virginia C. Purdy". Society of American Archivists. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
3. Kratz, Jessie (March 30, 2016). "Virginia C. Purdy: Fighting for Women's History". Retrieved 3 August 2016.
4. Purdy, V. (1985). "A Temple to Clio: The National Archives Building." Guardian of Heritage. 17-31.
5. Conference on Women's History; Deutrich, Mabel E; Purdy, Virginia Cardwell, eds. (1980-01-01). Clio was a woman: studies in the history of American women. Washington: Howard University Press. ISBN 0882580779.
6. Walch, Timothy; National Archives (U.S.) (1985-01-01). Guardian of heritage: essays on the history of the National Archives. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. ISBN 0911333355.
7. Finch, Elsie. "Making Sure They Want It: Managing Successful Public Programs". The American Archivist. 56 (1): 70–75. doi:10.17723/aarc.56.1.t11256g1g8437glp.