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Dibner Curator Named
 The imminent arrival of the Burndy Library elicits many responses from Dan Lewis. First, the Huntington curator marvels that the institution’s largest library acquisition ever—67,000 rare books, reference volumes, and artifacts on the history of science—will travel across the country this fall, to be transplanted in its entirety from the East Coast into the Munger Research Center. Lewis also expresses his delight in donning a new job title as a result of the acquisition. As the newly appointed Dibner Senior Curator of the History of Science & Technology, Lewis will oversee one of the world’s most important collections in the field.
Establishing perpetual support for the Burndy Library was critical to the Dibner family, whose gift includes $11.6 million for conservation, cataloging, fellowships, and related activities. Of that total, almost $2 million is earmarked to endow Lewis’ position.
Endowing a position not only provides fiscal security, it also helps to attract and retain the finest talent in the field. This is the third position endowed through the Campaign for The Huntington. The first two were the Marge and Sherm Telleen Director of the Botanical Gardens and the Hannah and Russel Kully Director of Art Collections. The Huntington seeks to endow 23 additional curator, specialist, and educator positions.
The Huntington’s holdings in the history of science already constitute a rich tapestry of scientific inquiry and achievement. The Burndy Library acquisition lifts those holdings to an entirely new level. “The history of science collections for a long time have been hiding in the valleys between the peaks that are other great Huntington collections,” says Lewis, who has been at the institution since 1997. “I’m thrilled that the addition of the Burndy will allow me to focus more directly and extensively on the history of science as a collecting and research subject.”
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