ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202

LIBBY FAMILY PAPERS

COLLECTION: OGL #1056

DATES: 1969-1988

SIZE: 2.5 linear feet

INTRODUCTION

ACQUISITION: The Libby Family Papers were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection in May of 1986 by Charles Libby and Margaret Libby Barr (Acc.#86-1443).

ACCESS: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.

RELATED COLLECTIONS:

Margaret Libby Barr, OGL #652
Charles Libby, OGL #224
Orin G. Libby, OGL #49

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Margaret Libby Barr was born on September 8, 1904 in Harriman, Tennessee. She was the daughter of Dr. Orin G. Libby and Eva Cory Libby. Dr. Libby was chair of the History Department at the University of North Dakota from 1902 to 1945. Margaret graduated from UND with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce in 1926 and taught in the Bemidji, Minnesota, school system.

She moved back to Grand Forks after marrying Paul E. Barr on June 8, 1932. Paul Barr was head of the Art Department at UND for 25 years, from 1928 to 1953. She assisted with the publication of his book, North Dakota Artists, in 1953. Paul Barr died on December 22, 1953. They had two children: Robert and Martha.

After her husband's death, Margaret became an Associate Professor of Business and Vocational Education at UND from 1954 until 1975. She added a Master of Science degree in Education from UND in 1956. In 1974, she was awarded the Charles DeBruyn Kops award for excellence in teaching and loyal service to UND. She co-authored the 1977 book University of North Dakota Pottery: the Cable Years, with her son Robert Barr and UND art professor Donald H. Miller. In 1987, she was presented with the Elwyn B. Robinson award for preservation of North Dakota history. This award was given because of her establishment of the Cable Pottery Collection at the UND's Hughes Fine Arts Center. During that same year, she was bestowed with the President's Award for outstanding service to UND.

She was also active in several Grand Forks organizations: Chapter D of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, Franklin Club, Round Table Club, Business and Professional Women, UND Faculty Wives, Alpha Phi and was an active member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. She was chair of the publications committee, which published Windows of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1880-1980.

Margaret Libby Barr died on May16, 1988, in Grand Forks.

Charles Cory Libby was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota on October 10, 1910. He was the son of Dr. Orrin G. Libby and Eva Cory Libby. Charles graduated from the University of North Dakota with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1931. He attended graduate school at the University of Cincinnati, where he obtained a M.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1933. Charles married Florence Mentnech, a nurse in training, on September 7, 1934. Charles and Florence had two children: a daughter, Donna, born August 19, 1940, and a son, Ross, born August 13, 1943. Upon graduation, Charles worked for the Electric (Motor) Division of Fairbanks Morse for the next 25 years in numerous cities, including: Chicago; New York City; Glen Rock, NJ; and Freeport, Illinois.

In 1960, Charles wrote a book titled "Motor Selection and Application". After the Electrical Division was dropped at Fairbanks Morse, Charles moved to Mansfield, Ohio and worked for Ideal Electric, a motor manufacturer. In 1962, Charles moved to Columbus, Ohio and worked for Ohio State University for ten years doing research and teaching Electrical Engineering as applied to Welding Engineering. Charles was voted a recipient of the McQuigg Award for excellence in teaching by the students, before retiring in 1972 as Assistant Professor. After his retirement Charles continued to live in Columbus until his death on August 28, 1996.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Libby Family Papers consist primarily of correspondence between Charles Libby and his sister, Margaret Libby Barr, dating from 1969 to the mid 1980's. Several photographs and two audio tapes were separated from the collection.

BOX AND FOLDER INVENTORY

Box 1
Folder

  1. Correspondence: From Margaret to Charles and Florence, 1969-72
  2. Correspondence: From Charles to Margaret, 1972
  3. Correspondence: From Charles to Margaret,January-May, 1973
  4. Correspondence: From Charles to Margaret, June-December, 1973
  5. Correspondence: From Margaret to Charles and Florence, 1973
  6. Correspondence: From Charles to Margaret, 1974
  7. Correspondence: From Margaret to Charles and Florence, 1974
  8. Correspondence: From Charles to Margaret, 1975
  9. Correspondence: From Margaret to Charles and Florence, 1975
  10. Correspondence: From Charles to Margaret, 1976
  11. Correspondence: From Margaret to Charles and Florence, 1976
  12. Correspondence: From Charles to Margaret, 1977
  13. Correspondence: From Margaret to Charles and Florence, 1977
  14. Correspondence: From Charles to Margaret, 1978
  15. Correspondence: From Margaret to Charles and Florence, 1978
  16. Correspondence: From Charles to Margaret, 1979
  17. Correspondence: From Margaret to Charles and Florence, 1979
  18. Correspondence: From Charles to Margaret, 1980
  19. Correspondence: From Margaret to Charles and Florence,1980

Box 2
Folder

  1. Correspondence: From Charles to Margaret, 1981
  2. Correspondence: From Margaret to Charles and Florence, 1981
  3. Correspondence: From Charles to Margaret, 1982
  4. Correspondence: From Margaret to Charles and Florence, 1982
  5. Correspondence: From Charles to Margaret, 1983
  6. Correspondence: From Margaret to Charles and Florence, 1983
  7. Correspondence: From Charles to Margaret, 1984
  8. Correspondence: From Margaret to Charles and Florence, 1984
  9. Correspondence: From Charles to Margaret, 1985
  10. Correspondence: From Margaret to Charles and Florence, 1985
  11. Correspondence: From Charles to Margaret, 1986
  12. Correspondence: From Margaret to Charles and Florence, 1986
  13. General Correspondence of Charles Libby, 1972-80, 1982, 1986
  14. General Correspondence of Margaret (Libby) Barr, 1972, 1974-75, 1982-83, 1986-87
  15. Correspondence between Charles and Florence Libby, 1975, 1977-78
  16. Info regarding Margaret Barr's illness and death, 1981, 1987-88
  17. "The Lord and Mildred Fayerman", a chronology by Charles Libby

SEPARATIONS RECORD

Eight photographs were separated and placed in the Orin G. Libby Photograph Collection.

OGL 1056-1 Paul and Margaret (Libby) Barr, 1932
OGL 1056-2 Margaret (Libby) Barr, 1983
OGL 1056-3 Margaret (Libby) Barr, 1984
OGL 1056-4 Charles and Margaret Libby, 1926
OGL 1056-5 Charles Libby, 1983
OGL 1056-6 Charles Libby, 1984
OGL 1056-7 Charles and Florence Libby, 1984
OGL 1956-8 Donna and Melody Libby (Charles' daughter and granddaughter), 1984

Two audio tapes were separated and placed in the Audio Tape Collection.

Audio tapes #1896 and 1897- Interview with Margaret Libby Barr and family members during Homecoming 1987. Interviewer: Kathie Anderson.

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