Paul Spehr retires after 35 years

Paul Spehr, Assistant Chief of the Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division at the Library of Congress, announced his retirement on October 14, 1993, ending 35 years of public service to the field of film and television preservation.

Paul started his career in October 1958, as one of the handful of employees in charge of the Library's already important motion picture collection. His first job was to supervise completion of the transfer to 16mm film of the Library's historic Paper Print Collection, which was performed by Kemp Niver in Los Angeles.

His transition from deck attendant to Assistant Chief of the newly formed M/B/RS division in 1979 (Acting Chief, 1980-83) reflects the evolution of the Division's growth and complexity.

During the years 1958-1993, the M/B/RS Division grew from a staff of seven, caring for a film collection of several thousand titles, to more than seventy employees, with responsibility for 250,000 films, 80,000 television programs, 150,000 radio broadcasts and several million sound recordings. Paul played an important role in many M/B/RS milestone over the years, including the acquisition of many major collections, the founding of the Mary Pickford Theater, and development of the Library's Motion Picture Conservation Center in Dayton, Ohio.

Paul's publications include The Movies Begin: Making Movies in New Jersey, 187-1920, based on his research for an exhibition at the Newark Museum in New Jersey, The Civil War in Motion Pictures: A Bibliography of Films Produced in the United States since 1897, as well as many articles on early film history and film preservation.

by Patrick Loughney / Barbara Humphrys