Solon Justus Buck, Second Archivist of the United States (Archivist: 1941–1948)

Solon Justus Buck (August 16, 1884 – May 25, 1962) was the second Archivist of the United States. Buck was born on August 16, 1884, in Berlin, WI. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin and his Ph.D. from Harvard University. From 1914 to 1935, Buck taught history—first at the University of Minnesota and later at the University of Pittsburgh. He was also actively involved in a number of state archives and state and national historical societies.

In 1935 Buck was appointed director of publications at the newly created National Archives, where he gained further experience in the archival field. In 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt nominated Buck as the second Archivist of the United States. Buck guided the agency through World War II, an era that saw a surge in federal records creation. As Archivist, he was actively involved in records management and the administrative development of the agency. After resigning from the National Archives in 1948, Buck became the Chief of the Manuscript Division at the Library of Congress and later the Assistant Librarian of Congress until his retirement in 1954.

Learn more about Buck in the blog posts: Archivist Solon J. Buck: Wartime Leader and Solon Buck Portrait. 

View historical photos of Buck in the National Archives Online Catalog.