James H. Billington
13th Librarian of Congress (1929-2018) · United States · On the map · Writers · Died at 89
James Hadley Billington was an American academic and author who taught history at Harvard and Princeton before serving for 42 years as CEO of four federal cultural institutions.
James H. Billington is read about 51 times a day, in 18 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 17 June 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 60 days, one point a day.
Something wrong?A life in dates
2018Died20 November 20182012Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian RepublicAward2008Order of FriendshipAward2006Dmitry Likhachev Foundation PrizeAward2002Knight of the Order of the Southern CrossAward1995Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of GermanyAward1991Commandeur des Arts et des LettresAward1960Guggenheim FellowshipAward1950Rhodes ScholarshipAward1929Born1 June 1929
People around James
Close ties
Media & music
Photos 4
Billington watches as Raisa Gorbacheva listens to Marilyn Quayle at a display of books and other items at the Library of Congress in 1990.
George Soros (left) and James H. Billington at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., on January 22, 2001, to discuss the views expressed in Soros' new book, Open Society: Reforming Global Capitalism
Awards
About this person
He served as the 13th Librarian of Congress after being nominated by President Ronald Reagan in 1987, and his appointment was approved unanimously by the U.S. Senate. He retired as Librarian on September 30, 2015.
Country
United States
Category
Writers
Type
Writer / Author
Status
Deceased
Dates
Lived 1929 to 2018 · aged 89
