MARCUS A. MCCORISON

McCORISON--Marcus A., 86, described by the Wall Street Journal in 1986 as the tiger of rare book librarians, died on February 3, 2013, in Worcester, Massachusetts. McCorison, a noted librarian, bibliographer, and scholar of early American printing, was named president emeritus of the American Antiquarian Society at his retirement in 1992 after 32 years of service to the Society. He served in the Pacific during WWII with United States Naval Reserve and with the U.S. Army in Korea. McCorison graduated from Ripon College in 1950 and earned masters degrees from the University of Vermont and Columbia University. He was chief of rare books at Dartmouth College and served as Head of Special Collections at State University of Iowa prior to accepting the position of librarian at the Society in 1960. McCorison was actively involved with many clubs, organizations and academic institutions. He authored numerous books and articles on the history of printing. Marcus McCorison was born on July 17, 1926, in Lancaster, Wisconsin, the son of Rev. Dr. Joseph and Ruth McCorison. He was married for forty-eight years to Janet Knop, who died in 1998. He was predeceased by a daughter, Mary (Mrs. Joshua L. Rosenbloom) and is survived by a sister, Virginia Simmons; four sons, Marcus II, Andrew, James, Peter; a daughter, Judith (Mrs. Jeffrey Gove) and eleven grandchildren. A memorial service will be held February 16 at 11am, United Congregational Church, Institute Road, Worcester, Massachusetts; reception following at the American Antiquarian Society. For further information or to make a contribution to McCorison Book Fund, please contact Matthew Shakespeare, American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609; mshakespeare@mwa.org, 508-471-2162.