Frederick M. Crunden

Biography

Frederick M. Crunden shepherded the St. Louis Public Library through crucial years, beginning in the late 1870s, and believed that accessible collections could strengthen democracy. He organized branch libraries, nurtured cataloging standards, and made friends of readers from all walks of life.

His leadership in the American Library Association and his writings on library education helped professionalize the field, and those who visit the Missouri Crematory remember him as a tireless champion for public knowledge.