author
John M. (John Melville) Jennings
b. 1918
A careful historian and librarian of early Virginia, he spent decades preserving manuscripts, building research collections, and tracing the history of books and libraries in colonial America. His work is especially valued by readers interested in William and Mary, Virginia bibliography, and the documentary record of the colonial South.
1 Audiobook
A Selected Bibliography of Virginia, 1607-1699
by E. G. (Earl Gregg) Swem, John M. (John Melville) Jennings
About the author
John Melville Jennings was an American historian, librarian, and museum administrator whose work centered on Virginia's early history and print culture. The American Antiquarian Society lists him as living from 1916 to 2004, and records him in Washington, D.C. It also notes that he had worked at the College of William and Mary before joining the Virginia Historical Society.
According to the American Antiquarian Society obituary, Jennings served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, later earned a master's degree from American University, and became the first professionally trained librarian on the staff of the Virginia Historical Society. The Virginia Museum of History & Culture says he became director in 1953 and helped modernize cataloging, strengthen the library, and expand the society's collections.
As an author, Jennings is best known for works such as Notes on the Original Library of the College of William and Mary in Virginia, 1693-1705 and, with E. G. Swem, A Selected Bibliography of Virginia, 1607-1699. His writing reflects the same strengths seen in his archival career: close attention to sources, a love of old books and records, and a lasting commitment to making early American history easier to study.