author
Solon J. (Solon Justus) Buck
1884–1962
A leading historian and public servant, he helped shape both American archival practice and the study of the nation’s rural past. His career moved from university teaching to some of the country’s most important memory institutions.
1 Audiobook
The Agrarian Crusade: A Chronicle of the Farmer in Politics
by Solon J. (Solon Justus) Buck
About the author
Born in Berlin, Wisconsin, in 1884, Solon Justus Buck studied at the University of Wisconsin and earned a Ph.D. from Harvard. He built an academic reputation as a historian of agricultural life and the American frontier, teaching at Indiana University, the University of Illinois, and the University of Minnesota.
Buck later moved into major national leadership roles in research libraries and archives. He served as the second Archivist of the United States from 1941 to 1948, and he was also closely connected with the Library of Congress, where his papers reflect a long career in public service, scholarship, and historical administration.
He died in 1962, leaving behind work that bridged scholarship and recordkeeping. For listeners interested in American history, his background offers a mix of careful research, institutional leadership, and a lasting interest in how everyday people and communities shaped the nation.