Changing of the Guard at the Ransom Center

After a quarter of a century at the helm of the Harry Ransom Center, Thomas F. Staley is stepping down on Aug. 31, 2013. Today, the University of Texas announced that his replacement would be Stephen Enniss, head librarian of the Folger Shakespeare Library.

Staley has overseen the acquisition of dozens of noteworthy archives since his naming as director in 1988 – including Norman Mailer, Don DeLillo, David Foster Wallace, David Mamet, and J.M. Coetzee in the last half dozen years. Notably, Staley also spearheaded the HRC's $14.5 million renovation a decade back. You can see a full (and totally impressive) timeline of Staley's HRC tenure at the Ransom Center website.

Previously, Staley had planned to retire in August 2011, but agreed to postpone that retirement date for a few years.

Now, a suitable successor has been named in Enniss, who is to become the seventh HRC director in the center's 56-year history. He will start work Aug. 1, 2013. Staley, meanwhile, will stay on as a faculty member at the university, where he will teach in the College of Liberal Arts.

Said UT President Bill Powers in a statement today: "Dr. Stephen Enniss brings the expertise and stature to continue the Ransom Center’s trajectory and carry it to new heights. I look forward to seeing what new treasures from our cultural heritage will come to this tremendous archive under his leadership."