James H. Billington ’50

Jim died Nov. 20, 2018, in Washington, D.C. He was an eminent Russian scholar and the 13th librarian of Congress.

He distinguished himself as our class valedictorian, graduating with highest honors in history. He was editorial chairman of The Daily Princetonian, lettered in soccer, and belonged to Dial.

As a Rhodes scholar, Jim earned a Russian history doctorate from Oxford. He served as an Army lieutenant at the Pentagon and taught at Harvard before returning to Princeton in 1961 as a professor of history. He left Princeton in 1973 to become director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, where he founded the Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies.

In 1987 President Ronald Reagan appointed him librarian of Congress, a position he held for 28 years. During his long tenure he led the library into the digital age and added millions of books, films, and artifacts to its collections.

Among the many books he wrote, six were on Russia and revolutionary tradition. He received more than 40 honorary degrees. The Washington Post described him as “commanding.” In his own words, “the way I work is very intensive.”

Jim is survived by his wife of 61 years, Marjorie; children Anne ’83, Susan, James Jr., and Thomas; and 12 grandchildren.