Nationality American Children 2 | Spouse(s) Donald Roderick Purdy Died 22 May 2015 | |
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Born August 1, 1922 ( 1922-08-01 ) Columbia, South Carolina Education B.A. University of South Carolina, M.A. and Ph.D. George Washington University. Occupation historian and archivist Employer National Archives and Records Administration | ||
Virginia Cardwell Purdy (1922-2015) was an American archivist and historian at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). She was a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists and an editor of the journal The American Archivist (1978-1980).
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Personal life
Purdy was born in Columbia, South Carolina. In 1942, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Carolina. She briefly taught in South Carolina before her career at NARA. She also earned an M.A. (1960) and Ph.D. (1970) in history from the George Washington University.
Professional Life
Purdy's first position was as a reference librarian at the Library of Congress (1964-1966). Later, at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, she was Assistant Historian (1966–1969) and Keeper of the Catalog of American Portraits (1969–70). At NARA (1970-1989), she worked as exhibits curator, Director of the Education Division, Microfilms Publications Coordinator, and Specialist in Women’s History. She published on the history of the NARA building and the history of women in the United States in addition to making contributions to theory and practice of archival management.