PLATTSBURGH, NY, February 28, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Stanley Austin Ransom Jr. has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Prior to embarking on his professional journey, Mr. Ransom served honorably in the United States Army from 1946 until 1948. Following his service, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in liberal arts from Yale University in 1951 and went on to attain a Master of Library Science from Columbia University. He began his career as a serials cataloger for the New York Public Research Libraries in 1952, and then became the library director for the Huntington Public Library, on Long Island, from 1956 to 1974 and the Clinton-Essex-Franklin Library System from 1974-1991. In 1974, Mr. Ransom became the owner of Connecticut Peddler Enterprises. He also worked as the director for the Plattsburgh Public Library between 2007 and 2012.
Throughout the course of his work with the Huntington, Long Island, Public Library, Mr. Ransom worked to expand the institution from a small library to one having expanded services and 50 employees. As director of the CEF Library System in Plattsburgh, NY, he established active collaborations with 25 local libraries in three counties near the Canadian border. In recognition for his work, he was later honored as one of the Six Over Seventy, a program that honored community leaders in Plattsburgh. He was twice named as a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow from the Plattsburgh Rotary Club. Mr. Ransom also received a Certificate of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History for his work as a Folklorist and promoter of New York State folk music. He plays hammered dulcimer, guitar, mandolin and autoharp, and performs annually at the September 11th Battle of Plattsburgh events.
During the course of his duties at the Huntington Public Library, Mr. Ransom learned about an African slave, Jupiter Hammon, who had lived in Lloyd Neck nearby from 1711-1806, and who had published his own poems, and was not well known. Inspired by this story, he wrote "America's First Negro Poet; Jupiter Hammon of Long Island" in 1970, with a new edition in 2020, "America's First Black Poet; Jupiter Hammon of Long Island," which featured much of the titular figure's newly found poetry. After publishing the book, he also created a national observance for Black Poetry Day on October 17th, Hammon's birthday, which highlights the contributions of Black poets to American culture and honors Jupiter Hammon. Having grown up suffused with folk music, Mr. Ransom has also composed fifty songs within the genre, and released ten recordings of New York State folk music, including "Battle of Plattsburgh," "Civil War Songs of New York State", "I Love Long Island" and "My Long Island Home" in 1997 and "Songs of Lake Champlain" in 1995. He has also won numerous citations as a folklorist. In 1979 he proposed the founding of the Lake Placid Olympic Museum, and was Charter member and Trustee from 1979-1994.
Mr. Ransom serves as Secretary of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission of Clinton County. He has previously been the president of the New York Library Association and is a lifetime member of the American Library Association and the American Legion. He is also a member of the Toastmasters International and Rotary International. Mr. Ransom works with his wife, Christina, as the co-chair of both the Kid's Games for the BOP and the Battle of Plattsburgh Committee, and both volunteer at the Champlain Valley Physician.
About Marquis Who's Who®
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
# # #