Julian Pace, an emeritus professor of Library Science at Missouri State University, passed on January 12, 2022 at the age of 83. He was born in Abilene, Texas, but received most of his formal education in Waco, Texas, including a BA in history from Baylor University. He earned his Master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Oklahoma in 1963. 

Julian became the Director of library services at Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, Missouri, where he oversaw the design and construction of Estep Library. In 1972 Julian began working in the library at Southwest Missouri State University, now Missouri State University, first as an administrative assistant, then as a member of the Library Science faculty. He retired in 1998. He also was very active in service to the profession, including the Missouri Association of College and Research Libraries, the American Library Association, and other professional organizations. He was an active member of the First Baptist Church in Bolivar, and he was a Rotarian, including being a Paul Harris Fellow. 

In his retirement, Julian continued to support libraries and library users. He served on the Board of Trustees of the Polk County Library. He and his wife also continued to travel widely, both domestically and internationally. He was an enthusiast about Packard automobiles, owning a 1951 Packard himself, which he often drove in parades — to promote libraries! He was a lifelong avid reader as well. 

Thank you, Julian, for being an exemplar of the public affairs mission of MSU. Rest in peace.