Jo Ann Boydston, distinguished John Dewey scholar and member of LOA Textual Standards Committee, dies

Jo Ann Boydston (right) in Naples, FL, with
LOA president Cheryl Hurley in 2009

We are saddened to learn that Jo Ann Boydston, who helped to formulate the textual policies for The Library of America in the early 1980s and has served on the LOA Textual Standards Committee ever since, died Tuesday, January 25, in Naples, Florida. A widely respected scholar, Boydston was a key figure in the field of modern textual editing.

For more than thirty years Boydston directed the Center for Dewey Studies at Southern Illinois University and in her role as general editor oversaw the publication of the 37-volume edition of The Collected Works of John Dewey, a project that is considered a model of scholarly excellence. “She was known for her innovative techniques and for the incredible precision that she demanded,” said current Center director Larry Hickman in an interview earlier this week with the university paper, The Saluki Times.

As a member of the LOA’s Textual Standards Committee, Boydston helped create the policies and procedures governing the selection of an authoritative version for every work published in The Library of America. G. Thomas Tanselle, LOA trustee and chairman of the Textual Standards Committee said, “Jo Ann was one of the people I have most respected in the field of scholarly editing, and she was a delight to work with. I feel fortunate to have had an association with her going back to the 1960s. When the Library of America was being organized, she seemed a natural choice for the Textual Standards Committee, and her learning and good sense have left their mark on the policies we have followed.”