John Putnam Chalmers OBITUARY

John Putnam Chalmers OBITUARY

John Putnam Chalmers was born in Evanston, Illinois, to Roberta Teale Swartz Chalmers and Gordon Keith Chalmers. He was the third of four children, older by a few minutes than his twin Stephen. His childhood was spent in Gambier, Ohio, where his father was President of Kenyon College and mother was a poet and professor of literature. Both parents founded The Kenyon Review in 1939. He grew up surrounded by literature and the poets of the time who were his parents’ friends, including Robert Frost. He attended public schools at Gambier and Mt. Vernon; then Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts (1959) and Hanover College in Indiana (B.A., 1963).

In 1964 he became the first librarian of the newly constructed Rare Book Library at Washington National Cathedral, building the collection, mounting exhibits, and welcoming visitors. He was a faithful member of the Cathedral Choral Society.

In June 1965 he married Holly McGavock Robertson. Their first child, Carrie Teale, was born in 1968. Having found his passion in rare books, in 1971 he took two years’ leave from the Cathedral to study at the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, England. Their second child, Sarah Keith Chalmers, was born in Oxford in 1972. He obtained a B.Litt. degree from Oxford in 1973.

He returned to Washington, continuing work at the cathedral and doing small projects for the Library of Congress. In 1981 he became head librarian of the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin. He next moved to Illinois for the position of Director of Special Collections and Preservation at the Chicago Public Library. And he finally worked for The Chicago Community Trust (2000-2006), ultimately serving as their Director of Research and Archives.

Throughout his life, John’s love of order and detail were well applied to his work compiling bibliographies, which have aided scholars and booklovers alike. He loved studying, learning new things, and sharing his knowledge with others.

He was a committed member of the vibrant community of bibliophiles at the Caxton Club Chicago for over 30 years, where he shared his knowledge of rare books, bibliographies, and research. He contributed to multiple Caxton Club publications including “Disbound and Dispersed: The Leaf Book Considered” (2005), among others.

When he wasn’t immersed in his books, John loved the outdoors. Whether ocean, lake, or river, he loved sailing and rowing; he twice sailed the Erie Canal from New York to Illinois. An avid birder, he kept his binoculars nearby and loved to add new sightings to his life list.

John was a raconteur whose dry sense of humor and voluminous vocabulary delighted and edified listeners.

John was predeceased by his longtime partner Mimi Meyer (2010), his sister Ann Chalmers Watts (2022), and his twin brother Stephen Everett Chalmers (2025). He is survived by his brother Geoffrey Teale Chalmers; his cousins Nancy G. Byrd and William H. Grubb; his daughters Carrie Teale Chalmers and Sarah Keith Chalmers; his grandson Samuel Everett Simmons; and his nieces and nephews Gordon Thomas Watts, Vivien Maynard Watts, and Christopher Lardner Chalmers.

A memorial service will be held at St. Paul’s Church By-the-Lake, 7100 N. Ashland Blvd., Chicago, IL, on Saturday, July 11 at 11:00am.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to The Audubon Society or Newberry Library, Chicago.