Tanis, Norman E. (1929-2010) | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

Norman Earl Tanis was born on August 15, 1929 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tanis attended Calvin College, graduating in 1951 with a B.A. Tanis went on to further his education at the University of Michigan earning an M.A. in Library Science, 1952; M.S. in History, 1956; and a M.A. in Education 1961.

Tanis began his career as a Cataloguer at the Strauss Memorial Library on the University of Michigan's campus for a year while earning his first Masters.  He went on to become and the Reference and Circulation Librarian at the Henry Ford Community College library in Dearborn, Michigan. By 1963 he was appointed as Head Librarian. In  1966 he went on to become the Director of Libraries at Kansas State College until 1969.

In 1969 Tanis was appointed Director of University Libraries at California State University at Northridge.  Tanis would remain at CSUN until his retirement in 1991.  Tanis was also involved in many library-related organizations such as the American Library Association, Association of College and Research Libraries, and National Librarians Associations.  He has also published a number of books like Problems in Developing Academic Library Collections, 1974. In 1981 Tanis married Terese R. Tiernan. Norman Earl Tanis passed away on November 28, 2010 in Rowland, California.