By Bradley Rosenberg

On Thursday, February 13 the Mary Baker Eddy Library celebrated its archive inauguration, and the event was marked with a panel discussion on the importance of archives led by the Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS) director and Northeastern alumnus William Fowler.

Fowler, who graduated from Northeastern in 1967, and was a history professor at NU from 1971 to 1998, has worked as the director of the MHS since 1998. He believes that he was picked to be the panel discussion moderator because, “I work around the corner, I was easy to get, and because I am the director of Boston’s oldest historical society.”

No matter the reason for his appointment as panel moderator, Fowler is still glad that he was chosen.

“I get a chance to talk about archives … with America’s best scholars,” Fowler said.

The scholars chosen to be panelists for “The Importance of Being Archival” forum discussion were Harvard University history professor Richard Pipes, who spoke about his discoveries in the archives of the former Soviet Union; MIT history professor Pauline Maier, who spoke about her experiences with the archives of 18th century America; and Blanche Wiesen Cooke, the award-winning biographer of Eleanor Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower. Together, they emphasized the need for archives in America and praised the opening of the Mary Baker Eddy collection.

The scholars also gave praise to Fowler.

“I think Bill Fowler is full of life,” Maier said. “He breathes good feeling into any occasion.”

Stephen I. Danzansky, the CEO of the MBE Library, felt that Fowler was the perfect candidate for the job because he “is the head honcho at the MHS,” and “that [was] important.”

“I think it’s wonderful,” he said. “We’re just thrilled [that Fowler accepted the position of moderator.]”

Danzansky, who wanted to have the panel discussion so that the MBE Library might “learn something about the nature of the archive,” thinks that the newly opened archives have much to offer the world, and is glad that Fowler agrees with him.

“[Fowler’s] very interested in anything that has to do with the city,” Danzansky said.

Fowler, on the other hand, believes that the interest is a product of the library’s offerings.

“It’s a pretty exciting place to be,” the MHS director said. “It’s a great addition to the cultural environment of Boston.”

The panel discussion was attended by over 200 librarians, archivists, curators, and scholars, and was filmed for television by C-SPAN.

“The Importance of Being Archival” was the first in a series of panel discussions about the relevance of archives that the MBE Library will be holding. The next one to occur, “Finding African American Voices Past and Present,” is on Feb. 27. Fowler approves of these panels of discussion.

“No matter how technological we become, the basis of our careers is documents,” he said. “Documents are the closest we’ll ever get to true history, [but] documents are mute without scholars to give them voice.”

Fowler is glad that he was able to help the Mary Baker Eddy Library give its documents a voice.