Ronald D. Patkus

Ronald D. Patkus is the Head of Special Collections and College Historian at Vassar College, holding the Frederick Weyerhaeuser Endowed Chair in Biblical Literature and Bibliography. He is an Adjunct Associate Professor of History and serves as Library Liaison to German Studies and Italian Departments. With a BA from Boston College, MA in Archival Management from the University of Connecticut, MLS from Simmons College, and PhD in History from Boston College, Patkus specializes in book history, rare books, and institutional history. His research focuses on the history of printing, private press editions of biblical texts, and Vassar’s archival legacy.

His teaching includes courses like Medieval and Renaissance Culture, The Book in America, and Digital Editions of Classical Texts. Patkus has curated numerous exhibitions, including those on the Nuremberg Chronicle, Elizabeth Bishop’s postcards, and the history of the Bible in fine printing. His scholarly awards include the Katharine Kyes Leab & Daniel J. Leab Exhibition Award (2014, 2007, 2005) and the Bridwell Library Fellowship.

Patkus oversees Vassar’s Archives & Special Collections Library, emphasizing undergraduate engagement with primary sources. He has authored books such as *The Privately Printed Bible* (2017) and contributed to exhibitions like *Shirley Jones and the Red Hen Press* (2013). His presentations span topics from rare book digitization to the cultural impact of fine printing.