From its founding in 1887 until 2022, the Newberry Library has had nine Librarians, including William F. Poole (1887-1894), John Vance Cheney (1894-1909), W. N. C. Carlton (1909-1920), George B. Utley (1920-1942), Stanley Pargellis (1942-1962), Lawrence W. Towner (1962-1986), Charles T. Cullen (1986-2005), David Spadafora (2005-2019), and Daniel Greene (2019-present). Appointed in 1887 by Newberry estate Trustees Blatchford and Bradley to organize the new library, William F. Poole worked under close Trustee supervision. Until 1914, when Trustee President E. W. Blatchford died, most aspects of library administration were controlled by the Trustees, a practice that diminished steadily, first in personnel matters and library organization, and later in book selection, under librarians Carlton, Utley, and Pargellis. The transfer of administrative responsibility to the Librarian was formalized in Bylaws revisions during the Towner years and is reflected in job title changes: Director and Librarian, 1965-1974, President and Librarian, 1975-present.