Today's Hours
Professor David Nocera, an esteemed member of the CCNY Libraries team, passed away suddenly on March 26, 2020. Professor Nocera held an MA in Political Science from the University of Connecticut where he was a Roper Fellow, and an MLS in Library Science from Queens College CUNY with a Certificate in the Preservation of Cultural Heritage. He was also the cherished partner of Prof. Ellen Handy of the CCNY Art Department and a valued CCNY Libraries collaborator and champion. David's post is testament to his knowledge, skills, enthusiasm, and his commitment to interdisciplinary teamwork. CCNY Libraries offers our deepest condolences to Ellen and the entire CCNY community for this loss.
I met David in the Summer of 2016, when we had just taken possession of the archives of George Lois, the advertising icon whose Esquire covers are part of the permanent collection of MoMA. Having no conception of what was needed to be done to process this material, I turned to Professor Sydney Van Nort, the CCNY Libraries Archivist. David happened to be at City College working on the Ravi Shankar collection on a temporary processing archivist contract at the time, and Van Nort introduced us. And so, a most meaningful collaboration and friendship began.
To be a truly effective archivist requires a strong personal commitment to the work being archived. From the very start, it was apparent that David was the ideal person to be the chief archivist for this collection. He was a student of culture. His love of “rock” music both as a performer and aficionado clearly translated to his understanding of the role George Lois’ advertising and design played in the American culture of the past 60 years. As he delved into the work, he was so quick to make important observations that provided a perspective so important to our student archivists. His favorite Esquire cover was of a battered Ursula Andress. It amazed him that George was addressing the issue of sexual abuse more than 60 years ago. In an e-mail to Music Librarian Michael Crowley about a write up on the Lois Collection, David suggested that this image be used, writing:
"I chose this one out of the 27 original sketches in part because of George's vibrant, unflinching, and highly evocative treatment in the original sketch. But perhaps more importantly it illustrates the unique courage Publisher Harold Hayes demonstrated taking on the topic of domestic violence decades before anyone else of similar stature did, and George's Lois' fierce dedication to being a cultural provocateur. It is also noteworthy that throughout George's life he was an ardent feminist, again, many decades before it was common for a man to hold such convictions. This cover is still ahead of its time."
David served in Army Intelligence and was stationed in West Berlin, when the Wall came down. He was a Roper Fellow at the University of Connecticut, and later consulted on political campaigns for Global Strategy Group ranging from Senator John Edward’s presidential bid, Eliot Spitzer’s gubernatorial effort, and he was involved in the first polling work for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. (He knew from the onset that she had some tough issues to overcome). He also told me about the fascinating time Rev. Al Sharpton was sharing space at the GSG office.
Most importantly, David loved to teach. His passion resonated with his students. Starting with our original 5 ORCA participants, we were able to build a cadre of 25 plus students who came to understand that digital was more than social media, that it enabled one to better understand the value of the humanities and of the art of archiving in particular.
It was the culmination of his rich experience that led me to get him to teach one of our Market Research sections in the Ad/PR Program, then a Data Mining course that he single handedly developed. As our relationship with the Rockefeller Archive Center flourished, of which he was a key player, he designed our first undergraduate archiving class, a first step in our effort to develop a certificate program in the field of archiving that would serve the many incredible collections in CCNY Libraries. My dear friend will be sorely missed, but I assure you his legacy will truly live on.
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