[nfais-l] Art Elias - Information Industry Pioneer

[Bonnie Lawlor]

NFAIS Mourns the Passing of Art Elias, Noted Information Industry Pioneer

It is with great sorrow that I report that Art Elias, a long-time member and
strong supporter of the NFAIS Community, died on March 7, 2011 at Clark
Memorial Hospital, Jeffersonville, Indiana. 

 

Art was a Navy veteran of World War II, and served in the Korean Conflict.
During World War II, he served aboard the U.S.S. Gilbert Islands CVE-107
and, no surprise, was ultimately the author of the ship's history. Born in
New York City, he was a graduate of DeWitt Clinton High School and the
University of Alabama. 

 

But we in the NFAIS Community know him best as one of the key pioneers of
the information industry - one of a small group of innovators who led the
charge into the digital age more than 50 years ago! He was a Vice President
at the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) in its very early days and
served for years as Director of Marketing and Distribution for Biological
Abstracts Inc. (BIOSIS), in Philadelphia, PA. Art was the author of several
books and numerous technical papers and he served as Editor of both the
Journal of the American Society for Information Science and the journal
Information Services and Use. Art retired from BIOSIS in 1992.

 

Art was a very active and vocal member of NFAIS.  He spoke at many NFAIS
meetings, taught NFAIS courses, helped in the development of the NFAIS Code
of Practice for Gateways, and wrote numerous NFAIS reports and books,
including the series that was popular in the early 1990's, the NFAIS
Yearbook of the Information Industry. 

 

Art was the miles Conrad Lecturer in 1991 and was made an Honorary Fellow
upon his retirement in 1992. He was also honored on 1977 with the Watson
Davis Award from the American Society for Information Science.  Most
recently he volunteered at the Howard Steamboat Museum, was a member of the
Escort Carriers Sailors and Airmen Association, the American Association of
Navy Hospital Corpsmen, Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity, and the American Legion
Post 204. Art never stopped giving.

 

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 10, 2011 at Garr Funeral
Home in Sellersburg, Indiana. The burial will follow at the Cave Hill
Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky, with military honors presented by the
American Legion Post 204 Color and Honor Guard.

 

NFAIS is very grateful to Art for all of his support over the years and on
behalf of the NFAIS Board and staff I extend sincere sympathy to his family
and friends, especially to his devoted wife, Betty Unruh, who served as
NFAIS Executive Director from 1985-1991. We will miss you Art - you taught
and touched us all.

 

Bonnie Lawlor

NFAIS Executive Director

March 8, 2011

 

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