By Amy Cooper Cary (Editor, American Archivist), Rose Buchanan (Reviews Coeditor, American Archivist), and Stephanie Luke (Reviews Coeditor, American Archivist) [PDF Full Text]

Archivist, historian, and educator Dr. Richard James Cox recently passed away on July 11, 2026.[1] A prolific scholar with dozens of books and articles to his name, Dr. Cox was a frequent contributor to American Archivist and published several books and book chapters through the Society of American Archivists (SAA). A presence on multiple SAA committees and in SAA leadership, Cox had a significant impact on the archival literature. He served as Editor of American Archivist from 1991 to 1995 and served as Publications Editor from 2002 to 2006.

It is difficult at best to account for all of Dr. Cox’s writing and service. In honor of his legacy, we have compiled a bibliography of his books, book chapters, articles, and book reviews published specifically through SAA. We hope this list encourages you to engage with Dr. Cox’s scholarship and begin to explore the ways he impacted the profession.

Books

Cox, Richard J. Documenting Localities: A Practical Model for American Archivists and Manuscripts Curators. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press and Society of American Archivists, 1996.

Cox, Richard J., ed. Lester J. Cappon and the Relationship of History, Archives, & Scholarship. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2004.

O’Toole, James M., and Richard J. Cox. Understanding Archives and Manuscripts, 2nd ed. Archival Fundamentals Series II. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2006.

Book Chapters

Cox, Richard J. “Blown to Bits: Electronic Records, Archivy, and the Corporation.” In The Records of American Business, edited by James M. O’Toole. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 1997.

Cox, Richard J. “The Documentation Strategy and Archival Appraisal Principles: A Different Perspective.” In American Archival Studies: Readings in Theory and Practice, ed. Randall C. Jimerson. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2000.

Cox, Richard J. “Teaching Advocacy.” In Many Happy Returns: Advocacy and the Development of Archives, ed. Larry J. Hackman. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2011.

Cox, Richard J. “Technology’s Promise, the Copying of Records, and the Archivist’s Challenge: A Case Study in Documentation Rhetoric.” In Controlling the Past: Documenting Society and Institutions—Essays in Honor of Helen Willa Samuels, ed. Terry Cook. Chicago: Society of American Archivists, 2011.

Articles

Cox, Richard J. “Public Records in Colonial Maryland.” American Archivist 37, no. 2 (1974): 263–275. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.37.2.n543106w343q724h.

Cox, Richard J. “The Plight of American Municipal Archives: Baltimore, 1729–1979.” American Archivist 42, no. 3 (1979): 281–292. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.42.3.2512804653401xh3.

Cox, Richard J. “American Archival History: Its Development, Needs, and Opportunities.” American Archivist 46, no. 1 (1983): 31–41. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.46.1.n43kl32721m250g1.

Cox, Richard J. “Professionalism and Archivists in the United States.” American Archivist 49, no. 3 (1986): 229–247. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.49.3.p0vg1v6410254574.

Cox, Richard J. “American Archival Literature: Expanding Horizons and Continuing Needs, 1901–1987.” American Archivist 50, no. 3 (1987): 306–323. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.50.3.l0r6284v0r925527.

Cox, Richard J., and Helen W. Samuels. “The Archivist’s First Responsibility: A Research Agenda to Improve the Identification and Retention of Records of Enduring Value.” American Archivist 51, nos. 1–2 (1988): 28–42. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.51.1-2.gkw67424l3344ug8.

Cox, Richard J. “A Documentation Strategy Case Study: Western New York.” American Archivist 52, no. 2 (1989): 192–200. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.52.2.6280321313744409.

Cox, Richard J. “RAMP Studies and Related UNESCO Publications: An International Source for Archival Administration.” American Archivist 53, no. 3 (1990): 488–495. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.53.3.3208575353831608.

Cox, Richard J. “The Roles of Graduate and Continuing Education Programs in Preparing Archivists in North America for the Information Age.” American Archivist 56, no. 3 (1993): 444–457. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.56.3.c4jh8252652x0q6t.

Cox, Richard J. “An Analysis of Archival Research, 1970–92, and the Role and Function of the American Archivist.” American Archivist 57, no. 2 (1994): 278–288. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.57.2.533tt46jh6741755.

Cox, Richard J. “The Archival Documentation Strategy and Its Implications for the Appraisal of Architectural Records.” American Archivist 59, no. 2 (1996): 144–154. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.59.2.a63421672782h178.

Cox, Richard J. “The Archivist and Collecting: A Review Essay.” American Archivist 59, no. 4 (1996): 496–512. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.59.4.6506pw865j810458.

Cox, Richard J. “The Society of American Archivists and Graduate Education: Meeting at the Crossroads.” American Archivist 63, no. 2 (2000): 368–379. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.63.2.r64t27100718121r.

Cox, Richard J. “Making the Records Speak: Archival Appraisal, Memory, Preservation, and Collecting.” American Archivist 64, no. 2 (2001): 394–404. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.64.2.223122p622215486.

Cox, Richard J. “Forum: American Archivist Cover Controversy.” American Archivist 68, no. 1 (2005): 8–4. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.68.1.e118g05010n74t78.

Cox, Richard J. “Lester J. Cappon and the Relationship of History, Archives, and Scholarship in the Golden Age of Archival Theory.” American Archivist 68, no. 1 (2005): 74–112. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.68.1.a10ju1xvu150626h.

Cox, Richard J. “Public Memory Meets Archival Memory: The Interpretation of Williamsburg’s Secretary’s Office.” American Archivist 68, no. 2 (2005): 279–296. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.68.2.a4434884785t2h88.

Cox, Richard J. “Secrecy, Archives, and the Archivist: A Review Essay (Sort Of).” American Archivist 72, no. 1 (2009): 214–231. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.72.1.y17452t07230prkq.

Cox, Richard J., Charles Dollar, Rebecca Hirsch, and Peter Wosh. “Founding Brothers: Leland, Buck, and Cappon and the Formation of the Archives Profession (Session 404).” American Archivist 74, issue supplement 1 (2012): 1–27. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.74.suppl-1.7643350434n7p363.

Cox, Richard J., Janet Alcalá, and Leanne Bowler. “Archival Document Packets: A Teaching Module in Advocacy Training Using the Papers of Governor Dick Thornburgh.” American Archivist 75, no. 2 (2012): 371–392. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.75.2.04778333025635m0.

Book Reviews

Cox, Richard J. Review of American Autographs: Signers of the Declaration of Independence; Revolutionary War Leaders; Presidents by Charles Hamilton. American Archivist 46, no. 3 (1983): 321–324. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.46.3.d515164340525prr.

Cox, Richard J. Review of Archives, Libraries, and the Canadian Heritage: Essays in Honour of W. Kaye Lamb (Archivaria 15) by Terry Cook, ed. American Archivist 47, no. 3 (1984): 308. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.47.3.6r125374m7m7v722.

Cox, Richard J. Review of Information Systems: A Strategic Approach to Planning and Implementation by Richard M. Kesner. American Archivist 52, no. 2 (1989): 255–256. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.52.2.3x047xx223913751.

Cox, Richard J. Review of Boswell’s Presumptuous Task: The Making of the Life of Dr. Johnson by Adam Sisman. American Archivist 65, no. 1 (2002):138–142. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.65.1.k819xp2lv217vm74.

Cox, Richard J. Review of Archival Appraisal: Theory and Practice by Barbara Craig. American Archivist 68, no. 2 (2005): 346–350. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.68.2.pgl4712711516077.

Cox, Richard J. Review of Archive Stories: Facts, Fictions, and the Writing of History by Antoinette Burton, ed. American Archivist 69, no. 2 (2006): 535–540. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.69.2.r20h54673jp7q776.

Cox, Richard J. Review of Keepers of the Record: The History of the Hudson’s Bay Company Archives by Deidre Simmons. American Archivist 71, no. 2 (2008): 563–566. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.71.2.q611x5m209478k18.

Cox, Richard J. Review of Whose Culture? The Promise of Museums and the Debate over Antiquities by James Cuno, ed., and The Rape of Mesopotamia: Behind the Looting of the Iraq Museum by Lawrence Rothfield. American Archivist 73, no. 1 (2010): 273–278. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.73.1.y6k6p23uu1255377.

Cox, Richard J. Review of The Burglary: The Discovery of J. Edgar Hoover’s Secret FBI by Betty Medsger. American Archivist 77, no. 2 (2014): 572–575. https://doi.org/10.17723/aarc.77.2.f0380043r5480186.

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[1] Devlin Funeral Home, “Richard James Cox (1950–2026),” https://www.devlinfuneralhome.com/obituaries/richard-james-cox/.