Robert Gitler: The Foreigner Who Visited Keio University

2016/11/11

The story dates back to occupied Japan. Under the rhetoric of "democratizing Japan," the occupation forces pursued policies that denied Japanese tradition and culture. One such policy was the promotion of libraries. They envisioned American-style public libraries, which were a powerful source of information for American citizens. When they attempted to implement this in Japan, they encountered a major obstacle: there were almost no competent librarians in Japan. Therefore, the occupation forces planned to create the Japan Library School (JLS) to train competent librarians. This proposal was sent from the General Headquarters (GHQ) and the U.S. Department of the Army to the American Library Association (ALA). The ALA entrusted the Japan Library School to Robert L. Gitler, who was then the Dean (Department Head) of the library school at the University of Washington.

Gitler was born in New York City in May 1909 and grew up in Oakland, California. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, he entered the field of librarianship and served as a naval officer from 1942 to 1945. After his discharge, he served as the Dean of the library school at the University of Washington and as a visiting professor at Columbia University. He was also in a position to access library science education and cutting-edge library science information across the United States as the Executive Secretary of the ALA Committee on Accreditation. It was this Gitler who was chosen as the Department Head of JLS.

Robert Gitler's first visit to Japan was on December 30, 1950. Prior to his arrival, he had been tasked by the Executive Director of the ALA with selecting the faculty members for JLS and deciding which Japanese university would host the school. While still at the University of Washington's library school, he selected four faculty members: three women and one man. These five professors, including Gitler, were experts in both the education and practice of library science in the United States. In addition to this faculty, he chose Miss Phyllis Jean Taylor, a former student, as the librarian for the library school's library, which was essential for education. As soon as she arrived at Mita, she became an idol among the students and young faculty.

Gitler first visited Keio University on January 10, 1951 (the anniversary of Fukuzawa's birth). According to his memoirs, the snow that had fallen since the previous night was beautifully illuminated by the morning sun on campus, though records show that January 10 was snowy and overcast all day. This was likely because the image of the Keio (Mita) campus shining in the morning sun was etched into Gitler's mind as a mental landscape.

On this day, he met several important figures of Keio at the Jukukan-kyoku (Keio Corporate Administration). One was Eiichi Kiyooka, then Director of the International Center, and he also met Professor Takashi Hashimoto, who served as Executive Advisor for Academic Affairs and Vice-President of the Juku. Gitler's assessment was that Kiyooka, a grandson of Yukichi Fukuzawa who had studied at Cornell University, understood the reality of American university education, was fluent in English, and was a calm and brilliant man; Professor Hashimoto was an active, quick-witted, and resourceful person. On this day, Gitler was presented with a book by Kiyooka, with whom he would continue to have a deep relationship. It was the English translation of "The Autobiography of Yukichi Fukuzawa," translated by Kiyooka himself. Gitler deeply resonated with Fukuzawa's thought as gleaned from the "Autobiography." He recalled, "When I read 'The Autobiography of Yukichi Fukuzawa,' I felt exactly as Joseph Smith, the translator of the Book of Mormon, must have felt when he arrived at the site of Salt Lake City and said, 'Where should the Mormon Church be built? This is the place.'" Later, Gitler published a 16-item scorecard for the three final candidates—Keio University, Tokyo, and Kyoto—as explanatory material for deciding the host university for JLS, but it could be said that the conclusion had already been reached the moment he read the "Autobiography."

After Keio University was chosen as the host institution, preparations began for the first year's student intake to ensure that the education at JLS (Department of Library Science, Faculty of Letters) would be equivalent to that of an ALA-accredited school.

Regarding facilities, the library science library was secured within the Old Library, and classrooms and laboratories were located on the second floor of the (old) Building No. 5, where the current New Library stands. Classes were conducted in English, and since it was expected that students would submit exams and reports in Japanese, staff for interpretation and translation were also selected. The curriculum followed that of ALA-accredited schools, and as the outlines for each subject were completed, the content, lesson plans, and teaching materials were developed in consultation with the professors in charge.

Regarding student selection, Gitler initially intended to follow the American style for a professional library school, selecting individuals who had graduated from various universities and had library experience, primarily through documents and interviews. However, the Keio side insisted that students must pass the Keio University entrance examination. Gitler recalled that "Keio was cautious about changing tradition." As a result, the student body was primarily composed of Faculty of Letters students selected through the general entrance exam, along with a few graduates from other universities who were selected through the bachelor's degree entrance exam.

Thus, in April 1951, the Department of Library Science (JLS) within the Faculty of Letters was established and opened. Professors lectured in English, and interpretation staff translated into Japanese. Japanese submissions and exam answers written by students were translated into English by translators. This teaching method may have had a subtle influence on grading. Concerned about the language gap, Gitler asked the American faculty to maintain constant communication with students both inside and outside the classroom. As a result, the sense of unity between professors and students became closer than in other faculties or departments. Since classes included translation, the amount of knowledge conveyed within an hour was effectively halved compared to Japanese-language classes, but the diverse and abundant assignments, tests, and homework given during and after class more than made up for it. The library science library was created for this purpose, and students had almost no time for part-time jobs or club activities due to these assignments. Following the model of American professional schools, a high-density education was provided to acquire knowledge and skills in a relatively short and intensive period.

During this time, Gitler worked energetically on recruiting new faculty to replace those whose terms had ended and on reforming the Japanese library world. In addition to regular classes at the department, he held seminars and lectures for Japanese practitioners and deepened interactions with leaders in the Japanese library community. He gradually increased the number of supporters even within the Japanese library world, which had initially been wary of JLS. Gitler's enthusiasm and his friendly, charming personality are thought to have contributed greatly to this.

In April 1952, one year after the opening of JLS, Japan became independent and the occupation ended. Since JLS was created based on the occupation forces' concept and its operation depended on the occupation forces' (U.S. Army) budget, maintaining the financial foundation of JLS following Japan's independence became Gitler's challenge. Ultimately, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation and others, the survival of JLS became possible. He then created a five-year plan for the establishment and development of JLS. This was also because Gitler himself felt the need for a long-term plan of at least five years once he became the Department Head at Keio. Furthermore, Gitler resigned from all his positions in the United States to devote himself to his duties at Keio.

For Gitler, this decision meant giving up professional advancement in the United States, as it involved a departure from the American library world. That is how strong his feelings were for Japan and Keio University. Once he saw that the education at JLS was on track and could be handled by the Japanese faculty he had trained, he entrusted the position of successor Department Head to Professor Takashi Hashimoto, who had supported him since his first visit, and returned to his mother in the United States in September 1956. Prior to his return, Keio University awarded Gitler an honorary doctorate for his five years of contribution to library science and the library community.

Continuing to hold deep affection for Keio, Gitler returned to Japan in 1961, the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Department of Library Science. He stood at the lectern of the department once again and must have felt the significant growth of JLS within Keio and the Japanese library world. One can only imagine his emotions as he recalled his first visit ten years prior. Even while in the United States, he constantly paid attention to the situation in Japan and Keio, responding to inquiries from the department, giving advice, and assisting those visiting the U.S. In recognition of these activities, the Japanese government awarded him the Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, in the autumn honors of 1961. Some voices suggested that the 4th Class was too low and that a higher decoration would be appropriate for his achievements, but such was the government's evaluation of foreign civilians at the time. However, Gitler was exceptionally pleased with this decoration and took pride in it throughout his life.

The JLS opened by Gitler became the core of reform and development for Japanese libraries and the foundation for cultural promotion—quite different from the GHQ's original intent—and became established as a department within the Keio University Faculty of Letters. Now renamed the Department of Library and Information Science, it also has Doctoral Programs (Master's and Ph.D. program) and has produced many leaders in various fields such as library practice, research, and education, meeting Gitler's expectations.

After returning to the United States, Gitler served as an Executive Advisor for Academic Affairs at the University of San Francisco and as the Director of the university's Gleeson Library, continuing his active career until 1983. After retirement, he spent his time in a senior living facility in Oakland, a place full of childhood memories. When the author visited him in the autumn of 1996, although his legs were a bit weak, his mind was sharp. He was editing the drafts of his memoirs about himself and JLS, and his memories and descriptions were surprisingly vivid. He called Keio University alumni "keio-kun" and was exceptionally happy about the visit. Robert Gitler—the blue-eyed American who spread modern library science in Japan, devoted himself to reforming the Japanese library world, deeply resonated with Fukuzawa's thought, and could be called a "belated o-yatoi gaikokujin" (hired foreigner) who considered himself a disciple of Yukichi Fukuzawa—passed away in October 2004. He was 95 years old.