Robert Ernest Cowan (1862-1942) was a San Francisco bookseller (1895-1920) and author of bibliographies of history of California and the Pacific Coast. He was also the librarian for William Andrews Clark, Jr. (1919-33). Cowan's collection of books and manuscripts form the nucleus of the UCLA Department of Special Collections' holdings in Californiana. The collection consists of library and bibliographical lists of the Robert E. Cowan Library made by Mr. Cowan and members of the UCLA Library staff.

Robert Ernest Cowan was born in 1862 in Toronto, Canada; came to San Francisco in 1870; student at UC Berkeley 1882-84; San Francisco bookseller from 1895-1920 and author of bibliographies of history of California and the Pacific Coast; librarian for William Andrews Clark, Jr., 1919-33; moved to Los Angeles at Clark's request in 1926; Cowan's collection of books and manuscripts form the nucleus of the UCLA Department of Special Collections' holdings in Californiana; married Marie Margaret Fleissner in 1894; only child was Robert Granniss Cowan; died in 1942.

8 boxes (4 linear ft.) 1 oversize box

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