Atkins Library remembers Robin Brabham, founding librarian for Special Collections

Robert Franklin (Robin) Brabham Jr., the founding head of UNC Charlotte’s Special Collections, died Aug. 11, after a brief stay in hospice care. He was 78.

A celebration of life will be from 5:30 to 7:30 PM Friday, Sept. 6, at the Charlotte Museum of History, 3500 Shamrock Dr., Charlotte. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Brabham’s honor can be made to the UNC Charlotte Foundation to support the Brabham Endowment for Special Collections.

Brabham earned a Bachelor of Arts in French and history from Furman University, a Master of Librarianship from Emory University and a master’s degree in history from the UNC Chapel Hill. He joined the professional staff of Atkins Library in 1969 in the Acquisitions Department. As an undergraduate at Furman, he had become interested in rare books and in 1973 was named Atkins Library’s first Special Collections librarian.  

During the next 37 years, Brabham developed distinctive and impressive rare book and manuscript collections. He built an important collection of manuscripts documenting the history of the Charlotte region. Highlights include early Mecklenburg families, the Civil Rights movement, city planning, architecture, stock car racing, politics and photographs. He retired from UNC Charlotte in 2010 at the rank of professor emeritus.

After retirement, he and his wife Edla became Atkins Library benefactors, establishing an endowment fund for Special Collections. Brabham continued to support Atkins Library through his community connections, curator’s talent and his generosity of time. Last fall, he was a guest speaker in a Julian D. Mason Talk on Rare Books and Book Collecting focused on “The Princess Augusta Sophia Collection of Drama And Other Rare Treasures From Atkins Library.” 

Brabham was a member of the Society of American Archivists, the Society of North Carolina Archivists, the Mecklenburg Historical Association (past president), Olde Mecklenburg Genealogical Society, the Charlotte History Round Table, the Huguenot Society of South Carolina and the Horace Williams Philosophy Discussion Group.