The Boston Case of Charles Merrill Mount: The Archivist's Arch Enemy

The theft of valuable letters and documents by Charles Merrill Mount from the Library of Congress Manuscript Division and the National Archives and Records Administration brings to the forefront, once again, the question of collection security in our nation's archives. This study examines the Mount case and shows how the government was able to prove the charges of interstate transportation of stolen property against him. It suggests possible failures in the security systems of these two institutions and the subsequent changes they have made.