Riverside County
Biographies
CHARLES FRANKLIN WOODS
Charles Franklin Woods is widely known as the capable and
efficient librarian of the Riverside Public Library, one of Riverside’s most
popular institutions, over which he has presided continuously during the past
decade. He was born in Syracuse, Nebraska, August 23, 1879, his
parents being Frank and Helen (Bray) Woods, both now deceased. The father, a
native of Illinois, was engaged in railroad work throughout his active career.
Charles F. Woods attended the public schools in Syracuse
and Lincoln, Nebraska, and the University of Nebraska, and gained his initial
experience in the business world in the service of the United States Express
Company at Kansas City, Missouri. Subsequently he was employed by the
Wells-Fargo Express Company and during the years 1904 and 1905 represented the
United States Express Company as agent at Leavenworth, Kansas. Thereafter he
was connected with the Southern Pacific Company in San Francisco for a short
time and later devoted a few years to the insurance and real estate business
and to bookselling. From January, 1911, until May, 1913, he attended the
University of California, from which he received the degree of Bachelor of
Letters and in which institution he acted as library assistant. During the
succeeding four years or until July, 1917, he was associated with the Mechanics
Institute of San Francisco and next became librarian of the San Jose Free
Public Library at San Jose, California, serving for five years. While a
resident of San Jose he took an active part in civic affairs. It was in 1922
that Mr. Woods came to Riverside and assumed his present duties as
librarian of the Riverside Public Library. He is also ex-officio county
librarian of the Riverside County Free Library and director of the Riverside
Library Service School. The history of the Riverside Public Library may be
found in another part of this work.
Mr. Woods has two daughters by his first marriage: Mrs.
Fred L. Whipple, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, whose husband is a member of the
faculty of Harvard University; and Virginia, a fellow in mathematics at George
Washington University of Washington, D. C. By a second marriage
Mr. Woods has a son, A. Ryder, fourteen years of age. Mr. Woods
is a member of the Rotary Club and belongs to recreational clubs in which he
may indulge his fondness for chess and bowling.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard
05 May 2012.
Source: California
of the South Vol. II, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages
365-366, Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis.
1933.
© 2012 Marie Hassard.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S RIVERSIDE BIOGRAPHIES