Tom Beck has announced his plans to retire on July 1 after 43 years at UMBC. As the longtime Chief Curator of the Special Collections and Library Gallery, Beck has made wide-ranging contributions to UMBC, the Library & Gallery, and the field of photographic history. You are invited to a celebration on May 22 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. in the Library Gallery. Please RSVP to Lindsey Loeper at lindseyloeper@umbc.edu.

Beck came to UMBC in 1974 to serve as a lecturer in the Visual Arts department and soon after was appointed the founding Curator of Photography in the Library and went on to serve as Chief Curator and Head of the Special Collections department. He has been a dedicated and popular professor of photography and art history at UMBC, and at the Corcoran School of Art + Design/George Washington University from 1975 to 2015; has served UMBC as a long-standing member of the Humanities Forum Committee, the Faculty Senate, and the Friends of the Library & Gallery; and has partnered with museums, galleries, and libraries throughout the state with his work with the Baltimore Bibliophiles, Maryland State Arts Council, and Maryland State Advisory Board on Historical Records. Beck has authored or co-authored 17 books and exhibit catalogs and curated over 50 fine art and historical exhibitions. The Library is grateful for his service and friendship and wish him a happy and rewarding retirement!