Robert E. Blesse Papers

Robert E. Blesse was born in Oakland, California, and obtained an M.A. in English from California State University, Chico, and a Masters of Library and Information Science from UCLA. He was director of the Special Collections Department in the University Libraries for 25 years and also director of the Black Rock Press, an internationally recognized book arts program that teaches the history, art and craft of finely printed books and publishes hand printed, limited edition books, broadsides and editions of contemporary literature. In 1999, he received a Nevada Governor's Arts Award for Lifetime Contribution to the Arts. He continued as director of the Black Rock Press after his position and the Black Rock Press were transferred into the Art Department, designing and producing limited edition books and teaching book arts courses, until his retirement in the spring of 2014.