Prior to his death on June 5, 1966, William Charvat, Professor of American literature at The Ohio State University, had been a guiding force in the development of the University Libraries' American fiction collection, an endeavor that paralleled his own research. A pioneer in his approach toward the analysis and interpretation of American literary culture, Charvat studied the production of literary works, from manuscripts to finished printed books, as creations dependent upon larger social, economic, and historical forces. His Literary Publishing in America, 1790-1850 (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1959) and The Profession of Authorship in America, 1800-1870 (published posthumously by Ohio State University Press, 1968) were groundbreaking works in the study of American book history.
In recognition of his contribution to the conceptual development of the American fiction collection at The Ohio State University Libraries, the rare American fiction holdings were named the William Charvat American Literature Collection in 1966.
In August 1986, the Rare Books and Manuscripts Library (RBML) began to purchase current American fiction for the Charvat Collection. By acquiring contemporary works of fiction in their original state (first printings with dust jackets), RBML aims to preserve and provide access to published American literature for scholarship and instruction.