Herbert M. Silvey was born in Morgan County, Missouri, on November 12, 1905. He was superintendent of schools in Gravois Mills, Missouri, from 1935 through 1941, and from 1942 through 1945 he served in the Army Air Corps. In 1947, he joined the staff at UNI as Assistant Director of Research. Then in 1954 he became the Director of Research, a position he held until his retirement in 1974. After his retirement he kept an office on campus and continued his research and publication.
On May 23, 1996, Silvey died in Mesa, Arizona, and was buried in Springfield, Missouri. Silvey is noted for his work with thesis directories in education. From 1952 until his death, he was the editor and publisher of Master's Thesis Directories. He also helped to found Central State Colleges and Universities (CSCU), a college research group, and was its Director of Programs until he retired.
Archives Record Series: 05/03/09 Herbert M. Silvey Papers