Robert Freeman Asleson
Major contributor to the publishing/library/information industries (1935–2010)
Robert Freeman Asleson (October 11, 1935 – July 22, 2010) was an American publisher who was a major contributor to the publishing, library and information industries. He led a number of information companies as they evolved from print, to microfilm, to mainframe, to CD-ROM and then eventually to web based databases. He also brought professional management to entrepreneurial library companies.
Biography
Asleson was born in New Ulm, Minnesota, to Raymond Asleson and Florence Elvina Anderson. Three of his four grandparents were Norwegian emigrants. He attended the University of Minnesota, receiving a bachelor's degree followed by a master's degree in industrial engineering in 1958. In 1961, he received a law degree from George Washington University Law School. He also served in the Navy ROTC during college and was on active duty from 1958 to 1961.
His connection with the information industry began in 1961 as a sales representative with the Xerox Corporation. In 1964, he became Manager of Sales Promotion at University Microfilms International (UMI) which had been acquired by Xerox in 1961.
“Robert Freeman Asleson” enters the record as major contributor to the publishing/library/information industries (1935–2010). Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Robert, Freeman and Asleson can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Robert Freeman Asleson” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Robert, Freeman and Asleson provides the most credible route into that argument.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7344529. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1935, 2010, 1958 and 1961.
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How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
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Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Robert Freeman Asleson” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.