Passed away on May 7, 2019. He is survived by his loving wife, Gloria Spann and his devoted children, Melvin K. Spann and Monica (Therman) Spann. He also leaves behind his grandchildren, Melvin J. Spann, Jaida Spann, and Therman Hawkins, III; brother, John Spann and sister, Dorothy Brent. Mel earned his undergraduate degree at Howard University and Masters and PhD from American University, where he became an Adjunct Professor. His early career was spent at FDA followed by NIH National Library of Medicine. While at NLM, Mel earned many awards and established several programs to strengthen the capacity of Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the use of scientific information resource. He was appointed Associate Director in 1995.