Guest Post: Remembering A Legend: Bobbie Smith (1932-2022)

Today's post is a special guest post by Dele C. Ladejobi:

Remembering A Legend: Bobbie Smith 

May 5, 1932 - July 20, 2022

 by 

Dele C. Ladejobi

 Bobbie Smith (nee Bobbie Jean Davis) was born and raised in Mississippi, United States. She attended grade school in Mississippi during the trials of the segregation era and experienced the harsh discrimination of Jim Crow laws. She received a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in religious education from Eureka College and a master’s degree in library science from the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana. Bobbie was married to her high school sweetheart, Herbert (“Herb”) Smith,” a famous basketball player on the Harlem Globetrotters for 35 years and they had two children.

Bobbie and her family moved to California in 1965 in the midst of the Watts Riots. In the late 1960s, she was hired as the Audio-Visual Department librarian at LBCC. She was the first African American librarian to be employed at LBCC. She previously worked in the Los Angeles County Library system in their audiovisual department. Bobbie was successful in raising the stature of the LBCC Audiovisual Department at a time when technology was becoming more important in education. Under her guidance, the department was eventually elevated to the status of Media Services Department, and she served as its director for several years prior to being elected Library Department Head. She served in that capacity until her retirement in 1992.

During her tenure as librarian, Bobbie served on numerous college committees, and she was active in both state and national library organizations. She achieved many noteworthy accomplishments, such as, the first African American to be elected the Academic Senate President where she served multiple terms; and the first African American to serve as the Faculty Union President. She was also responsible for the introduction of automation and computer use in the LBCC libraries.

In 1988 she became the first African American elected to the Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education and served four terms as President. In this capacity, she facilitated the restructure and reform of the schools in her district. Bobbie made a positive mark on Long Beach local history in 2014, when the former Peter Burnett Elementary School was renamed in her honor in recognition of her role, impact and contributions to the community. This event was important and meaningful because the elementary school shed its namesake from a racist, White supremacist California governor and slaveholder to claim a new forward-looking identity in which students could now take pride. According to Bobbie, this accomplishment was “a lifetime achievement” and the “GEOT – Grammy, Emmy, Oscar, Tony award all rolled into one.” 

Bobbie is fondly remembered for her physical beauty, charm, wit, humor, and charisma. She was so elegant and had a distinguished aura about her. Bobbie was an incredible mentor, multi-talented and creative. She had amazing compassion and empathy and was extremely generous and supportive.

Bobbie passed away in California on July 20, 2022, at the age of 90.

To learn more about Bobbie:

•  Fisher, JJ. “Bobbie Smith, LBUSD’s first Black board member, dies at 90.” (Online) August 3, 2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. (https://lbpost.com/news/education/bobbie-smith-lbusds-obit-first-black-board-member-dies-at-90/)

• “Herbert Smith (1931-1991)”. Find a Grave Memorial (Online) November 16, 1991. Accessed August 10, 2022. (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/94614365/herbert-smith)

• LBUSD News. “Paying Tribute to Dr. King.” (Online) January 21, 2016. Accessed August 10, 2022. (https://www.lbschools.net/Departments/Newsroom/article.cfm?articleID=2136)

• LBUSD News. “Remembering Bobbie Smith.” (Online) July 21,2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. (https://www.lbschools.net/Departments/Newsroom/article.cfm?articleID=3230)

• LBUSD News. “Smith School Celebrates Its New Name” (Online) December 19, 2014. Accessed August 10, 2022. (https://www.lbschools.net/Departments/Newsroom/article.cfm?articleID=1936) 

• Wilkin, Binnie Tate. “Bobbie Smith: Former Coordinator of Libraries Long Beach City College and Recently Retired Member and President Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education.” In African American Librarians in the Far West: Pioneers and Trailblazers, 221–28. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2006.

• YouTube: Long Beach Elementary Students Meet School's New Namesake

 

Dr. Dock Alexander Boyd (1939-2011): Director, Library Science Professor, Past ALA Council Member, and Past President of BCALA

Originally from Williston, South Carolina, Dr. Dock Alexander Boyd was born on October 5, 1939, to Alexander and Octoria Boyd. He was the oldest of seven children. After serving in the United States Air Force, Dr. Boyd attended the University of Illinois- Urbana-Champaign, receiving his bachelor's degree in the Teaching of English and then in 1968, he received his master's degree in library science. Dr. Boyd held positions at Alabama State University and at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign.

In 1980, Dr. Boyd received his doctorate in library science from Rutgers University. He served as an assistant commissioner at the Chicago Public Library from 1984 to 1988. Dr. Boyd was the first African American director of the Newark Public Library, a position he held from 1988 until his retirement in 2004. In addition, Dr. Boyd served as president of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) from 1992 to 1994. Moreover, Dr. Boyd was the first African American professor at the University of Alabama School of Library Science.

During his career, Dr. Boyd made several contributions to library science literature. He wrote the chapter, "Reflections on Being a (Minority) Librarian in Our Time" for The Black Librarian in America Revisited.  Also, Dr. Boyd co-authored an article with Catherine J. Lenix-Hooker, "Afrocentrism: Hype or History?" which appeared in Library Journal in 1992.

Other accomplishments of Dr. Boyd:

• Helped found the BCALA Literary Awards
• Member of the ALA Council
• President of the New Jersey Library Association, 1997-1998
• Member of the Public Library Association (PLA)
• Served on the board of the Schomburg Corporation
• Member of the New Jersey Center for the Book's advisory council
• Member of the executive board of Infolink

Dr. Dock Alexander Boyd passed away on October 25, 2011, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The American Library Association (ALA) Council issued a memorial resolution in Dr. Boyd's memory at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference.

Sources: "BCALA Presidents." Black Caucus of the American Library Association, 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. ; Holman, Jos N. "BCALA- Dr. Alex Boyd - BCALA Leaders and Past President." Message to BCALA Listserv. 28 Oct. 2011. Email. ; Finnerty, Ed. "Kalamazoo- Area Births, Deaths and Divorces for Oct. 28, 2011." Kalamazoo Gazette. Kalamazoo Gazette, 28 Oct. 2011. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. ; "Obituary: Dock Alexander Boyd." The Star Ledger (New Jersey) 30 Oct. 2011: n. pag. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. Grant, George, comp. "Boyd, D. Alex." The Directory of Ethnic Professionals in LIS. Winter Park: Four-G. Publishers, 1991. 26-27. Print. ; Boyd, D. Alexander. "Reflections on Being a (Minority) Librarian in Our Time." The Black Librarian in America Revisited. Ed. E.J. Josey. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1994. 133-140. Print. ; Boyd, Alex and Catherine J. Lenix-Hooker. "Afrocentrism: Hype or History?" Library Journal 117.18 (1992):46-49; Council of the American Library Association. "Memorial Tribute for Dr. Dock Alexander Boyd." American Library Association Institutional Repository, American Library Association, 2012. PDF; "Former NJLA Presidents." New Jersey Library Association, n.d. Web. 17 July 2024.

Curley C. Jones (1941-2015) and the University of Utah's J. Willard Marriott Library

Curley C. Jones was the first African American professional librarian to work for the University of Utah, where he served for 39 years before retiring in 2011. 

Curley Cleveland Jones was born on February 23, 1941, in Rossville, Tennessee. His parents were Cleve and Susie Palmer Jones.  Jones studied library science at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo, receiving his Master of Library Science (MLS) in 1971. In addition, he received a Certificate of Advanced Study in Librarianship in 1977 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Jones also had degrees from Saints Junior College in Lexington, Mississippi; Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Mississippi; and the University of Utah.

In 1972, Jones began his library career at the University of Utah's J. Willard Marriott Library. He worked there as the Educational Librarian, and did collection development for education, educational psychology, general reference, African American studies, religion, and law. 

 In addition, to his service at the University of Utah, Jones was active in several associations:

• Member of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA).
• Member-at-Large for the Reference and User Services Association's Management and Operation of User Services Section's (RUSA MOUSS) Reference Services in Small and Medium Sized Research Libraries Discussion Group 
• Historian for the Salt Lake City Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NCAAP).

Jones also wrote Black Bibliography in 1974 as part of the University of Utah's Bibliographic Series.

Curley Cleveland Jones died on March 3, 2015, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Sources: Jones, Curley. Black Bibliography. Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah, 1974; "Staff Directory." University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library. University of Utah, n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2010; Goldberg, Beverly. "African Americans 'Stretch the Envelope' at the First Black Caucus Conference." American Libraries (Nov. 1992):833-835; "Honor Roll of Donors." GSLIS Alumni Newsletter, 2003-2004. [Urbana-Champaign, IL]: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, 2004. 40; Email messages from Curley Jones, BCALA Listserv,14 Dec. 2010 and 15 Dec. 2010; Email message from Marcellus Turner, BCALA Listserv, 6 Dec. 2010.; Email message from Billy C. Beal, BCALA Listserv, 6 Dec. 2010; "Curley Jones Obituary." Legacy.com, Mar. 2015. Web. 7 July 2024; Harris, Linda S. "Minutes: ALA Midwinter Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 26, 2003." RUSA MOUSS Reference Services in Small and Medium Sized Research Libraries Discussion Group, 2003. Web. 7 July 2024; Seale, Colleen. "Minutes: ALA Annual Conference, Toronto, Canada, June 22, 2003." RUSA MOUSS Reference Services in Small and Medium Sized Research Libraries Discussion Group, 2003. Web. 7 July 2024.