Some Early Librarians of Roosevelt High School, Gary, Indiana

Built in 1930, the Theodore Roosevelt High School of Gary, Indiana (now Theodore Roosevelt College and Career Academy) was established to educate the city's African American students. Some of the early librarians employed at the school: 

1931-1934 -- Wilhemina Turner was hired as a librarian at the Theodore Roosevelt High School where she worked until 1934. After receiving her library science degree in 1935, Turner became an assistant librarian at the Du Sable High School in Chicago, Illinois. 

1935-1936  -- Hortense Houston Young, was hired in 1935. A 1934 graduate of the University of Illinois Library School, Young remained at Roosevelt High School until 1936 when she became an assistant librarian at the Louisville Municipal College for Negroes (now Simmons College of Kentucky; Eliza Atkins Gleason and her sister, Ollie Atkins Carpenter once worked at the Louisville Municipal College for Negroes; Eliza became the first African American to earn a PhD in library science). 


1935-1937? -- Marjorie Adelle Blackistone Bradfield began working at Roosevelt High School (at that time she was Marjorie Blackistone). A native of Washington, D.C., Ms. Bradfield was the daughter of John Roger and Lucy Comfort Winston Blackistone. Bradfield was a 1935 graduate of the Columbia University School of Library Service (the school closed in 1992) and also attended the University of Michigan.  

In 1937, she became the first African American librarian hired by the Detroit Public Library in Detroit, Michigan. On June 29, 1938, she married Horace F. Bradfield.  Ms. Bradfield remained at the Detroit Public Library until 1968, when she left to accept a position as a school librarian for the Detroit Public Schools. 

In 1970, Ms. Bradfield was instrumental in the appointment of Clara Stanton Jones as the Detroit Public Library’s first African American female director (Ms. Jones would later serve as the first African American president of the American Library Association, 1976-1977). Also, in July 1970, Ms. Bradfield participated in a panel discussion, “Black History in Libraries”, given by the History Section of the American Library Association (now the Library History Round Table) at the 89th American Library Association Annual Conference held in Detroit.

Ms. Bradfield remained at the Detroit Public Schools until 1980. She passed away on November 19, 1999 at the age of 88.

Sources: A Directory of Negro Graduates of Accredited Library Schools, 1900-1936.  Washington: Columbia Civic Library Association, 1937. 7, 22, 25. Print. ; Jones, Reinette F. Library Service to African American in Kentucky: From the Reconstruction Era to the 1960s. Jefferson: McFarland, 2002. 91, 103, 126, 163. Print. ; Spradling, Mary Mace. “Black Librarians in Kentucky.” The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 50. Print. ; Audi, Tamara. "Marjorie Bradfield: Put Black History into Library." Detroit Free Press 20 Nov. 1999: 123. Print. ; "Marjorie A. Blackistone and Horace Ferguson Bradfield Papers: 1931-1978." Bentley Historical Library. University of Michigan. May 2017. Web. 23 Feb. 2019. ; Taliaferro, Trudy Bradfield. "Special Guest Column: Benjamin Brown, Buffalo Soldier, Family Hero." AAGSNC.org. African American Genealogical Society of Northern California. 2000. Web. 23 Feb. 2019.

The E. Azalia Hackley Collection of Negro Music, Dance, and Drama (Detroit Public Library)

The E. Azalia Hackley Collection of Negro Music, Dance, and Drama was established at the main branch of the Detroit Public Library in 1943. The collection consists of sheet music, books, recordings, photos, and other materials relating to the history of African Americans in the performing arts. The collection is named for Emma Azalia Hackley (1867-1922), an African American singer, political activist, teacher, and lecturer. Ms. Hackley was active during the late 1800s and the early 1900s. She founded organizations such as the Hackley Choral Society, the Colored Women's League, and the Vocal Normal Institute of Chicago. Ms. Hackley passed away in 1922.

*Update 05/04/2015:

 The E. Azalia Hackley Collection was recently featured in the May/June 2015 issue of Michigan History:

Minor, Romie. "Preserving the Black Performance for Posterity." Michigan History 99.3 (2015): 50-55. Print.

See related posts: Clara Stanton Jones: ALA's First African American President ; The Mayme A. Clayton Library Museum and Cultural Center (MCL) ; and Arthur Alfonso Schomburg, 1874-1938: Noted Bibliophile, Collector, Curator,and Scholar.

Sources: Campbell, Dorothy Wilson. "Curators of African American Collections." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library of Science, 1980. 193. Print. ; Kinney, Sylvia. "The E. Azalia Hackley Collection." Ethnomusicology 5.3 (1961): 202-203. Print. ; LaBrew, A.R., and E.A. Hackley. Fifty Years of Programs Given in Memory of the E. Azalia Hackley Collection, 1943-1944. Detroit: Arthur LaBrew, 1999. Print. ; Peterson, Heather. "Hackley, Emma Azalia (1867-1922)." BlackPast.org. BlackPast.org, n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2012.

 

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Clara Stanton Jones: ALA's First African American President

In July 1976, Clara Stanton Jones (1913-2012) became the first African American president of the American Library Association. In addition, Ms. Jones was the first African American female director of the Detroit Public Library. Ms. Jones once worked as a reference librarian at Dillard University (1938-1940) and an associate librarian at Southern University (1940-1944). She began her career at the Detroit Public Library in 1944, and served as the library's director from 1970 until her retirement in 1978.

Sources: "Detroit's Top Librarian: In Race to Make City Libraries Serve Today's Needs, No One Keeps Up with Mrs. Jones." Ebony 27.1 (1971): 115-116, 118, 120, 122. Print. ; "ALA Past Presidents." American Library Association. American Library Association, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. ; Battles, David M. The History of Public Library Services to African Americans in the South or, Leaving Behind the Plow. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2009. 145. Print. ; Josey, E.J. "A Dreamer-- With A Tiny Spark." The Black Librarian in America. Ed. E.J. Josey. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1970. 323. Print. ; Dawson, Alma. "Celebrating African American Librarians and Librarianship." Library Trends 49.1 (2000): 58. Print. ; Jones, Clara S. "The Black Librarian." The Black Librarian in the Southeast: Reminiscences, Activities, Challenges. Ed. Annette L. Phinazee. Durham: NCCU School of Library Science, 1980. 16-19. Print. ; McPheeters, Annie L. Library Service in Black and White: Some Personal Recollections, 1921-1980. Metuchen: Scarecrow, 1988. 132. Print. ; Jordan, Casper Leroy and Josey, E.J. "A Chronology of Events in Black Librarianship." Handbook of Black Librarianship. Ed. E.J. Josey and Marva L. DeLoach. 2nd ed. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2000. 11-14. Print. ; Poinsett, Alex. "1976: Year of the Black Voter." Ebony 32.3 (1977): 85. Print. ; Garner, Carla W. "Jones, Clara Stanton (1913-)." BlackPast.org. BlackPast.org, n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. ; DeLoach, Marva. "Clara Stanton Jones." Women of Color in Librarianship: An Oral History. Ed. Kathleen de la Pena McCook. [Chicago]: ALA, Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship, 1998. 28-57. Print.  ; Bobinski, George S. Libraries and Librarianship: Sixty Years of Challenge and Change, 1945-2005. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2007. 100. Print.

Update 10/04/2012:

On Sunday, September 30, 2012, Ms. Clara Stanton Jones passed away at the age of 99 in Oakland, California. She received her Bachelor of Library Science (BLS) from the University of Michigan in 1938.

Update 01/03/2013:

On December 27, 2012, Maurice Wheeler wrote an article in tribute to Ms. Clara Stanton Jones for Library Journal (Online):

Wheeler, Maurice. "Remembering Clara Stanton Jones: Backtalk." Library Journal (Online). Library Journal, 27 Dec. 2012. Web. 3 Jan. 2013.

Update 03/19/2013:

See related posts: The E. Azalia Hackley Collection of Negro Music, Dance, and Drama (Detroit Public Library) and Marcus Bruce Christian, Louisiana Librarian.

Sources: Laitner, Bill. "Clara Stanton Jones: First Woman, First African American to Lead Detroit Library." Detroit Free Press (Online). Detroit Free Press, 3 Oct. 2012. Web. 3 Oct. 2012. ; Goldberg, Beverly. "Library Mentor and Pioneer Clara Stanton Jones Dies." Inside Scoop: News and Views from Inside ALA.  American Library Association, 3 Oct. 2012. Web. 3 Oct. 2012. ; "Clara Stanton Jones: Significant Figure in Librarianship and Her Husband Honored with Scholarship." SI@umich 32 (2007):1, 5. Print. ; Schwartz, Meredith. "Obituary: Clara Stanton Jones, Detroit Director and ALA President."  Library Journal (Online). Library Journal, 3 Oct. 2012. Web. 4 Oct. 2012. ; Wheeler, Maurice. "Remembering Clara Stanton Jones: Backtalk." Library Journal (Online). Library Journal, 27 Dec. 2012. Web. 3 Jan. 2013.

Update 05/04/2013:

Today, the American Library Association (ALA) announced the results of its 2013 election. The winning candidate for the office of ALA president is Courtney Young. When she takes office, Ms. Young will be the fifth African American to serve as president of ALA. Her term as president will be 2014-2015.
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Sources: Kempf, JoAnne. "Young Wins ALA Presidency." ALA News. American Library Association, 3 May 2013. Web. 3 May 2013. ; "ALA Election Results: Young Wins President, Gonzalez Treasurer;  Dues Measure Passes by Wide Margin." INFOdocket. INFOdocket.com, 3 May 2013. Web. 3 May 2013. ; Borman, Laurie. "Young Wins 2014-2015 ALA Presidency." Inside Scoop. American Library Association, 3 May 2013. Web. 3 May 2013.

Update 10/06/2014:
 
On September 30, 2014, Tom Joyner's BlackAmerica Web featured an article by D.L. Chandler in its "Little Known Black History Fact" column on Clara Stanton Jones. To view, click on the following link:

http://blackamericaweb.com/2014/09/30/little-known-black-history-fact-clara-stanton-jones/2