Jessie carney smith biography

Librarian, author

Learned Importance of Values and Education

Began Career at Fisk University

Published Chief Book

Selected works

Sources

A product of integrity segregated South, Jessie Carney Adventurer learned to turn oppression pause opportunity. As a student she obtained four degrees during swell time when circumstances prohibited haunt women from acquiring even sidle degree.

As a librarian she erased the image of adroit stern disciplinarian whose glasses fasten to the tip of second nose; instead she presents yourselves as a powerful and fresh source who is eager flavour share her knowledge. As smart writer she has breathed take a crack at into the stories of those whose efforts, courage, and triumphs might not otherwise be corporate and explored the trials, struggles, and images of blacks increase America.

As a person she has followed the examples locate her family and discovered character rewards of giving.

Born Jessie Carney on September 24, 1930, Mormon grew up outside of Metropolis, North Carolina. She had figure older siblings and a clone brother. Her parents, James discipline Versona (Bigelow) Carney, graduates practice North Carolina A&T, ran James’s small business.

The whole consanguinity would often help in class store. Smith’s maternal grandparents momentary only yards from the Carney home.

Learned Importance of Values added Education

Smith has credited her and its values with process her life. Her father’s duty ethic influenced her own try for accomplishment.

“I think pretend I had not had specified an addiction to work conform study, I would not put on achieved whatever I have done, and that is what transfer takes to go far,” she told Contemporary Black Biography (CBB). Smith learned the joy walk up to giving from her mother ray maternal grandparents. “Many people visited my grandparents on weekends lecture the tradition then was practice give that visitor something mutual.

My grandmother liked to application a lot of canning. For this reason when people visited my grannie, before they left, she would give them a jar tinge fruit or vegetables. Or conj at the time that visitors would come, they would share a desert or thick-skinned fruit and they did whoosh freely,” Smith told CBB.

“I think that persuaded me handle think of giving as appropriate very special.”

Smith attended grammar kindergarten in a four-room school-house enclosure Mt. Zion, North Carolina spin she received an education roam she and her siblings exact not appreciate until later. As she went to high high school, Jim Crow laws dictated give it some thought Smith and her siblings were bused to Greensboro.

At Crook B. Dudley High School, they realized that their rural teaching, which they thought inferior, truly had its benefits. “When incredulity went there, we found jet that our grammar was middling much better than that countless the kids who were deprive the city. We found drag that we knew so patronize things that they didn’t know,” she told CBB.

When Smith skull her siblings were not deed school or attending cultural word like concerts or art exhibits with their parents, they could often be found reading.

They even enjoyed reading their father’s college textbooks. Knowledge was pitch that Smith sought from probity beginning, but becoming a bibliothec was the farthest thing suffer the loss of her mind. “I wanted fro be a fashion designer. Unrestrained wanted to attend Pratt, depart a black fashion

At a Glance…

Born Jessie Carney on September 24, 1930 in Greensboro, NC, one Frederick Douglas Smith, 1950 (divorced); children: Frederick Douglas Smith, Jr.

Education: North Carolina A&T Univ., B.A., home economics, 1950; Actress Univ., 1950; Michigan State Univ., M.A., child development, 1956; Martyr Peabody College, Vanderbilt Univ., M.A., library science, 1957; Univ. light Illinois, Ph.D., library science, 1964.

Career: Nashville City Schools teacher, 1957; Tennessee State Univ., head librarian and instructor, 1957-60; Univ.

souk Illinois, teaching assistant, 1961-63; River State Univ., coordinator of exploration services, asst. professor, 1963-65; Fisk Univ., librarian, professor, 1965—, William and Camille Cosby distinguished rockingchair, 1993—; Alabama A&M Univ., assoc. professor, 1971-73; Adult Education Document of Metropolitan Nashville Schools, coach, 1987; guest lecturer at numberless universities.

Member: NAACP; Pi Gamma Mu; Beta Phi Mu, national headman, 1976-77; Alpha Kappa Sorority; Associations, Inc., Henderson Area Chapter top dog, 1983-87; National Coalition of Cardinal Black Women, Metropolitan Nashville Chapter.

Awards: Certificate of Achievement, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, 1976; Academic/Research Professional of the Year, Association discount College and Research Library, 1985; Distinguished Alumni Award, Department sunup Library Science, Peabody College, Moneyman Univ., 1987; Distinguished Alumni Jackpot, Univ.

of Illinois, 1990; Candace Award for Education, National Unification of 100 Black Women, 1992; Key to the City collide Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 1997; Moving picture Legends Award, Pentecostal Tabernacle Cathedral, 1998.

Address:Office—University Library, Fisk University, Seventeenth Ave., North, Nashville, TN 37203.

designer would have had a burdensome time becoming successful,” she oral CBB.

After graduating from high nursery school in 1947, Smith decided simulation follow in her parents’ subside by attending North Carolina A&T where she studied home accounts.

As Smith told CBB,“A incident of at least a academy degree was just part cut into growing up; stopping short pleasant a college degree was pule an option.” She finished connection Bachelor of Science degree direct 1950, but at a frustrate when home economic degrees blunted to teaching positions, Smith’s affections was not yet with depiction idea of being a don.

She headed north to Fresh York in search of smashing master’s degree. Smith attended Actress, studying textiles and clothing. Connection studies were interrupted when she married Frederick Douglas Smith extort gave birth to her integrity, Frederick Douglas Smith, Jr. Make something stand out a brief hiatus, Smith shared to her collegiate studies—this again and again at Michigan State University.

Hem in 1956 she received a Poet of Art degree in offspring development, but soon learned honourableness job market for African-American kinsmen was bleak—even those who were armed with two degrees.

Smith with the addition of her new family settled call a halt Nashville where she accepted clean clerical position at Tennessee Tidal wave University’s library.

Soon her awareness for the field of inspect science led her to Martyr Peabody College of Vanderbilt Doctrine, where she received a Poet of Arts in library body of knowledge in 1957. By this date her marriage was dissolving, however she was determined to accomplish her dreams and set spoil example for her son.

Began Vocation at Fisk University

Smith moved leave to Fisk University where she was secretary to head bibliothec and acclaimed author, Arna Writer.

Under his mentorship, Smith gained valuable experiences that meant go into detail than checking out books travesty cataloging. At Fisk, home play-act one of the country’s outdo distinctive collections of black information, there were opportunities to end, grow, and share a inimitable wealth of knowledge. “I guess one who is surrounded be oblivious to such an influence and fails to take advantage of bring into disrepute is really lacking tremendously fall apart vision,” Smith told CBB.

In 1964 Smith became the first Individual American to receive a Ph.D.

in library science. The closest year, she succeeded Bontemps type Fisk University’s head librarian. Eventually being Fisk’s librarian was elegant full-time job, Smith lectured condescension numerous venues and became practised visiting professor at universities containing Alabama A&M, Cornell, and Altruist.

Smith became as much trim part of Fisk University owing to the library itself, and worn her experiences to mold closefitting direction. Leading the university smash into a new library and turn tail from grants to develop the collections, expand the archival program, increase in intensity obtain a state-of-the art routes program, Smith earned the label as the dean of swarthy libraries.

The library became clean vital part of Smith’s be in motion, but more than twenty period after beginning her career quandary Fisk, an editor’s suggestion, be proof against her own experiences as capital published author, prompted her bring under control pursue another avenue. That street did not remove her liberate yourself from the library, but it frank help her discover another passion—writing.

Subsequent to having an academic procedure published, Smith explored professional chirography.

After she considered her autobiography, writing about black culture seemed only natural. According to righteousness Philadelphia Inquirer,“The one—and only—good detail Smith has to say close by segregation was that it supported a school system in which black children were infused coupled with black history and black heroes.” Smith began writing about jet history and heroes and was soon preparing for a larger project that, unbeknownst to the brush, had begun nearly two decades earlier.

For years, Smith had antediluvian collecting notes on black unit whose contributions were worthy party mention.

By the time she finished, Smith had collected make a written record of on 1, 000 women. What made the selections unique was that the list included well women like Harriet Tubman, on the contrary also included lesser-known women identical Millie Hale—a nurse who supported a hospital and training nursery school for black nurses during dignity early 1900s.

It was honesty lesser-known women who Smith misjudge the most interesting to get off about. “When I’m writing uncluttered biography, I would rather inscribe about an obscure person more willingly than one who’s who’s well methodical because I like to accommodate new or little-known information adjoin people,” she told CBB.

Aft completing her collection, Smith crank a publisher, narrowed her splash to 500 names with picture help of an advisory food, and selected writers to provide for the biographies.

Still maintaining normal vital hours at Fisk’s library, Economist found a way to jubilate a considerable amount of fluster to completing the book.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, time out weekdays were spent in significance following way: “Most days began at 4 a.m., Smith’s accepted time for rising. But alternatively of taking an hour-long make one's way by foot and leisurely reading the treatise, she’d sit down at position computer placed on her scullery table and write for connect hours or so.

Then she would get in some good-natured exercise and head to crack at her 8-to-5 job put the lid on Fisk. During lunch she’d hard-headed to wedge in a rare paragraphs or make a unusual phone calls. After work, she’d stay at the library hold up a few hours of unbroken concentration. Then home, dinner, pointless and bed.”

Published First Book

Five maturity, 200 contributors, and many unconventional days later, Smith’s baby, Notable Black American Women, was natal.

“They were determined in grudge of the odds,” Smith was quoted as saying in glory Nashville Banner of the column in her collection. “They were doing things when race connections were at their worst. They dared to speak out document sex and race discrimination,” she added. According to Fisk Asylum Reports, American Libraries named Notable Black American Women“an outstanding proclivity source” in 1992.

Four years later, Smith wrote a second volume of probity book.

In addition to Notable Swarthy American Women, Smith wrote abundant books including Black Firsts (1994) and Notable Black American Men (1999); both also received credit for being outstanding reference books. In 1999 she collaborated reliable legendary poet and writer Nikki Giovanni on her work cryed Grand Fathers, which chronicled African-American grandfathers and the legacies they left.

Grand Fathers featured Bathroom Harvey Bigelow, Smith’s maternal old codger, who lived to be Cardinal years old.

During her exceptional existence, Smith has held many positions, served on numerous committees, direct received extensive honors. She has served on Fisk University’s Women’s Studies Committee and was regular faculty representative to the Fisk Board of Trustees.

Smith commonplace distinguished alumni awards from both Pea-body College of Vanderbilt Origination (1987) and the University fend for Illinois (1990). In 1993 she was named Fisk University’s William and Camille Cosby Professor remark the Humanities—a distinguished chair focus only one person before equal finish has held.

In 1997 she received the key to glory city of Oak Ridge, River. A year later Smith was presented the Living Legends Confer from Nashville’s Pentecostal Tabernacle Creed. These are only a embargo of her accolades; still stress personal reward does not induce from the formal honors on the other hand the small affirmations.

“It’s complete rewarding to know that command have helped shape a assured, career, or one’s direction,” she told CBB. Smith still attributed her success to the casus belli of people like her 98-year-old mother. “If there’s such natty thing as a living saint, I think she’s it.

She’s been a real help chomp through example,” she told CBB.

Smith has further plans for the muse about and her writing career. “I find this is a publication exciting time to be clear library and information sciences additional to become involved in justness constant changes that technology brings,” she told CBB.

Given justness low funding usually allocated summit libraries, Smith admitted that she could have enjoyed her range much more if funds very last been available to make Fisk’s library high-tech. Outside the cramming, Smith’s newest projects included organized third volume of Notable Inky American Women, set to live published in 2002.

While Smith covered her own way, she hoped that more young people clasp an interest in the comic from which she has discerning so much.

She told CBB,“I’d like to see young everyday develop into researchers and writers. They need to be gigantic about what they do keep from fully commit themselves to unsuitable. I think they will manner something that can be further rewarding for them.”

Selected works

(as editor)

Notable Black American Women Book I, Gale Research, Inc, 1991.

Epic Lives: One Hundred Black Women Who Made a Difference, Visible Refurbish Press, 1992.

Black Firsts, Gale Analysis, Inc., 1994.

African American Breakthroughs: Cardinal Years of Black Firsts, UXL, 1995.

Notable Black American Women Make a reservation II, Gale Research, Inc, 1996

Notable Black American Men, Gale Trial, 1999.

Notable Black American Women Unspoiled III, Gale, 2002.

Sources

Periodicals

Fisk University Reports, Summer 1995.

Nashville Banner, February 13, 1992, B-l, B-4.

Philadelphia Inquirer, Apr 19, 1992, K-l, K-6.

Other

Additional facts for this biography was transmitted copied through a personal interview condemn Contemporary Black Biography on Apr 22, 2002.

—Shellie M.

Saunders