Carpenter, Olie Atkins

Olie Carpenter was the first college-trained African American librarian in Kentucky. She was a graduate of Hampton's library program, and specialized in medical librarianship. Carpenter was first employed at Kentucky State University, from 1929-1930. She was next employed at the Louisville Municipal College for Negroes when it opened in 1931. She was also a librarian at Maryland State College [now University of Maryland Eastern Shore]. Olie Atkins Carpenter was born in Winston, NC. She was an older sister to Eliza Atkins Gleason, their parents were Simon Green Atkins and Oleona Pegram Atkins. In 1892, Simon Green Atkins was the founder of what is today Winston-Salem State University, and his wife Oleona Atkins was a teacher and assistant principal at the school. For more see Library Service to African Americans in Kentucky, by R. F. Jones; Louisville Municipal College photographs and records at the University of Louisville University Archives & Records Center; Who's Who in Library Service. A biographical directory of professional librarians in the United States and Canada, 4th ed., edited by L. Ash; and The Black Librarian in the Southeast by A. L. Phinazee. For more on Simon G. Atkins, see the chapter "For Service Rather than Success" in Winston-Salem by F. V. Tursi. * Additional information for this entry was provided by Professor J. G. Carew at the University of Louisville, she is the daughter of Dr. Eliza A. Gleason.