Centenarian Librarians (Kentucky)

In 2009, the state of Kentucky had at least three African American librarians who were 100 years old or older.

Ruth Hill Jones, who had been a librarian in the Louisville School System and at Simmons Bible College, was 100 in July 2009. She lived in Louisville.

Eliza Atkins Gleason passed away the day of her 100th birthday, December 15, 2009. She had been head librarian at the Louisville Municipal College for Negroes and later dean of the Atlanta University Library School [now Clark Atlanta], which she helped to develop in 1940, thus becoming the first African American library school dean in the U.S. The library school closed in June 2005. Gleason lived in Louisville.

The late Della Jones, who had been the librarian at Owen County High School, was 106 in July 2009. She lived in Williamstown, KY.

Information about Ruth Hill Jones was provided by U. S. Army Chaplin (Maj.) Susan R. Addams. Information about Della Jones was provided by her great nephew, Kentucky House Member Reginald K. Meeks.

For more information see Jones, Kompanik, and Onkst, "Spotlight: Eliza Atkins Gleason, Ruth Hill Jones, and Della Jones," Kentucky Libraries, vol. 73, issue 4, Fall 2009, pp. 20-21 [article available online at UKnowledge].