Edith Allen Phelps (February 10, 1866 - July 2, 1945) was the first professional in the Library Science field in the Oklahoma City system. She served twice as president of the Oklahoma Library Association.

Early life

Edith Allen Phelps was born in Springfield, Missouri, on February 10, 1866, the daughter of Col. John Elisha Phelps (1839-1921) and Margaret Jane White (1846-1915), a prominent family descended from

Ethan Allen Ethan Allen ( – February 12, 1789) was an American farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, lay theologian, American Revolutionary War patriot, and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of Vermont and for ...

. She had two siblings: Lucy Phelps (1869-1895) and John Smith Phelps (1872-1947). Phelps attended

Drexel University Drexel University is a private research university with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Drexel's undergraduate school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a financier and philanthropist. Founded as Drexel Institute of Art, S ...

and trained at Columbia University in Library Science.

Career

Phelps was the librarian at Paso Robles Public Library. For four years she was connected with the Library of the University of Missouri; for 12 years (from 1904 to 1916) she was the librarian at the Carnegie Library in

Guthrie, Oklahoma Guthrie is a city and county seat in Logan County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City Metroplex. The population was 10,191 at the 2010 census, a 2.7 percent increase from the figure of 9,925 in the 2000 census. First kno ...

and here taught Library Science course for the University of Oklahoma. For two years she was the librarian at Tyler, Texas, and in 1919 she was the Public Library Cataloguer in Kansas City Public Library. Phelps was president of the Oklahoma Library Association from 1911 through 1913, serving two terms. In 1905 she started at Carnegie Library as Head Librarian, the first professional in the Library Science field in the Oklahoma City system. Among many innovations, she is recognized for having introduced the Dewey classification. She was a charter member of the Special Libraries Association and a member of Paso Robles Woman's Club, American Library Association, California Library Association,

Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...

P.E.O. Sisterhood The P.E.O. Sisterhood (Philanthropic Educational Organization) is a U.S.-based international women's organization of about 230,000 members, with a primary focus on providing educational opportunities for female students worldwide. The Sisterhood ...

Colonial Dames of America The Colonial Dames of America (CDA) is an American organization composed of women who are descended from an ancestor who lived in British America from 1607 to 1775, and was of service to the colonies by either holding public office, being in th ...

Personal life

In 1916 Edith Allen Phelps resigned from her position at the Oklahoma Library Association in protest at the library board and, after brief periods in Texas and Kansas libraries, accepted a position at the public library in

San Luis Obispo, California San Luis Obispo (; Spanish for " St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state of California. Located on the Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfwa ...

. She lived at Paso Robles, California. She died on July 2, 1945, and is buried at San Miguel District Cemetery,

San Miguel, California San Miguel (Spanish for " St. Michael") is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in San Luis Obispo County, California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,336. San Miguel was founded by the Spanish in 1797, when Mission San Miguel ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phelps, Edith Allen 1866 births 1945 deaths American librarians American women librarians Colonial Dames of America Daughters of the American Revolution people Drexel University alumni Columbia University School of Library Service alumni People from Springfield, Missouri