Lucile Nix (March 4, 1903 – December 1, 1968) was an American librarian. She was Georgia's head of public library services for 23 years.

Career

Nix was born on March 4, 1903, in

Commerce Commerce is the organized Complex system, system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions that directly or indirectly contribute to the smooth, unhindered large-scale exchange (distribution through Financial transaction, transactiona ...

, Georgia to John Morgan and Ella Ludora Bennett Nix. Her father was a grocer and her mother had a passion for reading. She attended

Furman University Furman University is a private university in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1826 and named after Baptist pastor Richard Furman, the Liberal arts college, liberal arts university is the oldest private institution of higher l ...

followed by

Emory University Emory University is a private university, private research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1836 as Emory College by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory. Its main campu ...

, where in 1930 she earned a degree in library science. While in school Nix attended summer programs at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

and the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

. During the first years of her career, Nix worked at libraries in

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the fifth-most populous city in North Carolina and the 91st-most populous city in the Uni ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

and

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

, as well as at Emory. Her first job as a librarian was at Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem. Later, while in Tennessee and serving as president of the

Tennessee Library Association The Tennessee Library Association (TNLA) is a professional organization that offers support for library staff working in Tennessee. It is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. TLA was originally organized in Nashville on May 29, 1902, by members o ...

, Nix was influential in convincing the

Tennessee legislature The Tennessee General Assembly (TNGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is a part-time bicameral legislature consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The Speaker of the Senate carries the additional title ...

to pass its first bill intended to provide state aid for regional libraries. In 1945 she returned to Georgia. At the time, 33% of Georgia's population had no library access—after her decades-long service with Georgia's libraries, by 1968 the percentage had fallen to just 1.5%. Nix was elected president of the

Southeastern Library Association The Southeastern Library Association (SELA) is an organization that collaborates with different library associations within the Southeastern United States, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Caro ...

in 1958, and continued her involvement with the organization throughout the 1960s. She was also a trustee of the Georgia Library Trustees and Friends Association from 1949 to 1951. In 1963, Georgia governor

Carl Sanders Carl Edward Sanders Sr. (May 15, 1925 – November 16, 2014) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 74th governor of Georgia from 1963 to 1967. Early life and education Carl Sanders was born on May 15, 1925, in Augusta, Georg ...

named her a member of the Georgia Commission on Aging. Nix served as president of the Atlanta Library Club, and in 1968 she was awarded the Joseph W. Lippincott Award.

Legacy

After her death, the Nix–Jones Award for Distinction in Library Service was co-named in her honor. She never married and had no children. On March 9, 2017, Nix was inducted into the

Georgia Women of Achievement The Georgia Women of Achievement (GWA) recognizes women natives or residents of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia for their significant achievements or statewide contributions. The concept was first proposed by Rosalynn Carter in 19 ...

Hall of Fame at a ceremony at

Wesleyan College Wesleyan College is a Private university, private, Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's Colleges in the Southern United States, women's college in Macon, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1836, Wesleyan was the fi ...

in Macon. She was nominated by the Northeast Georgia Historical and Genealogical Society, the

Georgia Library Association The Georgia Library Association (GLA) is a professional organization in the United States for Georgia's librarians and library workers. It is headquartered in Savannah, Georgia. It was founded as The Georgia Library Club by members of the Young Me ...

, and the Hall County Library System. Even during her lifetime Nix was known as "Miss Public Library."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nix, Lucile 1903 births 1968 deaths American librarians American women librarians People from Commerce, Georgia Furman University alumni Emory University alumni 20th-century American educators 20th-century American women educators