Sharman Bridges Smith was born in Lambert, Mississippi. Before coming to Iowa, Smith was director of Library Services at the Mississippi Library Commission in Jackson. Other positions she held there included director of Library Operations and…
Barry Lavon Porter was born in Cedar City, Utah on Oct. 3, 1942, the son of LaVon Porter and Alta Haycock. Barry received his Bachelor of Science degree from South Utah State College and his Masters in Library Science from Brigham Young University. …
Blanche Annette Smith was born in Monroe, Iowa, on Aug. 26, 1887, the daughter of Otis E. Smith and Annie Slusser. She attended schools in Des Moines, Shenandoah, and Indianola, Iowa, graduating from Simpson College in 1908. Blanche taught at the…
John P. Coulter was born about 1803 in Pennsylvania. He became a physician, moved to Wooster, Ohio and married Elizabeth. John and Elizabeth had four children in Ohio: Lewis, Edward, Elnora, and Flora. The family moved to Cedar Rapids, Linn County,…
Lewis I. Coulter was born in Ohio in 1836, the son of John P. Coulter and Elizabeth. He married Kate K. Thurston in Des Moines, Iowa on April 26, 1860 and had two children, a son, Edward and daughter, Jessie F. in Des Moines. Lewis Coulter was a…
Shirley H. Hattendorf was born on Dec. 29, 1938 in Elgin, Illinois, the daughter of Edwin William Hattendorf and Nora Wiese. George received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Valparaiso University in Indiana, her Masters in Library Science from…
Sara “Sadie” B. Bushong was born in Columbian County, Ohio, February 12, 1837, the daughter of Jacob and Hannah Bushong. She attended the academies at Bryan and West Unity, Ohio, then taught from 1853 to 1858. Sara married William Maxwell in 1858,…
John Pattee was born in Canada on July 23, 1820. His father was a Methodist missionary and preached in Canada. He came to Iowa around 1850 and was a carpenter in Bremer County. John married Lidia Lanning on Aug. 23, 1855. That same year he was…
Lemuel B. Patterson was the first State Librarian when Iowa became a state. He was born in Rushville, Indiana, Sept. 12, 1824. He came to Iowa City in the spring of 1841, and was admitted to the State bar in 1846. It is reported that while holding…
John C. Merrill was born around 1850 in Pennsylvania. His father, Samuel Merrill, became Governor of Iowa in 1868 and John C. was appointed State Librarian the same year. He proved to be an energetic and efficient Librarian, introducing the…
