Thomas Fountain Blue (1866-1935) was born in Farmville, VA. He graduated from Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute and then earned a degree in divinity from Richmond Theological Seminary. He excelled as both a theologian and a librarian. In 1908, he became part of the Western Branch Library of Louisville, which was the first Carnegie Library for African Americans in America. Blue was its first librarian. He went on to be the first African American to head a department with the Louisville Free Public Library. Image of Blue and staff in front of the Western Branch is from “The Kentucky African American Encyclopedia.” If you know the women in the photo, please tell us☺️
