Carrie Westlake Whitney (1854 – April 8, 1934) was an American librarian. Known as the mother of Kansas City, Missouri's library system, she was the first director of the Kansas City Public Library.[1][2] She moved to Kansas City and worked as a bookkeeper, renting a room from James Greenwood, the Kansas City superintendent.[3] Greenwood hired her in 1881 when the library was still a subscription library, calling her "the smartest woman I have ever known."[3]
By 1897, Whitney had fully ended the library's subscription model, and all city residents were allowed access to the library.[2] The collection, which was described as "2,000 catalogued books, plus about a thousand volumes of government documents, reports, and periodicals," was enlarged to 30,000 items by 1897.[2] By 1899, the solo library had grown to include a staff of 28 adults and nine young male pages.[2] In 1901, she was elected to be the first president of the Missouri Library Association.[2][4]
In 1908, she published a three-volume history entitled Kansas City, Missouri: Its History and its People which included biographies of notable local people as well as a history of the city.[2] She was demoted from her position to assistant librarian in 1910 with The Kansas City Journal saying her position should be held by a man, an opinion supported by the local Board of Education.[2][4] She was replaced by Purd Wright—who had come back to Missouri after one year at the head of Los Angeles Public Library—and was terminated in 1912.[2][5]
Personal lifeedit
Carrie Westlake was born in 1854 in Fayette County, Virginia, to Wellington and Helen Van Waters Westlake. In 1861, her family moved to Pettis County Missouri near Sedalia.[2] In 1875, she married E. W. Judson in Sedalia. In 1885, she married newspaperman James Steele Whitney; he died in 1890.[1] She spent the last four decades of her life living with Miss Frances Bishop, whom her obituary described as an "inseparable friend".[4]
^ ab"Carrie Westlake Whitney is Dead". The Sedalia Democrat. April 9, 1934. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
^ abcdefghijChristian, Shirley (May 26, 2010). "Carrie Westlake Whitney". Kansas City Library. The Woman's City Club Foundation. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
^ ab"Carrie Westlake Whitney". SqueezeBoxCity. December 27, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
^ abc"Mother, May I... Check Out This Book?". KC History. April 8, 1934. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
^"KCPL Timeline". Kansas City Public Library. November 14, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
^"Carrie Westlake (Judson) Whitney". scenicregional.org. from the original on October 8, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
External linksedit
Kansas City, Missouri: Its History and its People at Internet Archive.
January 01, 1970
carrie, westlake, whitney, 1854, april, 1934, american, librarian, known, mother, kansas, city, missouri, library, system, first, director, kansas, city, public, library, moved, kansas, city, worked, bookkeeper, renting, room, from, james, greenwood, kansas, c. Carrie Westlake Whitney 1854 April 8 1934 was an American librarian Known as the mother of Kansas City Missouri s library system she was the first director of the Kansas City Public Library 1 2 She moved to Kansas City and worked as a bookkeeper renting a room from James Greenwood the Kansas City superintendent 3 Greenwood hired her in 1881 when the library was still a subscription library calling her the smartest woman I have ever known 3 Carrie Westlake WhitneyBornCarrie Westlake1854 1854 Fayette County Virginia U S DiedApril 8 1934 1934 04 08 aged 79 80 Kansas City Missouri U S Resting placeForest Hill Calvary CemeteryKansas City Missouri U S Other namesCarrie Westlake JudsonOccupationlibrarianSpousesE W Judson m 1875 wbr James Steele Whitney m 1885 died 1890 wbr By 1897 Whitney had fully ended the library s subscription model and all city residents were allowed access to the library 2 The collection which was described as 2 000 catalogued books plus about a thousand volumes of government documents reports and periodicals was enlarged to 30 000 items by 1897 2 By 1899 the solo library had grown to include a staff of 28 adults and nine young male pages 2 In 1901 she was elected to be the first president of the Missouri Library Association 2 4 Whitney had strong opinions about reading including keeping reading for younger people tightly controlled claiming One unwholesome book will contaminate an entire school 2 In 1908 she published a three volume history entitled Kansas City Missouri Its History and its People which included biographies of notable local people as well as a history of the city 2 She was demoted from her position to assistant librarian in 1910 with The Kansas City Journal saying her position should be held by a man an opinion supported by the local Board of Education 2 4 She was replaced by Purd Wright who had come back to Missouri after one year at the head of Los Angeles Public Library and was terminated in 1912 2 5 Personal life editCarrie Westlake was born in 1854 in Fayette County Virginia to Wellington and Helen Van Waters Westlake In 1861 her family moved to Pettis County Missouri near Sedalia 2 In 1875 she married E W Judson in Sedalia In 1885 she married newspaperman James Steele Whitney he died in 1890 1 She spent the last four decades of her life living with Miss Frances Bishop whom her obituary described as an inseparable friend 4 Carrie Whitney died on April 8 1934 and is buried in the Forest Hill Calvary Cemetery in Kansas City Missouri 6 References edit a b Carrie Westlake Whitney is Dead The Sedalia Democrat April 9 1934 Retrieved December 6 2019 a b c d e f g h i j Christian Shirley May 26 2010 Carrie Westlake Whitney Kansas City Library The Woman s City Club Foundation Retrieved December 5 2019 a b Carrie Westlake Whitney SqueezeBoxCity December 27 2014 Retrieved December 6 2019 a b c Mother May I Check Out This Book KC History April 8 1934 Retrieved December 6 2019 KCPL Timeline Kansas City Public Library November 14 2019 Retrieved December 6 2019 Carrie Westlake Judson Whitney scenicregional org Archived from the original on October 8 2022 Retrieved October 8 2022 External links editKansas City Missouri Its History and its People at Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Carrie Westlake Whitney amp oldid 1223592121, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
