Martha Brown Collection
Biographical Information

A native of Nashville Tennessee, Martha Brown was the oldest of three children born to the late Lutie Cheatman Wells and Thomas Wells. She was educated in the Nashville public schools and graduated from Fisk University, and was granted a General Education Board Scholarship for study at Hampton Institute. Mrs. Brown, thus became the first qualified librarian.

In 1926, she influenced the college administration to provide money and planning for the erection of a $100,000 library building. This enabled Tennessee A. & I. State College to become one of the first Negro Colleges to have a library building and to qualify for library aid from the Julius Rosenwald Fund.

The Martha M. Brown Memorial Library was erected in 1927 and enlarged and modernized in 1950. On November 23, 1949, the building was completed and officially named the Martha M. Brown Memorial Library.

Mrs. Brown relinquished duties during the fall of 1945. She continued to serve the University, however, in the position of Library Consultant until her retirement at the end of the summer term in August 1951.

Mrs. Brown died on September 14, 1956.