| Summary: | Librarian Henrietta Mays Smith was born on May 2, 1922, in Harlem, New York. Earning her B.A. degree from Hunter College in 1943 and her B.S.L.S. degree from Columbia University in 1946, she became a children's librarian and storyteller. In 1955, she moved to Florida, working in the media department of the Broward County Public School System. Returning to New York in the summers, she worked as a storyteller. In 1959, Smith received her M.S.L.S. degree from Columbia University and her Ph.D. degree from the University of Miami. After working for the Florida Atlantic University's College of Education for ten years, she joined the faculty at the University of South Florida's School of Library. In 1985, she became their first African American faculty member. Retiring in 1993, she was active in many organizations, including the American Library Association and the Coretta Scott King Task Force. In 2008, the American Library Association honored Dr. Smith with their Distinguished Service Award.
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