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 EFFIE LEE
MORRIS JONES
April 20, 1921--November 10, 2009
Members of Women's National Book Association are in mourning.
Beloved Effie Lee Morris, founding president of the San Francisco
Chapter, died on November 10, 2009, two months after her doctor told
her she had metastasized colon
cancer.
Members are encouraged to
share memories on WNBA's blog by posting
comments at or blog, click here:
Effie Lee had attended the June 18, 2009
planning meeting and installation
of elected officers where she was honored by SF chapter
members. Earlier
in June, Effie Lee had addressed the audience at the 13th annual
Effie Lee
Morris Lecture featuring author Pat Mora.
According to Effie Lee's cousin, the Honorable Teresa Cox, it was
Effie
Lee's wish that in lieu of sending flowers we make donations to
further
support the WNBA-SF Effie Lee Morris Lecture Series to honor
children's
book authors.
Checks can be made payable:
"WNBA-SF Chapter" designated for Effie Lee Morris Lecture
Series
and sent to:
WNBA SF Chapter - Effie Lee Morris Lecture Series
4061 E. Castro Valley Blvd.
Castro Valley, CA 94552
All donations will be used toward funding future Effie Lee
Morris
lectures. The 2010 lecture has been slated for May
13.
As soon as Ms. Cox announces the 2010 date of the "Celebration of the
Life
of Effie Lee Morris" WNBA will inform SF Chapter members as well as
the
WNBA national board.
Beloved Effie Lee, we are so sad. We have lost our greatest
supporter,
great lady and a wonderful friend.
Please share your Effie Lee Morris story by posting a comment
in:
http://wnba-sfchapter.org/blog/beloved-effie-lee-morris-we-are-so-sad/
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Effie Lee at the 2009
WNBA-SF chapter planning meeting.
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Some Past Presidents of the WNBA-SF Chapter
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Effie Lee Morris always had great ideas and
input!
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Effie Lee Morris Memorial Service
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The San Francisco Chapter of WNBA was founded in 1968 by EFFIE LEE
MORRIS,
then coordinator of Children's Services for the San Francisco Main
Public
Library. The annual Effie Lee Morris Lecture Series lecture was
created to
salute Ms. Morris for her outstanding contributions to the San
Francisco
Public Library and the children of San Francisco by the WNBA-SF in
1996.
The Children's Historical and Research Collection was established in
1964
by Morris and officially renamed the Effie Lee Morris Historical
and
Research Collection of Children's Literature in 1981. The collection
was
created as a research collection of out dated or out-of-print books
deemed
important to children's literature and books containing
ethnic
stereotypes.
EFFIE LEE MORRIS, a visionary, advocate, author, San Francisco
leader, and
the founding president of WNBA-SF, was honored as a Living Legend at
the
California Library Association's annual conference in Sacramento. "I
am
proudest to have been a librarian," she said, "a librarian who has
made a
difference." Her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix
Potter,
launched not only her love of reading but also her career as a
children's
librarian and children's advocate.
Born in Richmond, Virginia, Ms. Morris moved with her family to
Cleveland
when she was nine. A high school valedictorian, she planned to major
in
American studies, but her work as a part-time library assistant in
the
Cleveland Public Library changed those plans. She earned her first
degree
from Mather College in 1945 and her masters in library science in
1956.
She was the first children's specialist at the Library for the Blind
in
the New York Public Library. She was the first children's librarian
and
first African American president of the Public Library Association,
a
division of the American Library Association. She was the
first
coordinator of children's services in the San Francisco Public
Library
(SFPL).
Her expertise in children's literature afforded her the opportunity
to
serve on every major children's book award committee, among them
the
Caldecott Medal, the Newbery Medal, Notable Books and the Coretta
Scott
King Award. Ms. Morris wrote the criteria to establish the award to
honor
Mrs. King's advocacy. Ms. Morris has taught children's literature
courses
at Mills College, the University of San Francisco, Case Western
Reserve,
and Clark-Atlanta University. She was one of the three founding
members of
the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award committee. As a member of the 2006
WNBA
Anne Heidbreder Eastman Grant committee Ms. Morris continues to shape
the
future of tomorrow's librarians. The purpose of the award is to
help
provide funds for a librarian to take a course or to participate in
an
intensive institute devoted to aspects of publishing as a profession,
or
to provide reimbursement for such study completed within the past
year.
Ms. Morris's awards are numerous, but two that she is particularly
proud
of are the Silver Spur Award for Dedication to Enhancing the Quality
of
Life and Economic Vitality of San Francisco, and the Women's National
Book
Association's Award for Extraordinary Contribution to the World of
Books.
Here are links to some websites of other organizations whose members
also
loved Effie Lee Morris.
The American Library Association
San Francisco Public Library
The History Makers
School Library
Journal
Public Library Association
Blog
Cleveland
Public Library
BlackPast.org An Online Reference Guide to African American
History
The University of San Francisco
The University of Tennessee
If you Google "Effie Lee
Morris" you will find hundreds of links to
organizations whose members loved this great lady.
Please share your Effie Lee stories on our blog:
http://wnba-sfchapter.org/blog/beloved-effie-lee-morris-we-are-so-sad/
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