Greetings Colleagues, I trust you're well. Today I'm celebrating Maggie Lena Walker, the first woman in the United States to become president of a local bank. Born on July 15, 1867 in Richmond, Virginia, Walker was the daughter of former slaves Elizabeth Draper Mitchell and William Mitchell, who worked in the mansion of abolitionist Elizabeth Van Lew. Since the age of fourteen, Walker had been a member of the Grand United Order of St. Luke, an African-American fraternal and cooperative insurance society founded in Baltimore in 1867 by former slave Mary Prout. In 1902, Walker began publishing a newsletter, the St. Luke Herald, to increase awareness of the activities of the Independent Order of St. Luke and to help in the educational work of the order. The following year, she opened the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank and became its president. The bank's goal was to facilitate loans to the community. By 1920, the bank helped purchase about 600 homes. By 1924, the Independent Order of St. Luke had 50,000 members, 1500 local chapters, a staff of 50 working in its Richmond headquarters and assets of almost $400,000. The Penny Savings Bank absorbed all other black-owned banks in Richmond in 1929 and became the Consolidated Bank and Trust Company with Walker as its chairman of the board. May 24th Workshop - Fundraising Strategies in HBCU Libraries Registration is closed for the May 24th class. The roster is detailed below. 1. Annette Berhe-Hunt - Lemoyne Owen College (TN) 2. Ellis Beteck - University of Maryland Eastern Shore 3. Paul Blackmon - H. Councill Trenholm State Technical College (AL) 4. Joyce Campbell - Arkansas Baptist College 5. Mary Jo Fayoyin - Savannah State University (GA) 6. Janice Franklin - Alabama State University 7. Jean Greene - Hinds Community College - Utica Campus (MS) 8. Mantra Henderson - Mississippi Valley State University 9. Paulette Johnson - Oakwood College (AL) 10. Tasha Lucas Youmans - Bethune-Cookman University (FL) 11. Lois Marshall - Lincoln University (MO) 12. LaVerne McLaughlin - Albany State University (GA) 13. Shatiqua Mosby-Wilson - Southern University of New Orleans (LA) 14. Teresa Ojezua - Philander Smith College (AR) 15. Germaine Palmer - Dillard University (LA) 16. Annie Payton - Fort Valley State University (GA) 17. Mae Rodney - Winston-Salem State University (NC) 18. Clevell Roseboro - Saint Augustine's College (NC) 19. Blanche Sanders - Alcorn State University (MS) 20. Theodosia Shields - North Carolina Central University 21. Sophia Sotilleo - Lincoln University (PA) 22. Joe Swanson - Morehouse School of Medicine (GA) 23. Felix Unaeze - Grambling State University (LA) 24. Adrienne Webber - South Carolina State University 25. Joan Williams - Bennett College for Women (NC) I look forward to an exciting workshop! Respectfully, Sandra SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.