Esther Jean Walls, librarian, administrator, and educator, was born to Eldist (E.S.) and Jewette Walls on May 1, 1926 in Mason City, Iowa. In 1944, Walls graduated from Mason City High School, the valedictorian of her class. She attended Mason City Junior College before transferring to the State University of Iowa (now the University of Iowa), where she majored in romance languages with a minor in education. She was the first African-American female student at the State University of Iowa to be elected to the Alpha of Iowa Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and was a member of Phi Sigma Iota, an honorary Romance Languages fraternity. She graduated summa cum laude in 1948 with a B.A. Although she found no teaching positions open to her in Mason City, Walls did secure employment at the Mason City Public Library. She went on to attend Columbia University, where she received an M.S. in Library Science in 1951. Walls began working for the New York Public Library in 1950 and held various professional assignments, including serving as director of the North Manhattan Library Project and as head of the Countee Cullen Regional Library. From 1965 to 1970, Walls worked for the non-profit international publishing organization Franklin Book Programs, Inc. She served as program officer, supervising and administering activities in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. She also served as director of Book and Library Services, assistant director for Africa, and director of Adult New Literates Project. Walls was elected director of the United States Secretariat for the International Book Year 1972. In this capacity, she coordinated the activities of the U.S. Secretariat, an agency established to promote the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) sponsored year during which all member states of UNESCO focused attention on the role of books and related materials. Her other duties included lecturing, writing, and stimulating interest in the International Book Year through education, promotion, and publicity. In 1973, Walls became head of the Teachers Central Laboratory at Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY). She served as associate director of Libraries at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Stony Brook from 1974 until her retirement in 1988. Walls served as chairperson of the International Relations Committee of the American Library Association (ALA) and as a commissioner and member of the executive board of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO. She also served as vice president of the United States Committee for United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). Walls traveled extensively in Africa, Asia, and Latin America as a consultant on books, libraries, and women's activities and lectured to business, professional, and educational groups. Throughout her career, she focused on issues pertaining to youth literacy, both in the United States, with particular focus on the urban environment, and abroad, with particular focus on African nations. She has publicly addressed issues relating to the African-American experience in the United States and the role of women in society.
From the description of Esther J. Walls papers, 1860s-1996 1944-1996. (University of Iowa Libraries). WorldCat record id: 226965060
