West, Elizabeth Howard, 1873-1948

Born in Pontotoc, Miss., in 1873, Elizabeth Howard West was a teacher, scholar, and librarian. A graduate of the Industrial Institute and College at Columbus, Miss., West taught in Mississippi schools before relocating in 1895 to Texas, where she earned her master's degree from the University of Texas in 1901. She began her library training shortly thereafter and held various posts in libraries in Texas and elsewhere, working as a cataloger at Texas State College, as an assistant at the Library of Congress, and as Texas state archivist. In 1918 she was elected state librarian of Texas, becoming the first woman to hold that position. She became the first librarian of Texas Technological College in 1925.

Librarian and archivist, of Texas.

A librarian, educator and historian, Elizabeth Howard West served as the first librarian at Texas Technological College in 1925 and founded the Lubbock branch of the American Association of University Women (1926). Born in Pontotoc, Mississippi, on March 27, 1873, West received a degree from the Industrial Institute and College at Columbus, Mississippi. She taught in the public schools before moving to Texas in 1895. She received both her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Texas in 1901. She began her library training in 1905 and became a cataloger at the Texas State Library in 1906. West also worked as an assistant at the Library of Congress, was the Texas State Library archivist (1911-1915), the director of the San Antonio Library (1915-1918), and elected as State Librarian in 1918, making her the first woman department head in the Texas state government.

West had actively pursued research in Spanish and Mexican archives, and from 1930 to 1932 worked as a Library of Congress research assistant on the European Historical Mission. She published frequent articles in the Southwestern Historical Quarterly and the American Historical Review. She was a charter member of the Texas State Library Association and served as its president from 1914 to 1916. She also helped to found the Southwestern Library Association and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Delta Kappa Gamma, Daughters of the American Revolution and the Philosophical Society of Texas. West also directed the Southwestern Library Association's Regional Literature Program in Texas. She retired as college librarian at Texas Tech in 1942 and then worked as a historical research assistant for the Tech history department until 1947. Following a heart attack, West completely retired and moved to Pensacola, Florida, where she died on January 4, 1948.

Historian, archivist, librarian, and author.

Staff member, Library of Congress, 1906-1911; archivist, Texas State Library, 1911-1915; librarian, San Antonio Carnegie Library, 1915-1918; state librarian of Texas, 1918-1925; librarian, Texas Technological College, 1925-1942.

Librarian. Educator. Historian. Served as the first librarian at Texas Technological College in 1925. Founded the Lubbock, Texas, branch of the American Association of University Women (1926). Born in Pontotoc County, Mississippi, in 1873. Received degree from the Industrial Institute and College at Columbus, Mississippi. Taught public school and moved to Texas in 1895. Received both bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Texas in 1901. Began her library training in 1905 and became cataloguer at the Texas State Library in 1906. Worked as an assistant at the Library of Congress. Texas State Library Archivist (1911-1915). Director of the San Antonio Library (1915-1918). Elected as State Librarian in 1918, which made her the first woman department head in the Texas state government. West had actively pursued research in Spanish and Mexican archives, and from 1930 to 1932 worked as a Library of Congress research assistant on the European Historical Mission. Published frequent articles in the "Southwestern Historical Quarterly" and the "American Historical Review."

Charter member of the Texas State Library Association, and served as president of the organization 1914 to 1916. Helped to found the Southwestern Library Association. Member of Phi Beta Kappa, Delta Kappa Gamma, Daughters of the American Revolution and the Philosophical Society of Texas. Directed the Southwestern Library Association's Regional Literature Program in Texas. Retired as college librarian at Texas Technological College in 1942, becoming Librarian Emerita. Worked as historical research assistant for the history department at the college until 1947. Completely retired in 1947 after a heart attack, and moved to Pensacola, Florida, where she lived until her death in 1948.

Elizabeth Howard West, a librarian and educator, is noted for her research in Mexican and Spanish archives and her writings on early Texas; she also prepared work on colonial Florida that is now housed in the UF Library. West served as the Texas State Librarian from 1918-1925 and went on to become a noted research librarian at Texas Technical College. Born March 27, 1873, in Pontotoc, Mississippi, she was a graduate of Mississippi State College for Women in 1892 and went on to earn her graduate degree at the University of Texas. In addition to her work at the Texas State Library, she served as a schoolteacher in Mississippi before joining the staff of the Library of Congress in 1906. From 1930 to 1932 she conducted research in archives in Spain for the Library of Congress. She was also the librarian of the San Antonio Carnegie Library, although her principal career (1925-1942) was as a research librarian at Texas Technical College. West published frequently in the Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, as well as is the Southwestern Historical Quarterly. She worked with Julian Yonge, founder of the P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History, on research about the Panton Leslie Company, an important firm in Florida's colonial Indian trade, with headquarters in Pensacola and St. Augustine. West died in Pensacola, Florida, on January 4, 1948.

Besides her work on Texas and Florida, West also created the Calendar of the Papers of Martin Van Buren (1910) and the Calendar of the Papers of Mirabeau B. Lamar (1914).

Source: Journal of Southern History, Vol. 14 (May) 1948, p. 289. See also: Texas History Online .