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Bessie Boehm Moore

Bessie Boehm Moore was born on a unknown date in 1902. She was a major player in the library world not only creating more libraries where they were none but pushed politicians to support them and what they stood for. She began her journey into the library and education realm when she was only fourteen years old by getting her certificate to teach. She gained respect in the educational community and although she held no office as of this time officials invited her to their councils and invited her to speak. At the early age of 24, she was on the National Commitee for the Sequincentennial Celebration of the United States. She was known as being somewhat of a firecracker and not taking no for an answer. In fact, she would lock politicians in her office until the amount of money that was required for her latest project was gifted to her. Moore seemed to stay active all her life in the education and library realm. In her later life Moore focused heavily on Economic Education and helped bridge the business and education spheres together. Bessie took an many roles throughout her career three not having to do with education or libraries. The first was she worked as "one of the first County Supervisors for Jefferson County". The second was her joint ownership of a local cafeteria with her husband which lasted until 1958 when he died. The third of these endeavors was when she was put on the Board of Directors of the First National Bank of Little Rock from 1971 until 1979. Bessie Boehm Moore died on October 24, 1995. In total, "Dr. Moore served on the Arkansas Library Commission for 38 years." One of the greatest strengths of Moore is the fact that throughout her lifetime she was able to consistently champion the underprivileged, and show that funding towards education was a righteous endeavor to both the state powers and the national. Her dedication to bringing together the economic and the educational worlds is unrivaled, and the sheer amount of accomplishments she had achieved in her lifetime brings a plethora of inspiration to those who strive toward the same goals of opportunity and learning.

1930's through the 1940's

"In 1934, she was appointed as Supervisor of Nursery Schools". Then appointed as the Supervisor for Elementary Education of Arkansas in 1939 until 1944.

1950's

She was well known for her work in the the state of Arkansas and therefore received the Arkansas Woman of the Year award as totalled by a local newspaper in 1952. Moore received two honorary Doctor of Laws degrees the first being from the University of Arkansas in 1958. She broke though gender barriers by obtaining the C.E. Palmer Distinguished Service Award in 1959. She still is the only woman to have ever received that award.

1960's

In the year 1963 Bessie was chosen to Chair the Ozark Folk Cultural Center Commission in Mountainview, Arkansas. The Center was the only one of its kind. Her passion for education made her so well-known that US Presidents started to take note. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson granted her membership to the National Advisory Commission of Libraries in 1965. "The Arkansas State Council on Economic Education formed in 1962 with Bessie as the Executive Director from 1962-1979."

1970's through the 1980's

From 1972-1988 she was a member of the National Conference on Library and Information Services for three consecutive US Presidents; Nixon, Carter, and Reagan. Within that council she served as Vice Chairman Emeritus. While many of her accomplishments were focused in her home state of Arkansas starting in 1974 she was a annual lecturer at many out of state universities. This list included the University of Michigan, University of Nebraska, Florida State University, University of Arizona, and the University of South Florida. She holds a special place as one of the five honorary members of the University of Michigan Library School Alumni Association. Her second honorary Doctorate of Laws was given to her in 1977 by the University of Arizona. "The Bessie B. Moore Center for Economic Education was established in 1978 and gives an award every annually to the outstanding economic educator in the US. It is named the Bessie Moore Award." Her involvement in the NCLIS did not go unnoticed as they awarded her in 1989 with the Distinguished Lifetime Service Award. That was not the only Lifetime that she received because the Joint Council of Economic Education of New York gave her the National Distingusihed Award.

1990's

Because of her love of education, Moore established the Bessie Boehm Moore - Thorndike Press Award in 1991 sponsored by the American Library Association, giving a 1000 dollar scholarship to the recipient. In her honor the Mountainview Public Library renamed itself the Bessie Boehm Moore Public Library in 1992. 1996 was the only year that her scholarship was not awarded. It was resumed in 2000.

Citations

1. "Dr. Bessie Boehm Moore". NCLIS. Retrieved 2009-05-26.

2. "Bessie the Builder, Queen Bessie: Profile of Bessie Boehm Moore, 1984". EDRS. 1984--5--3. Retrieved 2009-05-26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

3. "Bessie Boehm Moore Center for Economic Education". Graduate Catalog of Studies. University of Arkansas. 1999. Retrieved 2009-05-26.

4. "Tribute to Bessie B. Moore". Bessie B. Moore Center for Economic Education. Retrieved 2009-05-26.

5. "Bessie Boehm Moore/ Thorndike Press Award Committee". ALA. Retrieved 2009-05-26.

6. "Bessie Boehm Moore". Zoominfo. Retrieved 2009-05-26.