2005 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE

R. Beverly Raney and Mollie Huston Lee

Although their contributions were made during different times in Raleigh’s history, R. Beverly Raney and Mollie Huston Lee are recognized as a team for what they accomplished for our public library system. Raney was born in Granville County in 1860. Two years before his death, Lee was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1907. She died in 1982.

Married less than two years, Raney’s first wife Olivia died in childbirth in 1896. As a loving tribute to her memory, Raney donated $45,000 for a free circulation library in Raleigh. The building opened in January 1901, providing not only a library with an initial collection of nearly 5,000 books, but also an auditorium for musical and dramatic presentations. Raney’s gift became the foundation for what has evolved into the Wake County Public Library System.

Three decades after the Olivia Raney Library opened, Mollie Huston Lee came to the city and soon discovered that no public library served the African-American community. Seeing a need to collect materials concerning the African-American experience, she opened her own storefront library in 1935 on East Hargett Street in downtown Raleigh’s black business district with 860 books. Lee offered the first library outreach in town, walking with her book basket in hand to various offices and local businesses to distribute her books and materials.

With Lee’s leadership and strong community support, sufficient funds were raised in 1948 to purchase a house on Blount Street, and her library, now named for Richard B. Harrison, moved to a new larger location. With her help, the library merged with the Wake County Public Library System in 1966, and plans were soon made for a new facility. In June 1967, the library moved to its current location on New Bern Avenue. Today, the New Bern Avenue Library houses the Mollie Huston Lee Collection, a special non-circulating collection of African-American reference material that documents the lives of African-Americans in the Raleigh community. As a leader among library professionals, Lee’s influence was felt across the state and the nation for over 40 years.

The public library system we have today in Wake County is a result of the determination and generosity of R. Beverly Raney and Mollie Huston Lee. Both individuals recognized the value of the public library as a great equalizer for all people regardless of race, culture, socio-economic status, ethnicity, or educational background.

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For more information, please write:

Raleigh Hall of Fame
PO Box 6128, Raleigh, NC 27628-6128

Or email information@raleighhalloffame.org or call (919) 787-9617.