Elaine Graham Estes was inducted into Springfield Public Schools Hall of Fame in 2013.
Her parents opened the Graham’s Rib Station in Springfield a year before she was born, and the restaurant was located near Route 66 and listed in the Green Book.
Estes worked at the Public Library of Des Moines for 39 years, 19 of those as director, and she said it was a pair of involved parents and a foundation laid by Springfield Public Schools that got her started on the right foot.
After she graduated high school in 1949, Estes attended Drake University in Iowa, studying business administration with a major in retailing. There she became interested in a job at the Public Library of Des Moines, so she furthered her education by obtaining a master’s degree of library science from the University of Illinois. Eventually, she was hired by the Public Library of Des Moines where she worked for nearly four decades. She retired in the mid-1990s, leaving behind an impressive list of accomplishments.
As director, Estes oversaw the construction of two new library branches and restoration and preservation of the historic main library. She developed a number of outreach services and established Des Moines as the Library of Congress’ 11th State Center for the Book.
For more information about historic Graham’s Rib Station visit these two links:
http://www.route66women.com/portfolio/elaine-graham-estes/
Hall of Fame Video: http://ow.ly/tizf30nHBIk
