Biography · Biography & Culture
Elaine Estes
1931–
United States
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Biography
Elaine Rose Graham Estes (born November 24, 1931) is an American retired librarian who was the Des Moines Public Library director and the first African American to have that title. Her attempt to live in the then-unintegrated Drake University dormitories led to her and two others being credited for integrating the dormitories. Estes received multiple honors, including a Distinguished Alumni Award and appearing in a documentary.
Sources & collection details
Wikipedia contributors — original record ↗
Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13