Jean Blackwell Hutson

Jean Blackwell Hutson's collection in the Photographs and Prints Division capture her time in Ghana with her daughter Jean. Years later, Hutson called this period her daughter's happiest time.

Photo: Photographs and Prints Division

Jean Blackwell Hutson was the driving force behind what is today's Schomburg Center located at 515 Malcolm X Blvd. She advocated collection materials being housed in its own building, lobbied New York State legislators for funding, and cofounded the Schomburg Center Corporation to raise additional money.

The Center named its research and reference division—now called the Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division—in her honor in 2007.