Detective Work

I like mysteries--I love puzzles. But I hate when I can't find something--especially if I should know where it is. I finished up doing some research today on Eva Clayton. I am very proud of myself for sticking to my goal for the week and doing research in the library. Since I was having such a productive time working on Clayton, I thought I would also begin research on my third subject, Lelia Smith. Lelia Smith has been a challenge since I took on this assignment. I knew that she was the first Black female mayor, from the state of Oklahoma and that was pretty much it. I've since come to realize that I don't know her name. Well I do now (I think), but I didn't (maybe still don't). I've seen her listed as Lelia Smith, Lelia Davis, and Lelia Foley. She has not been written on by anyone that I can tell--she doesn't appear in any encyclopedias or books on African-American women that I can find. So today was a detective day--one of those things I love to hate about research. What I am learning about myself is that I'd much rather solve mysteries about historical figures--that's what digging around in archives is all about--I love that process of "unearthing" figures hidden in the past. But man am I starting to loathe looking around rocks for someone who is still living and (apparently) still active in politics. So it has taken some work on my part but I think I have some good leads on Lelia Smith-Davis (still don't know where this Foley part came from). Even found a potential mailing address.

Lesson for today--if you are looking for someone notable, living, yet unknown--might want to try Who's Who--they are professional stalkers apparently.

So with a small sense of accomplishment, I'm going to call it a day--head home--eat and grade some more exciting speeches....