Vivian Davidson Hewitt

Hewitt was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, on February 17, 1920.[7] She was the fourth, out of five, children to skilled laborer Arthur and teacher and house wife Lela.[8] Hewitt received her bachelor's degree from Geneva College, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, in 1943. The following year, in 1944, she received a master's in library science from Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.[9] Hewitt was hired as the senior assistant librarian by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh following her graduation. She is believed to be the first African-American librarian in Pittsburgh.[10] In 1949, Hewitt moved to Atlanta, accepting a position as an instructor-librarian at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University).[11] She met her husband, John H. Hewitt a professor at Morehouse College, in 1949 and they were married the same year. Their only child, John Hamilton Hewitt III was then born in 1952.[12] In 1953 Hewitt moved to New York City and worked for the Crowell-Collier Publishing Co., then moved to be the librarian at the Rockefeller Foundation. Hewitt then became the librarian for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in 1963 until her retirement in 1983. She also served as the first black president of the SLA from 1978-1979.[13] In 2001, she was honored by Queen Elizabeth II with appointment to the Venerable Order of St John as a Serving Sister.[14] She was promoted to Officer Sister in 2004,[15] Commander Sister in 2009,[16] and finally Dame in 2016.[17]