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Elmer Lucille Allen: Chemist, Artist, and Lifelong Learner

Elmer Lucille Allen, named after both her father and brother, has 93 years of experience in hard work and determination. She left her mark on Kentucky history as a chemist, community leader, and artist– although she claims she never set out to make change or even become a scientist.

 

Called Elmer Lucille by her family, she holds two wildly different degrees, is an active community volunteer, and still attends classes whenever possible.

 

Today’s blog dives into how she made history as one of the first Black chemists in the bourbon industry and, even in her retirement, continues to make a difference.

 

Photo Courtesy of Today’s Transitions.

From Cookies to Chemistry

Growing up during segregation in a mostly Black neighborhood in Louisville, Kentucky, Allen remembers being completely immersed in her African American community- she didn’t attend school with a white person until her junior year of college.

 

Allen’s work ethic, even as a child, was undeniable. She was the top cookie seller in her Girl Scout troop and took art classes frequently starting in middle school, creating original art that earned her features in the local paper. She also babysat, worked in the library to learn the Dewey Decimal system, and graduated high school with honors, all while practicing with a teacher one-on-one and at home to overcome her stutter.

 

Allen was one of the very first Black students at Spalding University, formerly the all-female Catholic Nazareth College, where she studied chemistry and math. Even with her Bachelor’s degree, it was impossible for Allen to find a job as a chemist in Louisville due to her race. She settled to become a clerk typist at Fort Benjamin Harrison, where she performed administrative tasks in Indiana with the dream of becoming a medical technician.

 

Elmer Lucille, Chemist and Artist

Eventually, Allen earned her medical technician certification. She spent years working in labs and hospitals around Kentucky until she joined a team conducting medical and dental research at the University of Louisville as a chemist. It was there that she made a life-changing connection- a coworker whose uncle worked at Brown-Forman, a Kentucky-based spirit powerhouse.

 

In 1966, Allen was hired by Brown-Forman to work as a chemist, analyzing the whiskies and their raw materials. She was the first Black chemist at the company and one of only a few women to work in one of their labs.

 

She worked her way up to becoming a senior chemist, working closely with company executives. She watched as Lois Mateus climbed the ladder to become the first female executive, got to know the entire Brown family, and even met her husband, Roy Allen, who worked in the food services department.

 

Throughout her time at Brown-Forman, Allen took art classes. She first began ceramics in the late 1970s as a way to help with her arthritis- but she regained the passion for creating that she had as a child. Soon, she was taking courses at the University of Louisville and working with prominent Kentucky artists, being embraced by the art community for who she was.

 

“I have not experienced any discrimination as a woman artist or as an artist of color,” Allen told Louisville Visual Art. “My work does not depict any culture – it speaks for itself. I create work that I enjoy making.”

 

When she retired from Brown-Forman in 1997 after 31 years, her coworkers asked what she wanted as a retirement gift. Her answer? “I don’t want anything. I would like to have an exhibit of my ceramics.”

 

Leading by Example

Allen had three children with her husband, Roy. When one of her sons wanted to play little league baseball but couldn’t because of where they lived, she and Roy created their own integrated little league in the local park.

 

She also founded the Kentucky Coalition for AFRO-American Arts, Inc., a nonprofit organization that documented African American artists in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which she led singlehandedly for ten years.

 

Finding Happiness in Art

After retiring, Allen decided to pursue a Master’s degree in ceramics from the University of Louisville. There, she was introduced to fiber and textiles.

 

“My thesis exhibition consisted of stenciled wall hangings,” Allen said to Louisville Visual Art in 2017, “and over 200 reduction-fired porcelain sculptural boxes that were placed on boards on the floor, which meant you had to view the pieces while standing.”

 

In the years after her retirement, Allen has established herself as one of the most influential artists in Louisville. She earned her Master’s in 2001 and continues to take art classes today, recognizing herself as a perpetual student and volunteering whenever possible.

 

When she’s not creating art pieces, Allen’s goal is to use her position to uplift other artists of color and women. She creates exhibits that feature unknown artists, curates work for local galleries, and awards grants to artists in need, making sure to attend local art openings and receptions to meet the artists.

 

Elmer Lucille Allen, Louisville Legend

Allen has won many awards for her art, activism, and work in breaking barriers in the bourbon industry. She even has a yearly conference in her honor at Spalding University, the Elmer Lucille Allen Conference on African American Studies, which aims to educate and empower, as well as uplift Black artists.

 

Listen to her interview with the University of Louisville here.