Miss Mary Denson Pretlow

25 July 1876 - 16 June 1959

"Recreation, parks and such are fine, but to use and improve the mind are finer."

Mary Denson Pretlow was born on Marle Hill Plantation in Southampton County, Virginia on 25 July 1876. Her parents were Joshua Pretlow, of Southampton County, Virginia and Ann Elizabeth Butler, of Petersburg, Virginia. Her father's ancestors had lived in Virginia for over 300 years with William Denson arriving in the country in 1632 and became a burgess in the 1650s. Her immediate family had political aspirations. Her father was in Virginia's state legislature and her nephew, Colgate W. Darden, Jr., was a renowned Governor of Virginia and a congressman for the Second District.

Miss Pretlow grew up in Southampton County with her education being attended to by governesses. As she grew older, she attended different private schools before graduating from the Episcopal Institute in Winchester, Virginia. She decided to pursue a career in Library Science and attended the Library Training Class with the New York City Public Library. When she graduated from the training, she remained with the New York City Public Library system and was placed in charge of several branches, becoming the youngest person to hold a branch manager position. One of her branches in New York City was the Italian branch that was located in Hudson Park, on the lower west side. Pretlow remembered how the adult books were all in Italian while the children's were all in English.

Mary Pretlow left for St. Louis where she was again placed in charge of multiple branches including one with Czech as the dominant language, with seventy-four percent of the books in Czech. In 1917, she moved back to Virginia to take charge of the Norfolk Public Library after the death of William Henry Sargeant, NPL's first librarian. The Norfolk Public Library system had only two library buildings, Freemason Street and Van Wyck, at the time of her arrival and even those buildings were not being effectively used. The Norfolk Public Library system by the time she retired in 1947 had seven branches including Blyden Branch, which opened in 1921. Blyden Branch, opened in 1921, was the first library catered to the African Americans of Norfolk and to be supported by a municipality in the state of Virginia. She pushed for further integration and made all library buildings open to everyone including the African Americans before she retired. "I was anxious that books should be put within reach of everyone in Norfolk. The idea of a public library is to put books in walking distance of every person.

Pretlow was very active in her community and concerned for others especially here in Norfolk. During WWI, she helped organize a night school in the old Boush Street Public school where courses were taught to get young servicemen ready for the Ensign's examination at the naval base's Officers' Material School. Pretlow also worked with Virginia Gatewood and WCCS Club to gather reading materials for the service members. She was also active in the Red Circle Club that organized entertainment and dances for the troops here in Norfolk. In 1918, Mary Pretlow took a leave of absence to travel with the YMCA to France and to serve as their main hostess for ten months in their Paris headquarters. She was in charge of looking after the American servicemen who stopped in for relaxation and personal affairs. Pretlow returned to Norfolk and resumed her duties as head librarian until her retirement. She continued to be active in Norfolk with memberships in the Council of Thirty Tidewater Women, APVA (Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiques), Women's Council for Interracial Cooperation, Norfolk World War II History Commission, the Women's Club of Norfolk, the Norfolk Society of Arts, Woman's Democratic Club, Order of Cape Henry 1607, Norfolk Forum, and one of the founders of the Norfolk Little Theater.

Mary Pretlow did not slow down in retirement for she continued her involvement with the different groups and organizations above. She became more active politically in the Democratic Party by taking a seat in 1949 on the Democratic State Central Committee. Pretlow continued her advocacy for the Norfolk Public Library and libraries in general. "People need to think. They need something think about, to stir the imagination. Books, more than anything else supply these needs. Young people leave schools and colleges at a time when they need guidance most. A well stocked public library, may stand as a place where they may carry on their education through books and round out personality."

Mary Pretlow was very proud of serving in the Norfolk Public Library system and seeing it grow under her leadership. She was especially proud of overseeing the creation of the Sargeant Memorial Room as a memorial to William Sargeant and as a Norfolkana & Virginiana collection for everyone to use.

She passed away at a Norfolk hospital on 16 June 1959 after her health was failing her for some time. Although she never married, she left a lot of extended family including cousins, nephews, and nieces. She was buried in Beachwood Cemetery, Southampton County, Virginia two days later. In honor of her untiring devotion to the Norfolk Public Library, a 10,000 sq. foot branch library in Ocean View was dedicated to her in 1961. The branch building was torn down on 8 March 2006 to make way for a new 30,000 sq. foot. Anchor branch building that will proudly retain her name as an everlasting memorial to her devotion to learning.

Sources:

          Brockett, Omeda. "2 Norfolk Women Cited as Democratic Party Leaders." Virginian Pilot. 25 August 1957.

          Messina, Debbie. "Razing A Library Raises a Challenge." Virginian - Pilot. 09 March 2006, page B1 & B3.

          Unknown. "Norfolk's Library and Miss Pretlow." Virginian Pilot. 18 June 1959.

          Unknown. "Miss Mary Pretlow Dies; Headed Library 30 Years." Virginian Pilot. 17 June 1959

          Unknown. "Norfolk Women Who Lead." Norfolk Ledger-Dispatch. 20 August 1921. page 10.

          Unknown. "Charmed with French People Miss Pretlow Returns After Ten Months with Y in Paris." 30 August 1919.

          Unknown. "Library's 10th Year Marked." Ledger-Star. 10 March 1971. page A9.