Ms. Doris K. Wells

Doris Alonia Kennerly Wells was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, on March 14, 1949. She was the younger child of James Edward Kennerly, Sr, and Eulilian Kennerly. She received a B.S. degree from South Carolina State University and completed a Masters degree in Library Science at Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta). Doris married and soon gave birth to her daughter Tami, her pride and joy. She was the first African American hired to work and serve in the DeKalb County Public Library System. Ms. Wells initially worked in material processing, and later became a branch manager. Doris developed a number of outstanding and unique community programs, most notably an annual Kwanzaa Awareness Festival. She was chosen to open the Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Branch with its identified focus on African American oriented materials in 1992. While serving there, she and her daughter Tami created a Jubilee of Readers Conference to bring together various book club members that were formed in South DeKalb County and beyond. That event is still being held. In 2006, Ms. Wells retired from the DeKalb County Library System. In the same year, the rear entrance street of the Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Branch, was named “Doris Wells Way” in her honor. She received numerous other awards and honors. She continued to mentor and help train numerous other library workers. Truly she was a living legend among them. She enjoyed travel, especially on cruises, and had visited Europe and Africa. She loved to read, collect a variety of African and African American cultural artifacts, hold teas, organize community events, and play with her grandchildren. She continues to leave her stellar legacy, her devoted daughter Tami, son-in-law Mark Thomas; grandchildren, Nathan and Grace Thomas, her brother James Kennerly, Jr. his wife (Gwendolyn) their children, Jasmine, Marsha, and Kim Kennerly; great-niece Tyla Robinson, and great-nephew, Damion Kennerly; her sorority sisters of Lambda Epsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and her chosen children and members of the DeKalb County Libraries. She was a member of Clifton United Methodist Church in Decatur, GA, and an associate member of New Light United Methodist Church in Neeses, SC.

Tributes

Ms. Doris K. Wells

March 14, 1949 - February 27, 2015