“B” is for Bragg, Laura (1881-1978)

“B” is for Bragg, Laura (1881-1978). Museum administrator, educator. Born in Massachusetts, Bragg obtained a degree in library science. In 1909 she was hired to be the Charleston Museum's librarian. She was soon promoted to curator of books and public instruction. Bragg developed a southern nature study course and created travelling school exhibits to illustrate it. They were provided to the city’s schools—both Black and White. In 1920 Bragg was named director of the Charleston Museum--the first woman in the country to hold such a position at a publicly supported museum. She influenced the development of museums across the Southeast through a field study conducted for the American Association of Museums. She was one of the founders of the Poetry Society of South Carolina. In 1923 Laura Bragg was named to the first edition of Women in America.