Lillie Patterson

Lillie Patterson (1917–1999) was an American author and librarian best known for her children's biographies, including the award-winning Martin Luther King, Jr.: Man of Peace, for which she received the first Coretta Scott King Award in 1970, as well as works on Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, and the Statue of Liberty. She authored 17 books for young readers, often focusing on historical figures and holidays, and worked as a librarian in Baltimore public schools and Morgan State University. Additional honors include the Living Maker of Negro History Award (1963) and the Helen Keating Award (1985). African American Registry, EBSCO Research Starters