By Dr. Randy Whetstone, Jr. • Photograhy by Kathryn Harrington
Elmer Lucille Allen was featured in the Women and Business issue of the Voice Tribune recently. To no surprise, Allen has reached a new milestone in the Commonwealth. She is among five new members who are being inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame in September.
Having endured one of the most strenuous job markets for African Americans and women in the 20th century, Elmer Lucille trailblazed her way as the first Black chemist to work at Brown-Forman. Her work and presence in the workforce have dismantled stigmas, now providing opportunities for more diverse personnel. Years later, her induction into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame is a result of broken barriers made by an African American whiskey chemist and female in the Bourbon industry.
It’s always fascinating to find out an individual’s career trajectory and how someone advanced in their professional endeavors.
For Allen, she worked as a medical technician at Children’s Hospital until she was hired as a Research Chemist at American Synthetic Rubber Company. Following that, she worked as a Research Chemist at the University of Louisville Medical and Dental Research. She then went on to be hired in 1966 at Brown Forman as a Junior Chemist. She retired as a Senior Analytical Chemist in 1997.
Elmer Lucille Allen was born August 23, 1931, in Louisville, Kentucky. Her family consisted of mother, father and three siblings. She attended Western Elementary School (now Roosevelt/Perry Elementary), Madison Junior High School (now closed) and Central High School. These schools were in the west end of Louisville. Post-high school, she began college at Louisville Municipal College, a college of the University of Louisville for African Americans from 1949-1951. Elmer Lucille received her Bachelor of Science in General Education (Chemistry and Mathematics) from Nazareth College, now Spalding University in 1953, and a Master of Art in Creative Arts (ceramics/fiber) from University of Louisville in 2002. She received a Doctor of Humane Letters from Spalding University in 2024.
Per KDA press release, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association was founded in 1880 and is the worldwide voice for Kentucky’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. Its diverse and growing membership produces the majority of the world’s Bourbon, from historic, global brands to emerging micro distilleries that are fostering the next generation of the Commonwealth’s timeless craft. Kentucky Bourbon is a $9 billion economic engine generating more than 23,500 jobs and attracting over 2 million visits annually through the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® experience.
The KDA created the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame® in 2001 to recognize individuals and organizations that have made a significant and transformational impact on Bourbon’s stature, growth and awareness. It is the highest honor given by the signature industry (per KDA press release).
Other inductees include: Mrs. Dee Ford, Mr. Ken Lewis, the late Mr. Peter T. Loftin, and Mr. R.M. Corky Taylor.
Hozzászólások