Business Owner

Birth: Born in Native County, Indiana.

Death: Unknown

Education: She graduated from Miami University at Oxford (Ohio) in 1933 and went on to study at the University of Chicago before moving to Richmond.

Career: In 1947, She opened and owned Speciality Record Shop out of her home at 622 S. A Street. In 1955, the company moved to an official building at 534 Main Street. She owned and operated this with her husband, Harold Kelly, her sister, Mary Ina Rile Bass, and her brother-in-law, Henry Bass. She then served as the store’s secretary and then took on the role of treasurer in 1977 as well, after the passing of her sister.

Community Engagement: Elizabeth was heavily involved in the community. She was the first woman to be a Sunday School superintendent in her church conference. She was the first Black member of the Richmond branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). She was the first Black woman to be the president of the Finley School PTA in Richmond. She was the only Black person to serve on the planning commission for the Downtown Promenade in Richmond. She was the first Black woman to become a member of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra Association. She also founded the Richmond Readers Expression Guild in 1943.