▁for ▁African ▁Americans ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁because ▁the ▁income ▁gap ▁between ▁white ▁and ▁black ▁teachers ▁was ▁only ▁slight . ▁Jones ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁member ▁of ▁her ▁family ▁to ▁gradu ate ▁from ▁college . ▁St . ▁Louis ▁was ▁highly ▁seg reg ated , ▁but ▁instead ▁of ▁att ending ▁the ▁local , ▁tu ition - free ▁teachers ▁college ▁that ▁was ▁designated ▁for ▁black ▁students , ▁Jones ▁attended ▁the ▁Mil w au kee ▁State ▁Te acher ' s ▁College ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 ; ▁she ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁her ▁older ▁brothers ' ▁stories ▁of ▁college ▁life ▁away ▁from ▁home ▁at ▁Mar qu ette ▁University ▁in ▁Mil w au kee , ▁Wisconsin . ▁Jones ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁only ▁six ▁black ▁students ▁at ▁the ▁college . ▁She ▁transferred ▁to ▁Sp el man ▁College ▁in ▁Atlanta , ▁Georgia , ▁where ▁she ▁major ed ▁in ▁English ▁and ▁History ▁and ▁decided ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁li br arian ▁instead ▁of ▁a ▁teacher . ▁The ▁president ▁Florence ▁Re ed ▁caught ▁notice ▁of ▁Jones ' ▁typing ▁skills ▁and ▁offered ▁her ▁a ▁position ▁as ▁a ▁typ ist ▁with ▁the ▁new ▁Atlanta ▁University ▁Library ; ▁the ▁li br ari ans ▁encourag ed ▁Jones ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁li br ari ans hip . ▁She ▁was ▁highly ▁re cept ive ▁to ▁their ▁suggestions ▁as ▁she ▁had ▁already ▁considered ▁this ▁career ▁change . ▁Jones ▁remained ▁in ▁that ▁position ▁until ▁her ▁gradu ation ; ▁she ▁received ▁her ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Arts ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁from ▁Sp el man ▁and ▁a ▁degree ▁in