, ▁Mississippi ; ▁her ▁parents ▁were ▁Tom ▁and ▁Ross ie ▁A . ▁Cow an ▁St ut ts . ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁v aled ict or ian ▁of ▁the ▁Alc orn ▁Agricult ural ▁and ▁Mechan ical ▁College ▁class ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 9 . ▁She ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁Ham pton ▁Institute ▁Library ▁School , ▁receiving ▁a ▁Julius ▁Rosen wald ▁Fellow ship ▁and ▁gradu ating ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁with ▁a ▁b ach elor ▁degree ▁in ▁library ▁science . ▁Comple ting ▁her ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Chicago ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁Ly ells ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁black ▁person ▁from ▁Mississippi ▁to ▁ear n ▁a ▁degree ▁in ▁library ▁science . ▁ ▁A ▁Doctor ▁of ▁Human ities ▁degree ▁was ▁con ferred ▁on ▁Ly ells ▁by ▁Pr ent iss ▁Institute . ▁ ▁Library ▁career ▁ ▁After ▁receiving ▁her ▁library ▁degree ▁from ▁Ham pton ▁Institute , ▁Ly ells ▁returned ▁to ▁her ▁al ma ▁mater ▁Alc orn ▁A & M ▁College ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁the ▁head ▁li br arian ; ▁her ▁work ▁in ▁collection ▁development ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁model ▁for ▁other ▁black ▁land ▁grant ▁colleg es . ▁While ▁there ▁she ▁also ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁student ▁coun sel or ▁and ▁helped ▁found ▁the ▁Library ▁Division ▁of ▁the ▁Mississippi ▁Te ach ers ▁Association . ▁ ▁She ▁moved ▁to ▁Chicago ▁for ▁a ▁short ▁time ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Chicago . ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁with ▁distinction ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁Ly ells ▁returned ▁to ▁Mississippi , ▁becoming ▁Mississippi