Mary Perkins-Williams

Mary Perkins-Williams was born in Pitt County, North Carolina. She is a retired educator and a graduate of North Carolina Central University with a degree in Business and Library Science, and she earned a Master's in Librarianship from the University of South Carolina at Columbia. From 1970 until her retirement in 1998, she was a faculty member at East Carolina University's Joyner Library, where she was the first Black professional librarian. Perkins-Williams has a long history of public service, including serving on the Pitt County Board of Education for six years starting around 1986. She is currently serving her second term as the first elected Black female on the Pitt County Board of Commissioners. Her term is set to expire in December 2026.