Thomas Fountain Blue was appointed head of the Colored Branch in 1905 as well as the Eastern Colored Branch when it opened in 1914; he also started the first library training program for African Americans in the United States.
In 1905, Thomas Fountain Blue was appointed to lead the Colored Branch, and later assumed control over the Eastern Colored Branch upon its opening in 1914. Additionally, he established the initial library education initiative specifically for African Americans within the U.S.