Skip to main contentBiography[Suggest this should be Biographical Notes (new SF)] Born March 19, 1906 in Iowa, Clara Breed lived in New York and Chicago before moving with her mother and sister to San Diego when her father, a Congregationalist minister, died. After attending high school in San Diego, Breed went to Pomona College and Western Reserve University, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Library Science and a Certification in Children's Librarianship. Though she later maintained that her intention was never to return to San Diego after her college studies, Breed found that "Cleveland was firing its young librarians" and prudently accepted a position back in California when one was offered to her. She commenced her career in 1928 as the first professionally trained children's librarian at the San Diego Public Library, and was to spend over four decades working for SDPL.
Breed never married or had children of her own, but she formed lasting friendships with many of the young people who visited the library, including dozens of Japanese American children who were later incarcerated during World War II. Their letters to her, many of which express thanks for the receipt of books, clothing, birthday and Christmas gifts, and other goods, form the bulk of the Breed collection at JANM. Also included in the collection are some of Breed's personal papers, manuscripts for articles, pamphlets and books, and other correspondence.
Clara Breed's sister Eleanor lived in Berkeley and worked as church secretary for the First Congregationalist Church, which served as a registration station for Bay Area Japanese Americans at the beginning of the mass removal. Eleanor Breed was well acquainted with Chiura Obata and his wife, as well as the members of Berkeley's International House, so many connections between the Breed sisters and the California Japanese American population no doubt remain to be uncovered. Clara and Eleanor were very close, and maintained a steady correspondence until they moved into the same retirement home outside of San Diego. Clara Breed died in 1994.
(SB 9/25/01)
Breed, Clara E.
1906 - 1994
Breed never married or had children of her own, but she formed lasting friendships with many of the young people who visited the library, including dozens of Japanese American children who were later incarcerated during World War II. Their letters to her, many of which express thanks for the receipt of books, clothing, birthday and Christmas gifts, and other goods, form the bulk of the Breed collection at JANM. Also included in the collection are some of Breed's personal papers, manuscripts for articles, pamphlets and books, and other correspondence.
Clara Breed's sister Eleanor lived in Berkeley and worked as church secretary for the First Congregationalist Church, which served as a registration station for Bay Area Japanese Americans at the beginning of the mass removal. Eleanor Breed was well acquainted with Chiura Obata and his wife, as well as the members of Berkeley's International House, so many connections between the Breed sisters and the California Japanese American population no doubt remain to be uncovered. Clara and Eleanor were very close, and maintained a steady correspondence until they moved into the same retirement home outside of San Diego. Clara Breed died in 1994.
(SB 9/25/01)
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