DAYTON, Ohio — Dayton Metro Library and the Miami Valley Fair Housing Center, Inc. are working together to put up an Ohio Historical Marker in honor of Daytonian Lelia I. Francis.
What You Need To Know
- Francis was born in Salt Lick, Kentucky, but moved to Dayton with her husband, Charles Francis, in 1943
- In 1947, she became the first African American real estate agent in Ohio
- Outside of real estate, Francis was an activist
Francis was born in Salt Lick, Kentucky, but moved to Dayton with her husband, Charles Francis, in 1943, according to the University of Kentucky.
In 1947, she became the first African American real estate agent in Ohio and just the second in the U.S. Francis was a real estate broker for more than 50 years, and during her career, she established the Unity Bank and an African American mortgage company…