Mrs. Elzona B. Trosper

Elzona Trosper
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Elzona Trosper and The Booker T. Washington/Sanford Center
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Elzona Trosper dedicated her life to helping improve the status of blacks and minorities in Sioux City.A social worker, wife, mother, and community activist, Trosper was tireless in her efforts to help those in need.

Elzona Trosper was born Elzona Harris on April 27, 1898, in Gallatin, Missouri.She graduated from Western Baptist College in Kansas City, Missouri and the University of Kansas.She completed additional graduate work at the University of Iowa and the University of Chicago.

Trosper moved with her husband Thomas to Sioux City in 1927.She quickly became involved in the community and was instrumental in the creation of the Booker T. Washington Center, a community center for blacks.She was the first president of the board of the Booker T. Washington Center.
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Trosper became director of the Booker T. Washington Center in 1937.
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The Sanford Center was dedicated on June 17, 1951, and Trosper continued to guide that organization until her retirement in 1972.
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The building was inspired by the ideals and work of Mary J. Treglia, administrator, and Elzona B. Trosper, director."
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Mrs. Trosper was a pioneer in the civil rights movement in Sioux City and was active in the Sioux City Chapter of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People).In 1975 she was honored for holding the record for the longest continuing membership in the Sioux City chapter.She worked tirelessly to improve the position of black people in the community.

In a 1975 interview, Trosper credited the NAACP for the lack of racial violence in Sioux City."If it wasn't for the NAACP here, I wonder what would happen.It was done in a quiet unassuming way."She added that the Sioux City Chapter had an excellent relationship with the community.

Trosper remained active in community affairs after her retirement from the Sanford Center.She continued to be a human rights advocate and served on many boards including the Minority Advisory Committee of the Sioux City School District and the Woodbury County Bureau of Family and Children.She received many awards for her efforts to bring equal rights to all the people of Sioux City.