The directors

1895–today

The first three: Susan Catherine Wines Hoffman (1895–96), who came from the Hamilton reading room, resigned in 1896. Clara M. Fowler followed in August 1896 and died in office on 27 July 1898; her assistant Margaret M. Colerick acted through Fowler's illness and then held the post herself for thirty-six years (1898–1934). Colerick hired the library's first cataloger, Helen Tracy Guild, in 1897, built the county system, named the branches for chiefs, and late in life wrote an unpublished History of the Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County, 1893–1930, on which the centennial history draws.

Potterf and Reynolds: Rex M. Potterf (January 1935 – 1959), profiled in the Potterf entry above, resigned late in 1959, and his assistant Fred J. Reynolds succeeded him — the History Center dates Reynolds's directorship from 1960 — and held the post until 1979. Reynolds built the genealogy department; it carries his name today.

Vegeler, Ashton, Krull: Robert H. Vegeler, whom Potterf had hired and who had run the 1968 move, succeeded Reynolds in 1979. Rick J. Ashton was director by 1983 — his account of the library appeared in Library Trends — and left in June 1985 to direct the Denver Public Library. Steven C. Fortriede acted as director until the spring of 1986, when Jeffrey R. Krull was hired; Krull came from the Mansfield-Richland County Public Library in Mansfield, Ohio, where he had been director since 1978. Krull led the system for twenty-eight years: the Aboite and Dupont building program, the 2001 bond campaign and the 2007 Main Library opening all fall in his tenure, and the Main Library's art gallery now bears his name, the Jeffrey R. Krull Gallery.

Southard and Baier: Greta K. Southard was named director on 4 August 2014. By 2021 the library's top post had been restyled Executive Director and was held by Susan P. Baier — the library's financial reports for 2022 and 2023 carry her name in the role — while Southard continued on the staff as a director. Baier remains executive director today.

Sources:

1. Slater-Putt, Beyond Books (1995) — the staff list (Potterf "DIR 1935–59"), the Colerick and early succession, and the Ashton–Fortriede–Krull passage of 1985–86.
2. American Libraries magazine, Appointments and Retirements — Greta Southard named director of Allen County (Ind.) Public Library, 4 August 2014.
3. Allen County Public Library, Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports for fiscal 2022 and 2023 — Susan P. Baier, Executive Director; Indiana public payroll records for 2021 (via OpenGovPay) — Baier as Executive Director and Southard as Director in that year.