Elmer Lucille Allen received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Nazareth College (now Spalding University) in 1953, and she was later hired by Brown-Forman Worldwide Beverage Company in 1966, becoming the company’s first African-American chemist and one of only three women working in the chemistry lab. She retired as Senior Analytical Chemist from Brown-Forman in 1997 after more than 31 years with the company. Elmer Lucille worked on her post baccalaureate at the University of Louisville from 1981-2000, and she received her Master of Arts degree in Creative Arts in Ceramics from U of L in 2002. She continues to take courses at the university to this day.

Her work can be found in the collections of Spalding University, the Brown-Forman Corporate Collection, the Women’s Center at Western Kentucky University, the Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs at Purdue University, and the Teaching Collection of Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas. Private collectors of Elmer Lucille’s work include Ed Hamilton, Sam Gilliam, C.J. Pressma and Owsley and Christy Brown. Recent exhibitions include Women of Wisdom, Louisville Free Public Library; New Work — Elmer Lucille Allen, Kentucky State University in Frankfort; LAFTA Juried Exhibition (2005-2006), Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft; Kentucky Teapots, Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea; Elmer Lucille Allen and Wayside Christian Residents, Wayside Expressions Gallery; Eleventh Annual Juried African-American Art Exhibition, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville.