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| Helen Hooven Santmyer | |
|---|---|
 1984 publicity photograph | |
| Born | (1895-11-25)November 25, 1895 Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Died | 21 February 1986(1986-02-21) (aged 90) Xenia, Ohio |
| Occupation | Novelist, Educator, Librarian |
| Nationality | American |
| Notable works | “... And Ladies of the Club” |
Helen Hooven Santmyer (November 25, 1895 – February 21, 1986) was an American writer, educator, and librarian. She is best known for her sensational best-seller, the massive epic saga “... And Ladies of the Club” that was published when she was in her 80s.
Life and career
She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and moved to Xenia, Ohio when she was five years old. She went to Wellesley College in 1918 and was active in the struggle for women's rights. She took a job as an editorial secretary with Scribner's for two years, returned to Xenia, taught locally and at Wellesley College, then attended Oxford University in England for three years, writing four novels, publishing two, Herbs and Apples, The Fierce Dispute, to little notice. She also wrote poetry. One sonnet, "The Prairie Town", appeared in The Bookman Anthology of Verse (1922).
In 1935 Helen moved back to Xenia, becoming the Dean of Women and the head of Cedarville University English department. When Cedarville was purchased by Baptists, she resigned, and found a position as a research librarian. She retired in 1959, and returned to full-time writing. She published Ohio Town, reminiscences of Xenia in 1963.
Her novel “... And Ladies of the Club” was published obscurely by Ohio State University Press in 1982. She permanently moved into a nursing home in 1983, nearly blind and weak from emphysema. By chance, the novel found its way to Hollywood people who saw great potential, leading to its republication in 1984, its being the main selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club, and a round of media frenzy. The novel became a monumental best-seller in 1984. She died in 1986.
Bibliography
- Herbs and Apples (1925)
- The Fierce Dispute (1929)
- Ohio Town (1963)
- “... And Ladies of the Club” (1982)
- Farewell, Summer (1988)
- The Hall with Eight Doors (unpublished)
Awards and achievements
- 1964 Florence Roberts Head Award, for Ohio Town
- 1983 Ohioana Book Award in the category of fiction, for “... And Ladies of the Club”
- 1984: 37 consecutive weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, seven weeks at number-one (Ladies)
- 1984, inducted into Ohio Women's Hall of Fame
- 1984, Honorary Degree, Wright State University
- 1985, Ohio Governor's Award
Legacy
- The Helen Hooven Santmyer Prize, awarded annually since 1991 in the amount of $2500, was established by the Ohio State University Press for the "best book-length manuscript on the contributions of women, their lives and experiences, and their role in society."
- The Helen Hooven Santmyer Award for Excellence is a college scholarship.
Notes
- Mitgang, Herbert (February 22, 1986). "Helen Hooven Santmyer, 90, Author and Educator, Dies". New York Times.
- ^ "Helen Hooven Santmyer". Ohioana Authors. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- "Ohioana Florence Roberts Head Book Award Winners". Ohioana Library. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- "Ohioana Book Award Winners: Fiction". Ohioana Library. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
- "Santmyer, Helen Hooven". Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- "Helen Santmyer". Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- "Honorary Degree Recipients" (PDF). Wright State University. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- "Professional Notes and Comment". PMLA. 105 (3): 562. May 1990. JSTOR 462905.
- "Xenia High School scholarship recipients". Xenia Gazette. June 9, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.