Ann Waldron
Encyclopedia
Ann Wood Waldron was an American
author who initially focused on writing for children and young adults, then turned to biographies of authors from the South
, and ultimately shifted in her late 70s to writing murder mysteries
set at Princeton University
.
, where she attended West End High School
. She earned a degree in journalism in 1945 from the University of Alabama
and was editor of the college newspaper The Crimson White
. After graduation, she worked for The Atlanta Constitution
where she met her future husband Martin Waldron
. She would later write for the country life magazine Progressive Farmer
, wrote about state government for The Tampa Tribune
and was a book editor for the Houston Chronicle
.
She shifted to biography with her 1987 book Close Connections: Caroline Gordon
and the Southern Renaissance, which was published by G. P. Putnam's Sons
. Hodding Carter
: The Reconstruction of a Racist, which documented the life and transformation of a newspaperman in Greenville, Mississippi
, was recognized by The New York Times
as a 1993 Notable Book of the Year, which noted how the book "outlines in rich and intriguing detail the price paid by the editor for questioning the tradition of white supremacy". A later book was a biography of Eudora Welty
, who refused to co-operate on the writing of the book. The 1998 book Eudora: A Writer's Life was reviewed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution which called Welty "lucky that Ann Waldron is her first biographer" and praised Welson for writing "a judicious account, written against the odds".
At age 78, she turned to writing a series of murder mysteries
about a newspaperwoman who investigates crimes at Princeton University
.
due to heart failure. Her husband, Pulitzer Prize
-winner Martin Waldron, died in 1981, at which time he was the Trenton, New Jersey
bureau chief for The New York Times
. She was survived by a daughter, three sons, eight grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author who initially focused on writing for children and young adults, then turned to biographies of authors from the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
, and ultimately shifted in her late 70s to writing murder mysteries
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
set at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
.
Early life
Ann Wood was born on December 14, 1924, in Birmingham, AlabamaBirmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, where she attended West End High School
West End High School (Birmingham, Alabama)
West End High School was a public high school in the Birmingham City Schools system of Birmingham, Alabama. The school's massive red-brick building, completed in 1930 was a collaboration between noted local architects Warren, Knight and Davis and David O...
. She earned a degree in journalism in 1945 from the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
and was editor of the college newspaper The Crimson White
The Crimson White
The Crimson White, known colloquially as "The CW," is the student-run newspaper of the University of Alabama. It is published four times a week -- every weekday except Friday -- throughout the fall and spring semesters and weekly during the summer semester...
. After graduation, she worked for The Atlanta Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the only major daily newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and its suburbs. The AJC, as it is called, is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the result of the merger between The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta...
where she met her future husband Martin Waldron
Martin Waldron
Martin Oliver "Mo" Waldron was an American newspaper reporter, whose investigative reporting on "reckless, unchecked spending" on the construction of the Sunshine State Parkway won the 1964 Pulitzer Prize for Meritorious Public Service for the St...
. She would later write for the country life magazine Progressive Farmer
Progressive Farmer
DTN/The Progressive Farmer is a country life oriented magazine, published twelve times a year by DTN, a division of Telvent. The magazine is based in Birmingham, Alabama.-History:...
, wrote about state government for The Tampa Tribune
The Tampa Tribune
The Tampa Tribune, published in Tampa, Florida, is one of two major newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area, second in circulation and readership to the St. Petersburg Times. The paper's tagline is "Life...
and was a book editor for the Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
.
Writing career
Waldron's earliest writings included six children's novels and nonfiction books for young adults about notable artists. Her first books, published in 1975, were The House on Pendleton Block, the story of a girl who moves to Texas and explores the mysterious house the family lives in, and The Integration of Mary-Larkin Thornhill which is about a girl who is one of two white students in a newly integrated school.She shifted to biography with her 1987 book Close Connections: Caroline Gordon
Caroline Gordon
Caroline Ferguson Gordon was a notable American novelist and literary critic who, while still in her thirties, was the recipient of two prestigious literary awards, a 1932 Guggenheim Fellowship and a 1934 O...
and the Southern Renaissance, which was published by G. P. Putnam's Sons
G. P. Putnam's Sons
G. P. Putnam's Sons was a major United States book publisher based in New York City, New York. Since 1996, it has been an imprint of the Penguin Group.-History:...
. Hodding Carter
Hodding Carter
William Hodding Carter, II was a prominent Southern U.S. progressive journalist and author. Carter was born in Hammond, the largest community in Tangipahoa Parish, in southeastern Louisiana, to William Hodding Carter, I , and the former Irma Dutartre...
: The Reconstruction of a Racist, which documented the life and transformation of a newspaperman in Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville, Mississippi
Greenville is a city in Washington County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 48,633 at the 2000 census, but according to the 2009 census bureau estimates, it has since declined to 42,764, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. It is the county seat of Washington...
, was recognized by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
as a 1993 Notable Book of the Year, which noted how the book "outlines in rich and intriguing detail the price paid by the editor for questioning the tradition of white supremacy". A later book was a biography of Eudora Welty
Eudora Welty
Eudora Alice Welty was an American author of short stories and novels about the American South. Her novel The Optimist's Daughter won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973. Welty was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among numerous awards. She was the first living author to have her works published...
, who refused to co-operate on the writing of the book. The 1998 book Eudora: A Writer's Life was reviewed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution which called Welty "lucky that Ann Waldron is her first biographer" and praised Welson for writing "a judicious account, written against the odds".
At age 78, she turned to writing a series of murder mysteries
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
about a newspaperwoman who investigates crimes at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
.
Death
Waldron died at age 85 on July 2, 2010, at her home in Princeton, New JerseyPrinceton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
due to heart failure. Her husband, Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winner Martin Waldron, died in 1981, at which time he was the Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
bureau chief for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. She was survived by a daughter, three sons, eight grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.