Helen Hooven Santmyer
Encyclopedia
Helen Hooven Santmyer was an American
writer
.
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 attended Oxford University in England
. When she returned to the United States of America with her first book published she expected fame and fortune and found the Great Depression
.
She later returned to Wellesley College to teach in the English Department. She also wrote poetry that appeared in anthologies such as The Bookman Anthology of Verse, 1922 from Doran and Company. Her sonnet The Prairie Town, from that collection, indicates that she was a talented poet.
In 1935 Helen moved back to Xenia, becoming the Dean of Women and the head of Cedarville University
English department. She was 88 when her most famous work And Ladies of the Club
was published—it was a best-seller in 1984. She also wrote Herbs and Apples, Ohio Town and The Fierce Dispute.
She received most of her fame late in life and died on February 21, 1986 in Xenia, Ohio
, aged 90. She was inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame
in 1996.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and moved to Xenia, Ohio
Xenia, Ohio
Xenia is a city in and the county seat of Greene County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio 21 miles from Dayton and is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area...
when she was five years old. She went to Wellesley College in 1918 and was active in the struggle for women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
. She attended Oxford University in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. When she returned to the United States of America with her first book published she expected fame and fortune and found the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
She later returned to Wellesley College to teach in the English Department. She also wrote poetry that appeared in anthologies such as The Bookman Anthology of Verse, 1922 from Doran and Company. Her sonnet The Prairie Town, from that collection, indicates that she was a talented poet.
In 1935 Helen moved back to Xenia, becoming the Dean of Women and the head of Cedarville University
Cedarville University
Cedarville University is a private, co-educational liberal arts university located in Cedarville, Ohio.At its founding, the school was affiliated with the conservative General Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America. Today, Cedarville is a Southern Baptist school known for its...
English department. She was 88 when her most famous work And Ladies of the Club
And Ladies of the Club
"...And Ladies of the Club" is a novel, written by Helen Hooven Santmyer, about a group of women in the fictional town of Waynesboro, Ohio who begin a study club, which evolves through the years into a significant community service organization in the town.The book, which looks at the club as it...
was published—it was a best-seller in 1984. She also wrote Herbs and Apples, Ohio Town and The Fierce Dispute.
She received most of her fame late in life and died on February 21, 1986 in Xenia, Ohio
Xenia, Ohio
Xenia is a city in and the county seat of Greene County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio 21 miles from Dayton and is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, aged 90. She was inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame
Ohio Women's Hall of Fame
The Ohio Women's Hall of Fame was founded in 1978 and has 356 members. It provides public recognition for the achievements of Ohio women that better their state, their country and their world.-See also:*National Women's Hall of Fame...
in 1996.