Louise Bogan and Margaret Robb

American poet Louise Bogan (1897-1970) published her first book, Body of This Death, in 1923. Later works include Dark Summer (1929) and The Sleeping Fury (1937). Early in her career, she became a part of New York's literary community, which included such writers as William Carlos Williams, Malcolm Cowley, Lola Ridge, John Reed, Marianne Moore, and Edmund Wilson. Bogan was the recipient of awards from the Academy of American Poets in 1959 from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1967.

Begun in 1930, the Writers' Conference was held during the summers at the University of Colorado, Boulder, as part of the Summer School program. The conference was established to provide professional training by experienced writers. Margaret Robb, who taught English and sponsored Associated Women Students at the University of Colorado, Boulder, directed the summer Writers' Conference. Robb was a recipient of the University of Colorado's Robert L. Stearns Award (awarded yearly for extraordinary achievement or service) in 1967.