Meigs, Cornelia, 1884-1973

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Cornelia Meigs was born at Rock Island, Illinois, in 1884. She received a public school education before going to Bryn Mawr College, where she received her A.B. degree in 1908. She taught English in Davenport, Iowa, at St. Katherine's School until 1913. She taught in the English Department at Bryn Mawr from 1932 to 1950. Meigs published her first book for children, The Kingdom of the Winding Road, in 1915. She wrote over thirty books for children. She sometimes wrote under the pseudonym of Adair Aldon. In 1927 she won the Beacon Hill Bookshelf Prize with The Trade Wind and in 1934 she won the Newberry Medal for Invincible Louisa, a biography of Louisa May Alcott, becoming the first Iowan to win that honor. In 1953 A Critical History of Children's Literature was published, for which Meigs served as editor, and she wrote some of the pieces as well. In addition to writing books for young people, Meigs also wrote short stories for magazines. She died in 1973.

From the description of Manuscript for "The new moon", 1949 and undated. (University of Iowa Libraries). WorldCat record id: 234318272

American author and English professor from Rock Island, Illinois, Meigs graduated from Bryn Mawr in 1908 and was later a professor there. Meigs also used the pseudonym Adair Aldon.

From the description of Cornelia Lynde Meigs papers 1961. (University of Southern Mississippi, Regional Campus). WorldCat record id: 39211314

Meigs was born in Rock Island, Ill. in 1884 and was graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1908. She published her first book, The kingdom of the winding road, in 1915. In 1916 she won the Drama League Prize for her play, The steadfast princess. In 1927 she won the Little, Brown and company prize competition for her book, Trade wind, and in 1933 she won the Newbury Medal Award for her book. Invincible Louisa. She continued her career as a writer, publishing her first book for adults, The violent men, in 1949 and her book about the United Nations, The great design, in 1964. She also worked as an editor and author of a critical history of children's literature. From 1932 until her retirement in 1950 Meigs was a professor of English at Bryn Mawr College. She also served as the first civilian employee of the United States War Department, Washington, D.C. from 1942 to 1945. She died at Havre de Grace, Md. in 1973.

From the description of Papers, 1915-1973. (Dartmouth College Library). WorldCat record id: 237352402

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Meigs, Cornelia, 1884-1973. Manuscript for "The new moon", 1949 and undated. University of Iowa Libraries
referencedIn Chapman, John Jay, 1862-1933. Additional papers, 1841-1940 Houghton Library
referencedIn Meigs family. Meigs family papers 1848-1958 (bulk 1875-1910). Hagley Museum & Library
referencedIn [Subjects on Bickel microfilm, reel 1] [microform]. Iowa State Historical Society
referencedIn Flagg, Mildred Buchanan, 1886-1980. Papers, 1876-1955 (inclusive), 1900-1955 (bulk). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Meigs, Cornelia, 1884-1973. Cornelia Lynde Meigs papers 1961. University of Southern Mississippi, Regional Campus, Joseph Anderson Cook Library
referencedIn Papers of Robert Graves: Critical prose and journalism, 1927 to 2003 St John's College, Oxford
creatorOf Meigs, Cornelia, 1884-1973. Papers, 1915-1973. Dartmouth College Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Addams, Jane, 1860-1935. person
associatedWith Alcott, Louisa May, 1832-1888. person
associatedWith Atwater, Mary. person
associatedWith Bryn Mawr College. Dept. of English. corporateBody
correspondedWith Chapman, John Jay, 1862-1933 person
associatedWith Crowder, Grace. person
associatedWith Flagg, Mildred Buchanan, 1886-1980. person
associatedWith Graves, Robert Ranke, 1895-1985 person
associatedWith Meigs family family
associatedWith Meigs family. person
associatedWith Orr, A. (Alice) person
associatedWith United Nations corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Iowa
Subject
Authors, American
Women authors
Children's books
Children's literature
Children's literature
Children's literature, American
English literature
Occupation
Professor
Writer
Activity

Person

Birth 1884-12-06

Death 1973-09-10

Americans

English,

French

Information

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