Winifred Willis, 1902-1982

Winifred Lockhart Willis, journalist and writer, was born on March 23, 1902, in Brooklyn, New York. WW began her writing career as a poet; her verse was accepted for publication by Manhattan newspapers and such magazines as Ladies' Home Journal, Leslie's Weekly, and Brief Stories . WW later turned to prose, publishing her first short story in 1923. She subsequently wrote short stories and articles for Ladies' Home Journal and Collier's, and book reviews for Vogue ; in the early 1930s she was on the editorial staff of Judge magazine, to which she also contributed as a freelance writer. In the 1930s and 40s, WW's stories and poetry also appeared in The New Yorker, Saturday Evening Post, Good Housekeeping, and Punch, and she was a frequent contributor to the editorial pages of the Herald Tribune .

Twice married, WW lived for a time in Hollywood with her second husband, John Speaks, who was an executive producer at RKO Studios; during their residence there, WW was a script writer for Twentieth Century Fox. In 1946 they moved to Westport, Connecticut, where JS died in 1965 and WW in 1982. Throughout much of her life, sometimes following a lapse of decades, WW kept journals and other accounts of her family and personal life. Her only son, Andy, and the long-lasting effects of his death in a motorcycle accident, figure prominently in these accounts.

In later years, as a civil rights advocate, WW participated in various nation-wide activities and served on the executive board of the Bridgeport-Stamford branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

From the guide to the Papers, 1917-1982, (Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute)