Mitchell, Margaret, 1900-1949

Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949) was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Her father, Eugene M. Mitchell, was a prominent attorney. Her mother, Maybelle Stephens Mitchell, was active in the women's suffrage movement. Margaret Mitchell attended Atlanta public schools, graduated from Washington Seminary in Atlanta, and attended Smith College for one year before leaving college upon the death of her mother. She married John Marsh on July 4, 1925. Her only novel, Gone With the Wind, was published in 1936 and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937. The movie based on the novel was released in 1939. She was a columnist for the Atlanta Journal Sunday Magazine from 1922 until 1926 and wrote dozens of articles, interviews, sketches, and book reviews before publishing her novel. She died in 1949 after being struck by a car while crossing Peachtree Street in Atlanta.

From the description of Margaret Mitchell letter and program, 1940. (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 44431545

Margaret Mitchell (Marsh) (1900-1949), author of GONE WITH THE WIND, married John R. Marsh in 1925, resided in Atlanta, Georgia.

From the description of Letters to C. Mildred Thompson, 1937-1938. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 38476555

Margaret "Peggy" Mitchell Marsh (1900-1949), author of GONE WITH THE WIND, married John R. Marsh in 1925, resided in Atlanta, Georgia.

From the description of Margaret Mitchell family papers, 1852-1975 (bulk 1936-1949). (Emory University, Gamma Project). WorldCat record id: 38476910

Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell Marsh, author, was born 8 November 1900, in Atlanta, Georgia, and died there 16 August 1949, when she was struck by a taxi cab. She was a feature writer and reporter for the Atlanta JOURNAL and its SUNDAY MAGAZINE (1922-1926), married John R. Marsh (1925), an advertising executive, and wrote the book GONE WITH THE WIND (1936), for which she won a Pulitzer Prize (1937). The book was made into a film (1939) which premiered in Atlanta, Georgia.

From the description of Margaret Mitchell collection, 1936-1990. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 173862935

Mitchell, American novelist. -- Chase, American novelist and Professor of English, Smith College, 1926-1955.

From the description of [Letter] 1936 Sep. 1, Atlanta, Georgia [to] Miss Chase / Margaret Mitchell. (Smith College). WorldCat record id: 287185019

Journalist and author, of Atlanta, Ga.

From the description of Guest book, 1915-1920. (Atlanta History Center). WorldCat record id: 28419376

American author and journalist.

From the description of Typed letters signed (6) : Atlanta, Ga., to Stark Young, 1936 Sept. 29-1938 Aug. 9. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270874976

Margaret Mitchell is the author of Gone With the Wind .

From the guide to the Margaret Mitchell Letters, 1936-1939, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)

Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell (1900 -- 1949) was the daughter of Mary Isabelle "Maybelle" Stephens (1872 -- 1919) and Eugene Muse Mitchell (1866 -- 1944) of Atlanta, Georgia. Mary Mitchell was president of the Atlanta Woman Suffrage League and a member of Atlanta Woman's Club, and Eugene Mitchell was an attorney and a founder or member of numerous organizations, including Atlanta Bar Association, Atlanta Historical Society, and Young Men's Library Association. Mitchell's brother, Stephens, was four years her senior. Mitchell attended numerous Atlanta public schools before graduating from Washington Seminary in 1918. She later attended Smith College, but withdrew after her first year to take charge of the family household following her mother's death in January 1919. Although she made her society debut in 1920, Mitchell chose a different path than her contemporaries, taking a job at the Atlanta Journal, where she wrote under the name of "Peggy Mitchell." From 1922 to 1926, Mitchell penned articles, book reviews, interviews, as well as profiles of Georgia Civil War generals. In 1922, Mitchell married Berrien "Red" Upshaw; however, the couple divorced two years later in October 1924. On July 04, 1925, she married John R. Marsh, a newspaperman, later a manager of the advertising department of the Georgia Power Company. The Marsh's wedding reception was held in an apartment at 979 Crescent Avenue -- a house Mitchell nicknamed "The Dump." Soon after the marriage, Mitchell's health deteriorated, forcing her to leave her job at the Journal to convalesce. It was during this period that she began writing Gone With The Wind (GWTW), the book that would make her famous. After the novel's publication in 1936 by Macmillan, Mitchell was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1937. The equally famous motion picture, GWTW, had its world premiere at the Loew's Grand Theater in Atlanta on December 15, 1939. On August 11, 1949, Mitchell was struck by an off-duty cab driver while crossing the intersection of Peachtree and 13th -- a mere three blocks from "The Dump." Margaret Mitchell died five days later. She is buried in Atlanta's Oakland Cemetery, along with other members of her family.

From the description of Margaret Mitchell Collection, 1863-1971. (Atlanta History Center). WorldCat record id: 163594858

Author.

From the description of Letters of Margaret Mitchell, 1936-1942. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 79453852

"Margaret Mitchell was the author of Gone With the Wind, one of the most popular books of all time. The novel was published in 1936 and sold more than a million copies in the first six months, a phenomenal feat considering it was the Great Depression era. More than 30 million copies of this Civil War-era masterpiece have been sold worldwide in thirty-eight countries. It has been translated into twenty-seven languages. Approximately 250,000 copies are still sold each year. Shortly after the book's publication the movie rights were sold to David O. Selznick for $50,000, the highest amount ever paid for a manuscript up to that time. In 1937 Margaret Mitchell was awarded the Pulitzer Prize...On August 11, 1949, Mitchell and her husband decided to go to a movie, A Canterbury Tale, at the Peachtree Art Theatre. Just as they started to cross Peachtree Street, near 13th Street, a speeding taxi crested the hill. Mitchell stepped back; Marsh stepped forward. The driver applied the brakes, skidded, and hit Mitchell. She was rushed to Grady Hospital but never regained consciousness. During the five days before she died, crowds waited outside for news. U.S. president Harry Truman, Georgia governor Herman Talmadge, and Atlanta mayor William B. Hartsfield all asked to be kept informed of her condition. Special phone lines were installed at Grady Hospital, and friends manned the lines in four-hour shifts. Mitchell died on August 16, 1949, and was buried in Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta." - "Margaret Mitchell." New Georgia Encyclopedia. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org (Retrieved August 25, 2008)

Margaret Mitchell's second marriage was to John Robert Marsh on July 4, 1925, and the couple set up housekeeping in a small apartment affectionately called "The Dump." They entertained the newspaper crowd and other friends on a regular basis. Marsh, originally from Maysville, Kentucky, worked for the Georgia Railway and Power Company (later Georgia Power Company) as director of the publicity department.

From the description of Mitchell-Marsh family papers, 1918-1995 (bulk 1925-1949). (University of Georgia). WorldCat record id: 432343541

Margaret Mitchell was the author of Gone With The Wind, one of the most popular books of all time. The novel was published in 1936 and sold more than a million copies in the first six months, a phenomenal feat considering it was the Great Depression era. More than 30 million copies of this Civil War-era masterpiece have been sold worldwide in thirty-eight countries. It has been translated into twenty-seven languages. Approximately 250,000 copies are still sold each year. Shortly after the book's publication the movie rights were sold to David O. Selznick for $50,000, the highest amount ever paid for a manuscript up to that time. In 1937 Margaret Mitchell was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949) - New Georgia Encyclopedia http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org (Retrieved March 24, 2009)

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was a Pulitzer-winning author who lived in rural Cross Creek, Florida, and wrote novels and stories focusing on rural themes and settings, including The Yearling and Cross Creek.

From the description of A lengthy letter to Marjorie Rawlings discussing piracy of their Pulitzer Prize winning novels, 17 February 1939. (University of Georgia). WorldCat record id: 355149870

"Margaret Mitchell was the author of Gone With the Wind, one of the most popular books of all time. The novel was published in 1936 and sold more than a million copies in the first six months, a phenomenal feat considering it was the Great Depression era. More than 30 million copies of this Civil War-era masterpiece have been sold worldwide in thirty-eight countries. It has been translated into twenty-seven languages. Approximately 250,000 copies are still sold each year. Shortly after the book's publication the movie rights were sold to David O. Selznick for $50,000, the highest amount ever paid for a manuscript up to that time. In 1937 Margaret Mitchell was awarded the Pulitzer Prize...On August 11, 1949, Mitchell and her husband decided to go to a movie, A Canterbury Tale, at the Peachtree Art Theatre. Just as they started to cross Peachtree Street, near 13th Street, a speeding taxi crested the hill. Mitchell stepped back; Marsh stepped forward. The driver applied the brakes, skidded, and hit Mitchell. She was rushed to Grady Hospital but never regained consciousness. During the five days before she died, crowds waited outside for news. U.S. president Harry Truman, Georgia governor Herman Talmadge, and Atlanta mayor William B. Hartsfield all asked to be kept informed of her condition. Special phone lines were installed at Grady Hospital, and friends manned the lines in four-hour shifts. Mitchell died on August 16, 1949, and was buried in Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta." - "Margaret Mitchell." New Georgia Encyclopedia. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org (Retrieved August 25, 2008)

"The Canadian branch of the English Macmillan Company was founded on 26 December 1905 as the Macmillan Company of Canada Ltd, also called Macmillan of Canada and after July 1995, Macmillan Canada. Earlier documents pertain to the Morang Education Co. Ltd., purchased by Macmillan in 1912. The English owners of the Canadian branch sold the company to Maclean-Hunter Limited in 1973. In 1980 Macmillan of Canada was sold to Gage Publishing, later merged into the Canadian Publishing Corporation. In 1999 Macmillan Canada became an imprint of CDG Books (founded in December 1998). In April 2002 CDG Books was purchased by John Wiley & Sons, and Macmillan Canada ceased as an imprint and a publishing house. Some of Macmillan's well-known authors include Grey Owl, Mazo de la Roche, Vincent Massey, Hugh MacLennan, Morley Callaghan, Stephen Leacock, Robertson Davies, Alice Munro, Mavis Gallant, and Carol Shields."--"Macmillan Company of Canada" from "Macmillan Company of Canada fonds. -- 1897-1996," McMaster Libraries, http://library.mcmaster.ca/archives/findaids/fonds/m/macmilla.htm (Accessed August 17, 2009)

From the description of Margaret Mitchell letter, 1937 October 5. (University of Georgia). WorldCat record id: 432663210

Margaret Mitchell was the author of Gone With the Wind, one of the most popular books of all time. The novel was published in 1936 and sold more than a million copies in the first six months, a phenomenal feat considering it was the Great Depression era. More than 30 million copies of this masterpiece, set during the Civil War (1861-65), have been sold worldwide in thirty-eight countries. It has been translated into twenty-seven languages. Approximately 250,000 copies are still sold each year. Shortly after the book's publication the movie rights were sold to David O. Selznick for $50,000, the highest amount ever paid for a manuscript up to that time. In 1937 Margaret Mitchell was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell was born on November 8, 1900, in Atlanta. Her great-great-great-grandfather Thomas Mitchell fought in the American Revolution (1775-83), and his son William Mitchell took part in the War of 1812. Her great-grandfather Isaac Green Mitchell was a circuit-riding Methodist minister who settled in Marthasville, which later was named Atlanta. Mitchell was thus a fourth-generation Atlantan. Her grandfather Russell Mitchell fought in the Civil War and suffered two bullet wounds to the head during the fighting at Antietam. Twice married, he had twelve children, the oldest of whom was Mitchell's father, Eugene. Mitchell began making up stories before she could write, dictating them to her mother. Later she made her own books with cardboard covers and filled them with adventure stories using her friends, relatives, and herself as characters. As she grew older she switched to copybooks, which her mother stored in inexpensive enamel bread boxes. A few of the hundreds of tales that she wrote have survived, including two Civil War tales. When the family moved to Peachtree Street, the young Mitchell attended the Tenth Street School and later Woodberry School, a private school. She branched out to writing, directing, and starring in plays, coercing the neighborhood children to take part. In April 1935 Harold Latham, an editor for the Macmillan publishing company in New York City, toured the South looking for new manuscripts. Latham heard that Mitchell had been working on a manuscript and asked her if he could see it, but she denied having one. When a friend commented that Mitchell was not serious enough to write a novel, Mitchell gathered up many of the envelopes and took them to Latham at his hotel. He had to purchase a suitcase to carry them. He read part of the manuscript on the train to New Orleans, Louisiana, and sent it straight to New York. By July Macmillan had offered her a contract. She received a $500 advance and 10 percent of the royalties. As she revised the manuscript, Mitchell cut and rearranged chapters, confirmed details, wrote the first chapter, changed the name of the main character (originally called Pansy), and struggled to think of a title that suited her. Titles considered included Tomorrow Is Another Day, Another Day, Tote the Weary Load, Milestones, Ba! Ba! Blacksheep, Not in Our Stars, and Bugles Sang True. Finally she settled on a phrase from a favorite poem by Ernest Dowson: "I have forgot much, Cynara! gone with the wind, / Flung roses, roses riotously with the throng." Published in 1936, Gone With the Wind was 1,037 pages long and sold for three dollars. Gone With the Wind was a phenomenal success and received rave reviews. Overnight, Mitchell became a celebrity and remained very much in the public spotlight through the production and premiere of film based on her novel in 1939. She was in constant demand for speaking engagements and interviews. At first she complied, but later, pleading poor health, she usually declined these requests and stopped autographing copies of her book. She said she wanted to remain simply Mrs. John Marsh. Gone With the Wind was Mitchell's only published novel. At her request, the original manuscript (except for a few pages retained to validate her authorship) and all other writings were destroyed. These included a novella in the Gothic style, a ghost story set in an old plantation home left vacant after the Civil War. According to the recollections of Lois Cole, a friend of Mitchell's and a Macmillan employee, three people had read this tale (written before Gone With the Wind) and thought it was worth publishing by one of the bigger publishing houses. Cole suggested that Mitchell enter it in the Little, Brown novelette contest. Possibly one of the reasons that Mitchell never wrote another novel was that she spent so much time working with her brother and her husband to protect the copyright of her book abroad. Up until the publication of Gone With the Wind, international copyright laws were ambiguous and varied from country to country. Correspondence also took much of her time. During the years following publication, she personally answered every letter she received about her book. With the outbreak of World War II (1941-45), she worked tirelessly for the American Red Cross, even outfitting a hospital ship. She also set up scholarships for black medical students. On August 11, 1949, Mitchell and her husband decided to go to a movie, A Canterbury Tale, at the Peachtree Art Theatre. Just as they started to cross Peachtree Street, near 13th Street, a speeding taxi crested the hill. Mitchell stepped back; Marsh stepped forward. The driver applied the brakes, skidded, and hit Mitchell. She was rushed to Grady Hospital but never regained consciousness. During the five days before she died, crowds waited outside for news. U.S. president Harry Truman, Georgia governor Herman Talmadge, and Atlanta mayor William B. Hartsfield all asked to be kept informed of her condition. Special phone lines were installed at Grady Hospital, and friends manned the lines in four-hour shifts. Mitchell died on August 16, 1949, and was buried in Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta. New Georgia Encyclopedia - Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949) http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org (Retrieved October 12, 2009)

R. Sobol was a columnist for the New York Journal newspaper. He wrote a celebrity/showbiz column.

From the description of Margaret Mitchell letters, 1936, 1941. (University of Georgia). WorldCat record id: 475629528