Helen Jane Olson was born in Scotland on May 29, 1898, to William and Mary Ann (Stewart) Barron. She emigrated to the western United States, and married Edward H. Olson in 1938 in Seattle, Washington. The couple settled in Miles City, Montana, where she worked as a teacher. Olson attended Miles City Community College, then transferred to the University of Montana in Missoula. In June, 1947, she graduated from the university with degrees in both history and political science, and with many credits in English as well. She went on to study writing instruction with Dr. George Savage, first at the University of Washington, then at the University of Southern California. She died in Miles City on March 1, 1984.
Olson wrote poetry, short stories, and plays. In 1974, Vantage Press published two of her plays, You Wouldn't Dare and Long to Remember . Her work reflects her interest in history and political science, concentrating on historical fiction. Several unfinished short stories, however, are both personal and emotional.
From the guide to the Helen Jane Olson Papers, 1947-1984, (Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections)
