Ruth Edna Kelley (April 8, 1893 – March 4, 1982) was an American librarian and writer. She is chiefly remembered for The Book of Hallowe'en (1919), the first book-length history of the holiday.[1]
Ruth Edna Kelly | |
|---|---|
_at_Radcliffe_College_in_1914.png) At Radcliffe in 1914 | |
| Born | April 8, 1893 Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | March 4, 1982 (aged 88) Marblehead, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation | Librarian, writer |
| Education | Radcliffe College |
| Years active | 1919–1947 |
Biography
editKelley was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, on April 8, 1893, the only child of Charles F. Kelley, a carpenter, and his wife Mary. She grew up in Lynn, and received a master of arts degree in literature, magna cum laude, from Radcliffe College.[2]
The Book of Hallowe'en was Kelly's first book. Her second book, A Life of Their Own (1947), dealt with immortality and spirituality.
Kelley died in Marblehead, Massachusetts, at the age of 88.
References
edit- ^ Winston, Sydnee (2017), Boo! The History of Halloween, National Women's History Museum
- ^ "The Book of the Class of 1914". Radcliffe College. June 1914. Retrieved May 3, 2023 – via Google Books.
Further reading
edit- The full text of The Book of Hallowe'en at Wikisource
- Who Was Who Among North American Authors, 1921-1939. Detroit: Gale Research, 1976.
- Who's Who in Library Service: A Biographical Directory of Professional Librarians of the United States and Canada. Third edition. Edited by Dorothy Ethlyn Cole. New York: Grolier Society, 1955.
External links
edit- Works by Ruth Edna Kelley at Project Gutenberg
- Works by or about Ruth Edna Kelley at the Internet Archive
- Works by Ruth Edna Kelley at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
