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Library Selected as a Literary Landmark ™ in Honor of the
Original Nancy Drew Author,
Mildred Wirt Benson
Special to The Truth
The Toledo-Lucas County Public Library has been selected as
a site for a Literary Landmark™ in honor of the
original Nancy Drew author, Mildred Wirt Benson
(1905-2002).
Literary Landmarks ™ are supported by
the American Library Association/United for Libraries and
recognize deceased literary figures and significant sites.
In observation of the honor, a special dedication will
follow a free program organized by the Nancy Drew Sleuths
(www.ndsleuths.com)
Mini-Con called: “History Behind the Mystery:
Nancy Drew and Mildred Wirt Benson” scheduled from 11
a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 30 in the
McMaster Center at Main Library, 325 Michigan St. The
dedication will follow at 12:30 p.m. in the Children’s
Library at Main.
The Library holds a number of items related to the literary
works of Benson, including original art from the fifth
Nancy Drew book and a life-sized Nancy Drew
diorama from the first Nancy Drew book. The Library
also holds copies of all her children’s books (135 titles)
in The Blade Rare Book Room (third level of Main
Library) as well as a few photographs, letters and her
aviation logbooks.
This year marks not only the 110th
anniversary of Benson’s birthday, but also the 85th
anniversary of the Nancy Drew Mystery series and
the 110th Anniversary of The Stratemeyer Syndicate
(publisher of the Nancy Drew mysteries, The Hardy
Boys and dozens of other series for children).
About Mildred Wirt Benson
Raised in rural Iowa, the daughter of a local doctor,
Mildred Wirt Benson (1905-2002) grew up as something of a
tomboy. She used to reminisce about the freedom afforded her
in the wide-open spaces—and more innocent times— of her
childhood, for she was able to roam around the fields and
woods at will. Always interested in writing, she published
her first story in St. Nicholas, a children's
magazine, when she was still a child herself. As an adult
she participated in all kinds of sports, becoming especially
proficient at diving, swimming and golf. She also became an
experienced aviator, and maintained her pilot’s license
until well into her senior years.
Mildred wrote some of the earliest Nancy Drew mysteries
under the pen name Carolyn Keene from 1929 to 1947,
contributing to 23 of the first 30 originally published
Nancy Drew mysteries.
She studied journalism at the University of Iowa, and became
the program’s first female graduate. While she wrote over
100 children’s books in her lifetime, the regular
bread-and-butter of her professional life has been
journalism; she worked for several decades at the Toledo
Blade newspaper as a regular columnist until retiring in
2001. In 1994, the University of Iowa, Mildred’s alma
mater, hosted a Nancy Drew® Conference in her honor. She
died at age 96. Source: An excerpt from
http://www.stratemeyer.net/stratemeyer/ghostwriters/benson/mildred.htm
and Library sources.
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