Elizabeth Stevenson (academic)

Elizabeth Stevenson (academic)
Elizabeth Stevenson (June 13, 1919July 30, 1999) was an American author. In 1956, Stevenson became the first woman recipient of the Bancroft Prize when she won it for her book Henry Adams: A Biography. She was also awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1951 and 1958.
Early life and education
In the Panama Canal Zone, Stevenson's birth occurred at Ancón, Panama on June 13, 1919. She grew up in Great Falls, Montana during her childhood. Niven started living in Atlanta, Georgia as a teenager. She graduated from Agnes Scott College with a Bachelor of Arts and majoring in English and history.
Career
Stevenson began her career at Southern Bell during the 1940s. She also worked for the War Production Board and War Assets Administration by 1947. The following year, she joined the Atlanta Public Library as an assistant and remained there until 1956. In 1960, she worked at Emory University as a dean's assistant until 1974 when she began teaching American studies. During the mid 1970s, she was the "first female faculty member" at the Institute for the Liberal Arts with Emory. Stevenson remained at the university until her retirement in 1986 and given the title of emeritus.
As an author, Stevenson wrote about Henry James with her 1949 book titled The Crooked Corridor: A Study of Henry James. In 1955, Stevenson moved on to Henry Adams with Henry Adams: A Biography. Stevenson continued her publications on Adams as the editor for A Henry Adams Reader during 1958.
In 1960, Stevenson was chosen to be part of the National Book Awards as a judge for the nonfiction category.
She then moved on to Lafcadio Hearn when she released Lafcadio Hearn: A Biography the following year. As a contributor, she was a part of Pride and Prejudice'''s 1962 re-release. She expanded her writings in 1967 with the release of Babbitts and Bohemians: The American 1920s. Her
book on Frederick Law Olmsted, Park Maker: A Life of Frederick Law Olmsted, was released ten years later.
Awards and honors
From the Georgia Writers Association, The Crooked Corridor won the Literary Achievement category in 1950. Henry Adams was the non-fiction recipient during the 1956 edition of the GWA awards. That year, Henry Adams'' received the Bancroft Prize. With her win, Stevenson was the Bancroft Prize's first female recipient. While in Atlanta, Stevenson won the city's 1955 Woman of the Year in Arts award during 1956. Her book on Hearn was selected as a GWA winner in 1962.
Stevenson was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship twice in 1951 and 1958. She received a research stipend for her Olmstead biography from the National Endowment for the Humanities in 1974. The following year, she was given a grant from the American Council of Learned Societies for this book.
Death
Stevenson died of cancer on July 30, 1999, at Peachtree Hospice in the DeKalb Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia. Her remains were cremated and a memorial service was held at Decatur on August 1, 1999.
References
External links
Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University
Elizabeth Stevenson papers, circa 1950-1999
1919 births
1999 deaths
20th-century American women writers
Bancroft Prize winners
American expatriates in Panama
American biographers
Emory University faculty