Ethelyn m parkinson biography of nancy

Ethelyn M.

Parkinson Papers
1953-1999

• Parkinson, Ethelyn M., 1906-1999

Mss 951; PH 6539

3.8 c.f. Born September 13, 1906, in Cream City, Wisconsin, Miss Parkinson was a long-time resident of Green Bay, Wisconsin. She also taught short story workshops for Green Lake Extension School, Green Lake, Wisconsin. Miss Parkinson retired from writing in 1983.

(10 archives boxes) and 0.1 c.f. There is very little personal information included in the records as the material centers around her professional life. Miss Parkinson received numerous awards for her writing, including first place in playwriting from the Wisconsin Dramatic Society, 1933, for her play, Shepherd's Queen; first place for children's short fiction from Scholastic Book Services, 1957, for “A Man or a Mouse”; Abingdon Press Award, 1970, for Never Go Anywhere with Digby; and the Wisconsin Historical Society Award of Merit, 1971, for Higgins of the Railroad Museum; and was listed in the Junior Literary Guild Selection in 1979 for Rupert Piper and the Boy Who Could Knit.

Her adult fiction appeared in publications such as The Link. Publications consist of numerous juvenile trade journals that include copies of her short stories and comic strips, 1953-1967.

Ethelyn M. Parkinson, pen name Rosemary James, was for years a freelance writer of both children's and adult fiction.

Her experience as a teacher, nurse, Sunday school teacher, choir and dramatics director, and youth counselor enhanced her ability to understand young minds and write the types of stories boys and girls wanted to read.

From the early 1950s, Miss Parkinson contributed her children's fiction and comic strips to such juvenile trade journals as The American Girl, Catholic Miss, Juniors, Teens, Trailblazer, Upward, and Venture.

Background

Parkinson, Ethelyn Minerva was born on September 13, 1906 in near Oconto, Wisconsin, United States. Daughter of James Nelson and Ethel Mabelle (Bigelow) Parkinson. The collection documents her professional life including correspondence between Parkinson and her editors and publishers, as well as fan mail, 1953-1966; some scant biographical material that includes publicity material as well as Parkinson's obituary, 1961-1999; manuscripts, published and unpublished short stories, and original storyboards and storylines for her comic strip “Lane Allen's Diary”; teaching materials from Parkinson's short story workshops at Green Lake Extension School, Green Lake, Wisconsin, 1957-1963; and assorted publications containing her stories and comic strips, 1953-1967.

English

https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00951

The Ethelyn M.

Parkinson Papers, 1953-1999, document her writing career. The bulk of the collection covers the period from 1953 to 1966 when Parkinson was writing short stories and comic strips, and was publishing six of her thirteen children's books. The correspondence documents collaborations between Parkinson, and her editors and publishers, 1953-1966. The collection is organized into five series: biographical information, correspondence, writings, teaching, and publications.

The biographical information, 1961-1999, contains publisher's newsletters, publicity material, the author's obituary notice, and personal photographs of Parkinson.

Also, there is a letter from Mary Stevens, a popular children's illustrator, expressing her enthusiasm at being asked to illustrate Parkinson's comic strip, “Lane Allen's Diary.” Stevens illustrated the comic strip from its first appearance in this collection on May 2, 1954, until December 20, 1964. She lived for several years in a Green Bay nursing home where she passed away on January 8, 1999 at the age of 92.

A bibliography of Miss Parkinson's writings is an appendix to this finding aid.

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author

Ethelyn Minerva Parkinson, American author.