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Edith Ronald Mirrielees
Edith Ronald Mirrielees (1878-1962) was a pioneering teacher of creative writing; she inspired many talented, distinguished students, including novelist John Steinbeck at Stanford ...view moreEdith Ronald Mirrielees (1878-1962) was a pioneering teacher of creative writing; she inspired many talented, distinguished students, including novelist John Steinbeck at Stanford University.
Born on September 10, 1878, in Pittsfield, Illinois, Mirrielees grew up in Big Timber, Montana. Before graduating, she taught in Montana public schools, and in 1903 entered Stanford University to study History, and later English. She graduated in 1906 and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1907. As a student, she was the editor of the literary magazine, Sequoia and the associate editor of the yearbook, Stanford Quad. She was also co-founder of the women’s honorary society, Cap and Gown.
From 1909-1944, Merrielees was first instructor and then professor of English literature at Stanford University. She was best known for her courses in Creative Writing and for the influence she had on such famous American writers as John Steinbeck, Howard Pease, Archie Binns, Allen Drury, and Irma Hannibal. Her book, Story Writing, is an essential reference in the field.
During World War I she served with the Stanford Red Cross unit in France. She was an advisor on educational matters to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
After retirement, she founded and published the magazine Pacific Spectator between 1947-1951. In 1951 she wrote the foreword for the speculative fiction anthology World of Wonder, edited by Fletcher Pratt, and in 1959 she published Stanford: The Story of a University. This was followed in 1962 by Stanford Mosaic: Reminiscences of the First Seventy Years At Stanford University, a tale of memories of Stanford, which Merrielees spent the last year of her life writing. In 1961, Mills College awarded her an honorary doctorate in Letters in recognition of her outstanding contribution as a professor.
Mirrielees died on June 3, 1962, in Stanford, California.view less