Jessie Belle Rittenhouse

Jessie Belle Rittenhouse
Born December 8, 1869
Mount Morris, New York
Died September 28, 1948 (aged 78)
Detroit, Michigan
Nationality U.S.A.
Education Hon. Doctorate Rollins College
Alma mater Genesee Wesleyan Seminary
Occupation Lecturer, Literary Critic, Poet
Years active 1894-1948
Known for Anthologies of Poetry
Spouse(s) Clinton Scollard
Awards Robert Frost Medal (1930)

Jessie Belle Rittenhouse Scollard (1869–1948), daughter of John Edward and Mary (MacArthur) Rittenhouse,[1] was a literary critic, compiler of anthologies, and poet.

Life

After graduating in 1890 from Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in Lima, New York, Rittenhouse taught school in Cairo, Illinois and Grand Haven, Michigan. Her literary career began with book reviews in Buffalo and Rochester, New York, and led to a year as a reporter for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle in 1894. In 1899 she moved to Boston to begin her literary career in earnest. From 1905 to 1915 Rittenhouse lived in New York City, where she was poetry reviewer for the New York Times Review of Books.[2] From 1914 to 1924 she conducted lecture tours. In 1914 Rittenhouse helped to found the Poetry Society of America, of which she was secretary for 10 yrs.[3]

Rittenhouse married fellow poet Clinton Scollard in 1924.

In the course of her career, Rittenhouse corresponded with numerous contemporary poets, such as John Myers O'Hara,[4] Margaret Widdemer, and Arthur Guiterman. Her poems were set to music by many composers, including Samuel Barber, Noble Cain, Alice Reber Fish, Ethel Glenn Hier, Kirke Mechem, Frederick W. Vanderpool, Wintter Watts, and especially David Wendel Guion.[5]

Late in her career, Rittenhouse moved to Winter Park, Florida, and became associated with Rollins College, where she was a lecturer in poetry.[6]

The Poetry Society of America presented Rittenhouse the first Robert Frost Medal in 1930.

Works

Anthologies

Verse

Edited with Clinton Scollard

Autobiography

References

  1. ↑ Moyer, Homer Edward (1935). Who's who and what to see in Florida: a standard biographical reference book of Florida. St. Petersburg, Florida: Current Historical Company of Florida. p. 379.
  2. ↑ See, e.g. Rittenhouse, Jessie B. (1905-12-23). "Bliss Carman’s Prose" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved 19 Dec 2010. This publication is described in a Wikipedia article under the name The New York Times Book Review
  3. ↑ McHenry, Robert (1983). Famous American women: a biographical dictionary from colonial times to the present. Courier Dover Publications. p. 482. ISBN 0-486-24523-3.
  4. ↑ "Inventory of the John Myers O'Hara Papers, 1908-1942". The Newberry Library. 2000. Retrieved 19 Dec 2010.
  5. ↑ "David Wendell Guion: An Inventory of His Collection in the Manuscript Collection at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center". Harry Ransom Center. University of Texas at Austin. 2003. Retrieved 19 Dec 2010.
  6. ↑ "Memorial Services for Jessie Rittenhouse Scollard Saturday" (PDF). Winter Park Topics (Winter Park, Florida: Charles F. Hammond) 16 (2): 8. 14 Jan 1949. Retrieved 19 Dec 2010.

External links