Clara Ingram Judson
Clara Ingram Judson was a prominent children's author in the early twentieth century, known for her engaging storytelling and contributions to children's literature. Born in Logansport, Indiana, and raised in Indianapolis, she married oil executive James McIntosh Judson and had two daughters. Judson was not only a writer but also a practical home economist who lectured on war bonds during World War I and hosted a popular homemaking radio program in the late 1920s, making her one of the first women with her own show. Her creative stories for her children inspired her "Bedtime Tales" column and the beloved Mary Jane Series, which featured a relatable character embarking on adventures that taught valuable lessons.
Judson also authored numerous biographies aimed at young readers, exploring the lives of inspiring Americans and immigrants. Her notable works include the Newbery Honor Books "Abraham Lincoln, Friend of the People" and "Theodore Roosevelt, Fighting Patriot." Over her nearly fifty-year career, she published more than seventy children's books, selling over sixty million copies. In recognition of her impactful contributions to children's literature, she received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal shortly before her death in 1960, and the Clara Ingram Judson Award was established in her honor by the Society of Midland Authors.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Clara Ingram Judson
Writer
- Born: May 4, 1879
- Birthplace: Logansport, Indiana
- Died: May 24, 1960
- Place of death: Evanston, Illnois
Biography
Clara Ingram Judson, an early twentieth century children’s author, was born in Logansport, Indiana, but primarily grew up in the metropolis of Indianapolis. In 1901, she married James McIntosh Judson, an affluent oil executive, and together they had two daughters, remaining close to her birthplace in the agrarian Midwest. A practical home economist, Judson lectured across Illinois for the United States Department of the Treasury during World War I on the subject of war bonds and held less formal town hall-style meetings on family finances throughout her life as a housewife. Her popularity soon spread into a radio program in the late 1920’s on homemaking that established her as one of the very first women to have her own radio show.
The stories that Judson made up for her young children became the inspiration for her widely-circulated “Bedtime Tales” column and later for her most noted work, the Mary Jane Series. This well-received series for young girls featured the character, Mary Jane, who was a typical American girl who encountered fascinating adventures and learned from them how to better behave toward others. In all there were about twenty Mary Jane editions spanning over two decades.
In addition to the Mary Jane Series, Judson wrote several dozen American history biographies that focused on inspirational Americans, from foreign immigrants to famous leaders. Beginning in the 1940’s, she published her They Came from. . . series about simple stereotypical American immigrants from various countries of origin. Judson’s historical but somewhat fictional biographies, titled Abraham Lincoln, Friend of the People and Theodore Roosevelt, Fighting Patriot, were Newbery Honor Books. Her novel Mr. Justice Holmes won the Thomas Alva Edison Mass Media Award in 1957. All in all, she garnered a pair of Indiana Authors’ Day Awards and two American Library Association Notable Book citations, largely for her brief biographies of inspiring Americans intended for young children.
Judson’s writing career spanned nearly fifty years and included the publication of more than seventy children’s books with gross sales of more than sixty million copies. A few months prior to her death in 1960, she received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for substantial and lasting contributions to children’s literature. In a fitting tribute to her lasting career, the Society of Midland Authors, of which she was formerly a director and treasurer, established the annual Clara Ingram Judson Award in 1961.