Lee Hadley
Lee Hadley was an accomplished American author and educator, born on October 10, 1934, in Earlham, Iowa. Raised on a family farm with three siblings, Hadley's early exposure to literature came from her parents, who took her to libraries weekly. She earned her B.A. in English and writing from Drake University in 1956 and began her career as a copywriter before transitioning to teaching English in various educational institutions, including high schools and eventually Iowa State University, where she served for 26 years.
Hadley was particularly noteworthy for her collaboration with fellow educator Annabelle Irwin, under the pseudonym Hadley Irwin, which resulted in the publication of thirteen novels and a writing guide for young adults. Their works often tackled challenging themes such as prejudice and suicide, garnering numerous accolades, including awards from the Jane Addams Peace Association and the American Library Association. Hadley was not only recognized for her literary contributions but also for her dedication to nurturing young writers in her classes. She passed away from cancer on August 22, 1995, in Madrid, Iowa, leaving behind a legacy of impactful literature and education.
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Subject Terms
Lee Hadley
Fiction Writer
- Born: October 10, 1934
- Birthplace: Earlham, Iowa
- Died: August 22, 1995
- Place of death: Madrid, Iowa
Biography
Lee Hadley was born on October 10, 1934, at Earlham, Iowa, to Oren B. Hadley and Pearle Hadley. She and her three older siblings grew up on their family’s 180-acre farm. Hadley enjoyed spending time with her grandmother, listening to her childhood memories. Her parents took her to two area libraries every week. In highschool, she wrote a newspaper column and served on the yearbook staff.
Hadley studied English and writing at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, earning her B.A. in 1956. Beginning in 1955, she worked as a copywriter for a local store, Younkers, continuing that employment after graduation through 1958, with a break to travel to Europe. In 1959, Hadley started teaching English at a public high school in De Soto, Iowa. She then took graduate courses at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, receiving an M.A. degree in 1961.
Hadley taught English at Monmouth Regional High School in New Jersey from 1962 until 1965, when she became an English instructor at Ocean County Community College in Toms River, New Jersey. In 1969, she accepted a position as an assistant professor of English at Iowa State University in Ames, where she taught creative writing courses for twenty-six years. She was promoted to associate professor in 1980 and to full professor in 1992. Hadley enjoyed teaching, and she gave top grades to students who sold their writing while they were enrolled in her classes
In 1973, Hadley prepared campus reports and wrote an English Bulletin article with Iowa State colleague Annabelle Irwin. By 1975, Hadley decided to collaborate with Irwin to write children’s books. Their first novel, The Lilith Summer, was published in 1979. Under the joint pseudonym Hadley Irwin, they wrote a total of thirteen novels and a guide to writing young adult novels. Hadley wrote during the summer at Irwin’s vacation cottage in Lake View, Iowa, and occasionally in Florida. She excelled at characterization and writing first drafts of the collaborative novels.
Critics noted Hadley Irwin’s ability to write about such provocative topics as prejudice, suicide, and incest in their young adult novels, and their books received many awards. In 1981, the Jane Addams Peace Association presented an Honor Book Award to We Are Mesquakie, We Are One, and Moon and Me won the 1982 Society of Midland Authors Award. The American Library Association recognized What About Grandma? as a Best Young Adult Book in 1982 and Abby, My Love as a Best Young Adult Book in 1985. In 1986, the Children’s Book Council and International Reading Association honored Abby, My Love with a Children’s Choice Book Award. Kim/Kimi was included on the 1987 Library of Congress’s Children’s Book of the Year list. Hadley and Irwin’s books have been translated and distributed in Europe and Asia, and a televised adaptation of Abby, My Love aired in 1988.
Hadley died of cancer at her Madrid, Iowa, home on August 22, 1995.