Louise Hall Tharp
Louise Hall Tharp was an American author born on June 19, 1898, in Oneonta, New York. She received her education at the School of Fine Arts, Crafts, and Decorative Design in Boston and earned several honorary doctoral degrees in education and literature from various universities. Tharp began her career in writing while working with the Girl Scouts of America, where she edited the Trailmaker magazine and authored children's novels, including her first book, "Tory Hole," published in 1940. This book was inspired by her sons' desire for adventurous stories. Over her career, she wrote eight novels and biographies for children, alongside contributions to notable publications such as the Encyclopedia Britannica.
In the 1950s, Tharp transitioned to writing for adults, achieving notable success with her biography of Isabella Stewart Gardner, which became a bestseller. Throughout her life, she was actively involved in various literary and historical organizations and received multiple awards for her contributions to literature and education. Tharp's work reflects a dedication to storytelling across genres, making her a significant figure in American literature.
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Louise Hall Tharp
- Born: June 19, 1898
- Birthplace: Oneonta, New York
- Died: May 2, 1992
- Place of death: Darien, Connecticut
Biography
Louise Hall Tharp was born to Newton and Louise Marshall in Oneonta, New York, on June 19, 1898. She was educated at the School of Fine Arts, Crafts, and Decorative Design in Boston from 1917 until 1919. She also received an honorary doctoral degree in education from Rhode Island College, and honorary doctorate degrees in literature from Northeastern University, Wheaton College, and Mount Holyoke College. In 1925, she married insurance executive Carey Edwin Tharp, and she began working for the Girl Scouts of America as a member of the National Brownie committee. She served as a member of the Girl Scout Council of Rochester, New York, from 1927 until 1928.
Tharp began her writing career while working for the Girl Scouts, editing the organization’s Trailmaker magazine. In 1940, her first book, Tory Hole, a fictionalized account of the Revolutionary War, was published. She wrote the book at the request of her two young sons who were interested in reading a story that had a lot of action. Tory Hole was the first of eight novels and biographies that Tharp wrote for children. These books include Champlain: Northwest Voyager (1944) and Company of Adventurers: The Story of the Hudson’s Bay Company (1946). In addition to her children’s books, Tharp was a contributor to the Encyclopedia Britannica and American Heritage. She also wrote short stories that were published in the magazines Target and Child Life.
In the 1950’s, Tharp began writing for the adult market. Her first biography, The Peabody Sisters of Salem (1950), was about Elizabeth, Mary, and Sophia Peabody, famous nineteenth century educators, publishers, and writers. The book was a Book- of-the-Month Club selection in 1950, and was republished with a new introduction in 1980. Tharp’s most famous book was a biography of nineteenth century socialite and art patron, Isabella Stewart Gardner. Mrs. Jack: A Biography of Isabella Stewart Gardner was published in 1965 to critical acclaim, and it spent three months on The New York Times’s best-seller list.
Tharp was a member of the literary organization PEN, the Boston area Authors Club, the Society of American Historians, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the College Club of Boston, the Darien Historical Society, and the Tokeneke Club of Darien, Connecticut. She received the Delta Kappa Gamma Educators Award in 1950, an American Library Association Award in 1953, and a National Endowment for the Arts Award in 1953. Tharp also received the Connecticut Bicentennial Award for Tory Hole in 1976.