William H. Armstrong
William H. Armstrong was an American author and educator, born on September 14, 1914, in Lexington, Virginia. He graduated cum laude from Hampden-Sydney College in 1936 and later pursued graduate work at the University of Virginia. Armstrong began his teaching career at Virginia Episcopal School and eventually became a history master at Kent School in Connecticut. A significant turning point in his life occurred after the sudden death of his wife, leading him to cultivate a daily writing practice in the early mornings.
Armstrong is best known for his acclaimed novel "Sounder," published in 1969, which draws inspiration from stories shared by a seasonal worker on his father's farm. The novel achieved international success, being translated into twenty-eight languages and adapted into a film. Armstrong's writing is characterized by the "art of omission," a technique he credited with allowing readers to relate more personally to the story. His literary contributions earned him numerous accolades, including the John Newbery Medal and an Academy Award nomination for the film adaptation of "Sounder." While he viewed writing as a secondary pursuit to his role as an educator, his works have left a lasting impact, inspiring countless readers and encouraging a love of learning.
On this Page
Subject Terms
William H. Armstrong
Politician
- Born: September 14, 1914
- Birthplace: Lexington, Virginia
- Died: April 11, 1999
- Place of death: Kent, Connecticut
Biography
William Howard Armstrong was born September 14, 1914, in Lexington, Virginia, the son of a farmer, Howard Gratton Armstrong, and his wife, Ida (Morris) Armstrong. He attended high school at Augusta Military Academy and earned an A.B. (cum laude) from Hampden-Sydney College in 1936. He did graduate work at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, from 1937 to 1938, then taught history at Virginia Episcopal School from 1939 through 1944. In 1945 he became history master at Kent School in Kent, Connecticut.
Armstrong married Martha Stone Street Williams on August 24, 1943, and the couple had three children, Christopher, David, and Mary. When his wife died suddenly in 1953, Armstrong began what was to be a lifelong habit of writing early in the morning, before his young children were awake.
Armstrong initially wrote history texts and books of educational advice. In 1969 he finished his first novel, Sounder,, which was based on stories told to him by Charles Jones, a teacher and seasonal worker on his father’s farm. Sounder was a huge success; it was translated into twenty-eight languages and made into a motion picture. Armstrong credited the novel’s appeal to “the art of omission” he learned from reading Old Testament Bible stories. He observed: “If the boy’s age was not given the reader could become part of the story: ’The boy must be about my age.’ Place and time kept vague, no name or description of the boy... . And no name for the family. With names they would have represented one family; without names, they became universal.”
Armstrong won many awards for Sounder, including the Lewis Carroll Book Shelf Award in 1970, the John Newbury Medal from the American Library association in 1970, the Mark Twain Award from the Missouri Association of School Librarians in 1972, and the Nene Award from the Hawaii Association of School Librarians and the Hawaii Library Association. He also received an Academy Award nomination for the motion picture adaptation of Sounder in 1972. In addition, he received the National School Bell Award from the National Association of School Administrators in 1963 for distinguished service in the interpretation of education, the Jewish—Christian Brotherhood Award in 1972, and the Sue Hefley Award in 1976.
Although Armstrong considered writing to be secondary to his career as an educator, his books have influenced generations of children and adults. He once stated that he hoped to direct “some young wanderer in a direction that will add quality, and, in rare cases, love of learning, to a life.”