Marchette Gaylord Chute
Marchette Gaylord Chute (1909-1994) was an American author and biographer known for her meticulous research and engaging writing style. Born in Wayzata, Minnesota, she was raised in a family that valued education and literature, with both her sisters also pursuing writing careers. Chute earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota and worked as a private tutor during the Great Depression. She published her first book, "Rhymes about Ourselves," in 1932 and subsequently focused on historical biographies, starting with "Geoffrey Chaucer of England" in 1946 and followed by "Shakespeare of London" in 1949. Chute lived in New York City for much of her life, actively participating in literary organizations and advocating for freedom of expression, including a notable open letter against censorship in Iran in 1977. Her works received various accolades, particularly for their accuracy and accessibility, making significant contributions to biographical literature. Chute passed away in New Jersey in 1994, leaving behind a legacy of well-researched and engaging historical narratives.
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Subject Terms
Marchette Gaylord Chute
- Born: August 16, 1909
- Birthplace: Wayzata, Minnesota
- Died: May 6, 1994
- Place of death: Montclair, New Jersey
Biography
Marchette Gaylord Chute was born on August 16, 1909, in Wayzata, Minnesota, and raised on the shores of Lake Minnetonka. Her parents were William Young Chute, a realtor, and Edith Mary Pickburn Chute. Edith was British, and had been educated at home, so she arranged for her daughters to receive private tutoring as well. Marchette had two sisters who also became writers: Mary Grace Chute, the oldest, a short-story writer, and Beatrice Joy (B. J.) Chute, the youngest, who wrote children’s stories. The family moved to Minneapolis when Chute was eleven, so the girls could attend public high school. After graduation, Chute attended the Minneapolis School of Art for one year, and then the University of Minnesota, from which she earned a bachelor’s degree in 1930.
By this time, the Great Depression had begun, and jobs were scarce. Chute made a living as a private tutor, and as a writer and illustrator. Her first book to be published was a collection of poems for children, Rhymes about Ourselves (1932), followed in later years by three more books of verse. Chute spent World War Two as a civil defense worker, teaching apartment residents how to prepare for an attack. She also began work on what would be the first of a dozen books of history—a biography of Geoffrey Chaucer.
Her method was to research at the New York Public Library in the morning, reading everything she could find on her subject, then return home in the afternoon to type her notes. She spent months or years researching a new subject before she would begin to write. After Geoffrey Chaucer of England (1946), she began work on Shakespeare of London (1949), for which she consulted ten thousand books over a period of four years. This was to be her methodology for the rest of her biographies.
From 1950 to 1987 Chute lived with her sister B.J. in an apartment that was within walking distance of the library. After her sister’s death, she moved to Morris Plains, New Jersey, to live with her sister Mary Grace. Chute died of pneumonia in Montclair, New Jersey, on May 6, 1994. Throughout most of her career, Chute was active in literary organizations in New York. She was a judge for the National Book Awards and a member of the board of the National Book Committee. She was a member of the Royal Society of Arts, the National Institute of Arts and Letters, PEN American Center, and the Organization of American Historians.
In 1977, Chute joined with other American and Iranian writers in sending an open letter to the Prime Minister of Iran, demanding an end to censorship in that country. Chute received several awards, particularly for Shakespeare of London, Ben Jonson of Westminster (1953), and Geoffrey Chaucer of England, all of which were named Notable Books by the American Library Association. Her books were praised for their strict attention to accuracy, and because they were written in an accessible and engaging style for general readers.