Ada Langworthy Collier (, Langworthy;

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

s Anna L. Cunningham and Marguerite; December 23, 1843 – August 6, 1919) was an American author from

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

. She wrote sketches, short stories, poems, and several novels. Collier is remembered for '' Lilith, The Legend of the First Woman'' (1885).

Early life and education

Ada Langworthy was born in Dubuque, Iowa, December 23, 1843, in the first frame house ever built within the present bounds of the State of Iowa. She was a descendant of James Langworthy, of

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

; and Sergt. Jonathan Massey and Jonathan Woodbury, of

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

; and a granddaughter of Dr. Stephen Langworthy and Betsey Massey. Her father, Lucius Hart Langworthy, a descendant of

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

pioneers, was among the first to explore the lead regions of Iowa, and he was one of the founders of the city of Dubuque. Her mother, Valeria A. Bemis, was a member of an old

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

family. Though she lived a pioneer life, she did not face the hardships known by others. The lead mines made her father and his brothers wealthy, and soon a group of brick mansions were built on a bluff above the city, where the family lived. In early girlhood, Collier studied at a Dubuque girls' school taught by

Catharine Beecher Catharine Esther Beecher (September 6, 1800 – May 12, 1878) was an American educator known for her forthright opinions on female education as well as her vehement support of the many benefits of the incorporation of kindergarten into children's ...

. Afterward, she went to

Lasell Seminary Lasell University (LU) is a private university in Auburndale, Massachusetts. Lasell offers Undergraduate education, undergraduate and Postgraduate education, graduate degrees in the liberal arts, sciences, and professional fields of study. Hist ...

, Auburndale, Massachusetts, graduating in 1861, at the age of 17, even though she had been ill with "

brain fever Brain fever describes a medical condition where a part of the brain becomes inflamed and causes symptoms that present as fever. The terminology is dated and is encountered most often in Victorian literature, where it typically describes a potential ...

Career

Collier began to write for periodicals at a young age. She was the author of many sketches, tales and short poems, of several novels, and of one long, narrative poem, "Lilith" (

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, 1885); the last was her greatest work. She occasionally used pen names, including "Anna L. Cunningham" and "Marguerite". Collier was a leader in club work in Dubuque, serving as president of the Dubuque Ladies' Literary Association, and auditor of the Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs.

Personal life

On October 15, 1867, she married Robert Hutchison Collier (1842–1896). They had one child, James Currie Collier (b. 1869). Ada Langworthy Collier died August 6, 1919.

Selected works

* 1885, " Lilith, The Legend of the First Womanbr>
* n.d., ''On the Edge of a New Land, Chapters I–V'' * n.d., ''On the Edge of a New Land, Chapters XII–XV'' * n.d., ''On the Edge of a New Land, Chapters XVI–XIX'' * n.d., ''On the Edge of a New Land, Chapters XX–XXV'' * n.d. ''On the Edge of a New Land, Chapters XXV–XXX'' * n.d., ''Lilies'' * n.d., ''Psyche'' * n.d., ''Rondeau'' * n.d., "A Day's Ramble" (travel sketch) * n.d., "Among the Mountain Mists" (travel sketch)

References

Attribution

* * *

Bibliography

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Collier, Ada Langworthy 1843 births 1919 deaths 19th-century American poets 19th-century American women writers 19th-century pseudonymous writers American women poets People from Dubuque, Iowa Writers from Iowa Pseudonymous women writers Victorian poets Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century