Alice Dalgliesh
She shaped American childhoods as both a writer and an editor, bringing history to life with clarity and quiet courage.
1893–1979 (age 86)·American writer·Birthday: October 7·The Lost Generation
Biography
Alice Dalgliesh operated on both sides of the publishing desk, with a career that left a permanent mark on mid-century children's literature. Born in Trinidad and immigrating to the U.S., she brought a clear-eyed, outsider's perspective to American stories. As a writer, she carved out a niche in historical fiction that was accessible and respectful to young readers, avoiding romanticization. Her books like 'The Courage of Sarah Noble' and 'The Bears on Hemlock Mountain' became classroom staples. Perhaps her greater impact, however, came during her three decades as an editor at Scribner's, where she shepherded the early careers of giants like Robert McCloskey and Marcia Brown. Dalgliesh possessed a sharp editorial instinct for what constituted honest, quality writing for children, championing realism and emotional truth in an era often defined by fantasy.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Alice was born in 1893, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alice Was Born
The biggest hits of 1893
Alice's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1893Born
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1898Started school
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1906Became a teenager
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Could drive
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1911Could vote
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1914Turned 21
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Turned 30
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1933Turned 40
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1943Turned 50
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 60
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 70
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 80
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1979Died at 86
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
Key Achievements
- Authored three Newbery Honor books: 'The Silver Pencil', 'The Bears on Hemlock Mountain', and 'The Courage of Sarah Noble'.
- Served as the founding editor of Scribner's influential children's book division for nearly 30 years.
- Was a founding member and later president of the Children's Book Council.
- Her book 'The Courage of Sarah Noble' also received the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award.
Did You Know?
Before becoming a writer, she worked as a kindergarten teacher and a librarian.
She wrote one of the first children's books about the first Thanksgiving, titled 'The Thanksgiving Story' (1954).
Dalgliesh was also a pilot and enjoyed flying small aircraft.
“A child's history should be built from clear dates and the smell of salt air.”
