Mary Wells Ashworth

Mary Wells Ashworth (May 28, 1903 — September 12, 1992) was an American historian. She was granted a Guggenheim Fellowship for biography in 1955 and was a co-winner of the 1958 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography for George Washington, Volumes I-VII.

Mary Wells Ashworth
BornMary Wells Knight Ashworth
(1903-05-28)May 28, 1903
Plant City, Florida
DiedSeptember 12, 1992(1992-09-12) (aged 89)
Richmond, Virginia
Occupationhistorian, writer
Notable awards1954 Guggenheim Fellowship
1958 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography for George Washington, Volumes I-VII

Biography

Ashworth was born in Plant City, Florida on May 28, 1903. She went to Virginia to complete a Bachelor of Arts at Hollins College in 1924.[1]

Ashworth worked as a historian for Douglas Southall Freeman while he wrote his biography George Washington from 1945 to 1953.[1] Throughout her time on Washington's biography, Ashworth was initially a bibliographer for Freeman at the start of the seven volume biography.[2] When Freeman died after writing Volume VI of his biography on Washington, Ashworth worked at Charles Scribner's Sons from 1954 to 1957.[1]

For the final volumes of the Washington biography, Ashworth was involved in the publication stages of Volume VI and co-wrote Volume VII alongside John Alexander Carroll. George Washington, Volume VII was Ashworth's first and only book as an author.[3] Apart from writing, Ashworth's entries were featured in Notable American Women 1607-1950 and the World Book Encyclopedia.[4]

Ashworth was married with two children.[4] On September 12, 1992, she died of an aortic rupture in Richmond, Virginia.[4]

Awards and honors

In 1954, Ashworth was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in biography.[5] In 1958, she was a co-winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography for George Washington, Volumes I-VII.[6]

References
  1. Fischer, Heinz Dietrich; Fischer, Erika J. (2002). "Ashworth, Mary Wells Knight". Complete Biographical Encyclopedia of Pulitzer Prize Winners, 1917-2000 (illustrated, reprint ed.). Walter de Gruyter. p. 9. ISBN 3598301707.
  2. "Mary Wells Knight Ashworth". Hollins University. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  3. Johnson, David E. (2002). Douglas Southall Freeman. Gretna: Pelican Publishing Company. p. 356. ISBN 1589800214. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  4. "Mary Wells Ashworth, Historian, Dies at 89". New York TImes. 17 September 1992. p. D00025. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  5. "Mary Wells Ashworth". John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  6. "1958 Pulitzer Prizes". Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
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