Elizabeth Stevenson

Elizabeth Stevenson (June 13, 1919July 30, 1999) was an American author. In 1956, Stevenson became the first woman recipient of the Bancroft Prize when she won it for her book Henry Adams: A Biography. She was also awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship in 1951 and 1958. Early life and education In the Panama Canal Zone, Stevenson's birth occurred at Ancón, Panama on June 13, 1919. She grew up in Great Falls, Montana during her childhood. Niven started living in Atlanta, Georgia as a teenager. She graduated from Agnes Scott College with a Bachelor of Arts and majoring in English and history. Career Stevenson began her career at Southern Bell during the 1940s. She also worked for the War Production Board and War Assets Administration by 1947. The following year, she joined the Atlanta Public Library as an assistant and remained there until 1956. In 1960, she worked at Emory University as a dean's assistant until 1974 when she began teaching American studies. During the mid 1970s, she was the "first female faculty member" at the Institute for the Liberal Arts with Emory. Stevenson remained at the university until her retirement in 1986 and given the title of emeritus. As an author, Stevenson wrote about Henry James with her 1949 book titled The Crooked Corridor: A Study of Henry James. In 1955, Stevenson moved on to Henry Adams with Henry Adams: A Biography. Stevenson continued her publications on Adams as the editor for A Henry Adams Reader during 1958. In 1960, Stevenson was chosen to be part of the National Book Awards as a judge for the nonfiction category.