Mignon Rittenhouse Papers

SC-92
Rittenhouse, Mignon
4 Boxes (5 linear feet)
1924-1978 (bulk:1952-1970)

Introduction
The Mignon Rittenhouse papers highlight the professional career of this editor and author, particularly relating to Rittenhouse’s most known work, The Amazing Nellie Bly.

Provenance: The collection was originally donated to the Faculty/Alumni Collection begun in 1976, however the time or circumstances of donation is uncertain.

Restrictions: There are no restrictions on this collection. Duplication may be restricted if copying could cause damage to items.

Collection Description
The collection are organized into seven series (Biographical, Correspondence, Legal/Financial, Manuscripts, Photographs, Published Material and Secondary). The collection is concentrated within the manuscripts and secondary series, both containing materials relating to two of Rittenhouse’s books, The Amazing Nellie Bly and Seven Women Explorers. Manuscripts also contains poetry written by Rittenhouse. Correspondence is both business-related and personal. Correspondence can be found in the series of the same name as well as the Secondary series. Notable within the Legal/Financial series is a comparison of Rittenhouse’s work against titled "Oh My! That Nellie Bly." The collection contains several photographs, two of Rittenhouse.

Biographical/Historical Sketch
Mignon Rittenhouse was born in New York City on February 19, 1904. She was the daughter of George, a Baptist minister, and Catherine Meisser Rittenhouse. On January 24, 1931 Rittenhouse married writer and editor Horace Albro Woodmansee. Together they had two children. Rittenhouse attended Wheaton College from 1922 to 1924. After leaving college she served for twelve years as a reporter and feature writer for the Brooklyn Eagle. During that time she briefly worked as a movie columnist for the Morning Telegraph. In 1935 she began her career as an editor, first with Dell Publishing and then, for roughly twelve years with Fawcett Publications. Additionally, she spent some time working for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and king of slapstick comedy Mack Sennett. Rittenhouse’s first book, The Amazing Nellie Bly, was published in 1956, later republished in 1977. She followed this with Seven Women Explorers in 1964. An operetta, The Magic Keys of Christopher Columbus, was published in 1971. Her poetry found its way into the pages of Good Housekeeping, Today's Woman, and other poetry magazines. Rittenhouse died in Bayside, New York in 1988.

Related collections and information: