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Nebraska Authors

Ada Patterson

Born 1867-07-05 Mount Joy, PA (USA)

Died 1939-06-26

Patterson was famed as a woman journalist, and was sometimes referred to as the "Nellie Bly" of the West, in reference to her fame and her use of publicity stunts to increase her readership. In her early years she taught in the Lincoln, Nebraska public schools (ca. 1890).

The Nebraska State Education Association's online "Profiles of Nationally Distinguished Nebraskans" offers an excellent and longer-form profile of Patterson, which notes her role as a pioneer of gender equity in American journalism.

Places Lived

Lincoln, NE
St. Louis, MO
Salt Lake City, UT
San Francisco, CA
New York, NY

Author Of

  • Journalism
  • Play/Screenplay

Education

Franklin Academy, Franklin, NE
Chautauqua Diploma

Occupation

Teacher
Journalist

Places Worked

St. Louis Republican
Salt Lake Herald
San Francisco Call
New York American

Columnist, Theater Magazine

Bibliography

By the Stage Door. 1902.
Maude Adams: A Biography. 1907.
Love's Lightning (Broadway Play, written with Robert Edeson), first produced March 25, 1918 at the Lexington Theater, 569 Lexington Av., New York, NY

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Ada Patterson
ada-patterson

Do you have corrections for the above information or other information to add?:

(e.g. Author is buried in Fremont, not in David City / Also wrote for the Daily Nebraskan during her time as a student)