Helen Dore Boylston
Encyclopedia
Helen Dore Boylston was the American
author of the popular "Sue Barton" nurse series and Carol Page actor series.
Born in Portsmouth
, New Hampshire
, Boylston spent her childhood there, and was nicknamed "Troub", short for Troubles. She attended Simmons College
in Boston for a year. She thought of studying medicine like her father, but chose nursing since the training was shorter. She graduated as a nurse from Massachusetts General Hospital
in 1915 and sailed for France
to serve in the First World War
with the Harvard
Medical Unit, as part of the British Expeditionary Force.
She nursed the wounded at a front-line field hospital, specializing as an anesthesiologist
and reaching the rank of captain. Boylston wrote about her experiences in Sister: The War Diary of a Nurse, which was published in 1927.
After the 1918 Armistice
, Boylston remained in Europe working for the Red Cross for two years providing services to civilians in Albania
, Poland
, Russia
, Italy
, and Germany
. Boylston met reporter Rose Wilder Lane
, daughter of the not-yet-famous Laura Ingalls Wilder
on a train between Paris
and Warsaw
.
During periods in the United States, Boylston worked as the head of an outpatient department and as an instructor in anesthesiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, as well a psychiatric nurse in New York City
and a head nurse in a Connecticut
hospital, experiences she was to mine in future books. Between 1921 and 1924 she worked again with the Red Cross in Europe, and in 1925 wrote a reminiscence of her student nursing days that was published in the American Journal of Nursing.
Boylston was still anxious for adventure and wrote to a friend "Daddy wants me to settle down, but I'm young! I'm young! Why shouldn't I live? What is old age if it has no memories except of 40 years or so of blank days?" In 1926 Lane and Boylston traveled to Europe with the goal of moving to Albania
and earn their living by writing. In preparation, between March and September 1926 they lived in Paris
, studying French, Italian, German and Russian at the Berlitz School. In August they purchased a maroon Model T Ford which they named "Zenobia" in honor of the Bedouin
queen of ancient times, and set off to Albania with their French maid, Yvonne. An account of the journey, called Travels With Zenobia: Paris to Albania by Model T Ford
was published in 1983.
Boylston lived in a comfortable house in Tirana, Albania for two years. The house she shared with Lane was the scene of numerous parties, where members of the Albanian government danced to the sound of their imported Victrola. According to her publisher Boylston "once made the Albanian Prime Minister carry her trunk off the boat and tried to tip him, not knowing who he was." She was also "shot at for two hours in a ditch in southern Albania, owing to a mistake in identity". While in Albania, Boylston assisted at an Albanian school of nursing that was directed by a fellow graduate from the School of Nursing at Massachusetts General Hospital. After about two years, Boylston saw a picture of a baked potato
in a magazine, and feeling an "irresistible lure", returned to the US. A less dramatic version has her deciding to accompany Lane home after Lane had received a disturbing cablegram from her parents in January 1928.
In the summer of 1928 Boylston arrived at Rocky Ridge, the Wilder family farmhouse in Mansfield, Missouri
. Encouraged by the publication of her War Diary in book form, she decided to gain a living by writing, though she also supported in part by inherited income. She initially lived in a tent on a hill near the farmhouse, though the plan was that Boylston and Lane would live in the remodeled and modernized farmhouse, while Lane's parents Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder moved into a newly built English stone cottage.
Boylston lost considerable sums of investment income in the Depression and in the early 1930s moved east to work again as a nurse.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Boylston began writing and publishing stories more seriously. She published articles and stories in The Atlantic Monthly
, Harper's
, and Argosy
, and wrote a radio script for the Canadian Broadcasting Company.
In 1936 Boylston published Sue Barton: Student Nurse, the first of her seven Sue Barton books. The books followed the career of a red-haired nurse as she progressed through her training, career, marriage and motherhood, and sought to maintain her independence. They were significant in providing role models to girls who wanted careers from the 1930s to 1950s, and in being among those that defined the young adult category of literature. The books were highly successful, selling millions of copies in English and translations, and were praised for their authentic representation of nursing practice and freedom from sentimentality. The books have remained in print ever since.
With Sue Barton married to Bill Barry and expecting her first baby in Sue Barton: Superintendent Nurse, Boylston began a new series about another career woman, this time an actress Carol Page. She incorporated the advice and experience of Eva Le Gallienne
, her friend and neighbor, as well as researching her stories backstage at La Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theatre in New York City. Boylston later returned to Sue Barton, publishing the final two books in the series Sue Barton: Neighborhood Nurse and Sue Barton: Staff Nurse in 1949 and 1952 respectively. In 1955, Boylston published Clara Barton: Founder of the American Red Cross, a biography for young adults of Civil War nurse Clara Barton
.
Boylston never married. She suffered from dementia in later years, and died in Trumbull
, Connecticut
at the age of 89, leaving no known relatives.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author of the popular "Sue Barton" nurse series and Carol Page actor series.
Born in Portsmouth
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, Boylston spent her childhood there, and was nicknamed "Troub", short for Troubles. She attended Simmons College
Simmons College (Massachusetts)
Simmons College, established in 1899, is a private women's undergraduate college and private co-educational graduate school in Boston, Massachusetts.-History:Simmons was founded in 1899 with a bequest by John Simmons a wealthy clothing manufacturer in Boston...
in Boston for a year. She thought of studying medicine like her father, but chose nursing since the training was shorter. She graduated as a nurse from Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
in 1915 and sailed for France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to serve in the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
with the Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
Medical Unit, as part of the British Expeditionary Force.
Anesthesiologist
An anesthesiologist or anaesthetist is a physician trained in anesthesia and peri-operative medicine....
and reaching the rank of captain. Boylston wrote about her experiences in Sister: The War Diary of a Nurse, which was published in 1927.
After the 1918 Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
, Boylston remained in Europe working for the Red Cross for two years providing services to civilians in Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Boylston met reporter Rose Wilder Lane
Rose Wilder Lane
Rose Wilder Lane was an American journalist, travel writer, novelist, and political theorist...
, daughter of the not-yet-famous Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family...
on a train between Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
.
During periods in the United States, Boylston worked as the head of an outpatient department and as an instructor in anesthesiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, as well a psychiatric nurse in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and a head nurse in a Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
hospital, experiences she was to mine in future books. Between 1921 and 1924 she worked again with the Red Cross in Europe, and in 1925 wrote a reminiscence of her student nursing days that was published in the American Journal of Nursing.
Boylston was still anxious for adventure and wrote to a friend "Daddy wants me to settle down, but I'm young! I'm young! Why shouldn't I live? What is old age if it has no memories except of 40 years or so of blank days?" In 1926 Lane and Boylston traveled to Europe with the goal of moving to Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
and earn their living by writing. In preparation, between March and September 1926 they lived in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, studying French, Italian, German and Russian at the Berlitz School. In August they purchased a maroon Model T Ford which they named "Zenobia" in honor of the Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
queen of ancient times, and set off to Albania with their French maid, Yvonne. An account of the journey, called Travels With Zenobia: Paris to Albania by Model T Ford
Ford Model T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company from September 1908 to May 1927...
was published in 1983.
Baked potato
A baked potato, or jacket potato, is the edible result of baking a potato. When well cooked, a baked potato has a fluffy interior and a crisp skin. It may be served with fillings and condiments such as butter, cheese or ham....
in a magazine, and feeling an "irresistible lure", returned to the US. A less dramatic version has her deciding to accompany Lane home after Lane had received a disturbing cablegram from her parents in January 1928.
In the summer of 1928 Boylston arrived at Rocky Ridge, the Wilder family farmhouse in Mansfield, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. Encouraged by the publication of her War Diary in book form, she decided to gain a living by writing, though she also supported in part by inherited income. She initially lived in a tent on a hill near the farmhouse, though the plan was that Boylston and Lane would live in the remodeled and modernized farmhouse, while Lane's parents Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo Wilder moved into a newly built English stone cottage.
Boylston lost considerable sums of investment income in the Depression and in the early 1930s moved east to work again as a nurse.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Boylston began writing and publishing stories more seriously. She published articles and stories in The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
, Harper's
Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
, and Argosy
Argosy (magazine)
Argosy was an American pulp magazine, published by Frank Munsey. It is generally considered to be the first American pulp magazine. The magazine began as a general information periodical entitled The Golden Argosy, targeted at the boys adventure market.-Launch of Argosy:In late September 1882,...
, and wrote a radio script for the Canadian Broadcasting Company.
In 1936 Boylston published Sue Barton: Student Nurse, the first of her seven Sue Barton books. The books followed the career of a red-haired nurse as she progressed through her training, career, marriage and motherhood, and sought to maintain her independence. They were significant in providing role models to girls who wanted careers from the 1930s to 1950s, and in being among those that defined the young adult category of literature. The books were highly successful, selling millions of copies in English and translations, and were praised for their authentic representation of nursing practice and freedom from sentimentality. The books have remained in print ever since.
With Sue Barton married to Bill Barry and expecting her first baby in Sue Barton: Superintendent Nurse, Boylston began a new series about another career woman, this time an actress Carol Page. She incorporated the advice and experience of Eva Le Gallienne
Eva Le Gallienne
Eva Le Gallienne was a well-known actress, producer, and director, during the first half of the 20th century.-Early life and early career:...
, her friend and neighbor, as well as researching her stories backstage at La Gallienne's Civic Repertory Theatre in New York City. Boylston later returned to Sue Barton, publishing the final two books in the series Sue Barton: Neighborhood Nurse and Sue Barton: Staff Nurse in 1949 and 1952 respectively. In 1955, Boylston published Clara Barton: Founder of the American Red Cross, a biography for young adults of Civil War nurse Clara Barton
Clara Barton
Clarissa Harlowe "Clara" Barton was a pioneer American teacher, patent clerk, nurse, and humanitarian. She is best remembered for organizing the American Red Cross.-Youth, education, and family nursing:...
.
Boylston never married. She suffered from dementia in later years, and died in Trumbull
Trumbull, Connecticut
Trumbull, a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut in the New England region of the United States, is bordered by the towns of Monroe, Shelton, Stratford, Bridgeport, Fairfield and Easton along Connecticut's Gold Coast. The population was 36,018 according to the 2010 census.Family Circle magazine...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
at the age of 89, leaving no known relatives.
Works
- Sister: The War Diary of a Nurse (1927)
- Sue Barton, Student Nurse (1936)
- Sue Barton, Senior Nurse (1937)
- Sue Barton, Visiting Nurse (1938)
- Sue Barton, Rural Nurse (1939)
- Sue Barton, Superintendent of Nurses (1940)
- Sue Barton, Neighborhood Nurse (1949)
- Sue Barton, Staff Nurse(1952)
- Carol Goes Backstage (1941)
- Carol Plays Summer Stock (1942)
- Carol on Broadway (1944)
- Carol on Tour (1946)
- Clara Barton: Founder of American Red Cross (1955 and 1963)
- Travels With Zenobia: Paris to Albania by Model T Ford (with Rose Wilder Lane) (1983)