Author. A freelance writer, she wrote 17 books and more than 50 short stories, poems and magazine articles, primarily about the American Old West. Her stories were well researched and often depicted the best, and the worse, of both sides. She was first published (a poem) in her senior year at the University of Montana; she sold her first short story, "Bonnie George Campbell" to The Saturday Evening Post in 1930. She is best known for three stories that were made into film: "The Hanging Tree," which starred Gary Cooper; "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," the first teaming of James Stewart, John Wayne and Lee Marvin; and "A Man Called Horse." Her stories "Lost Sister" and "A Man Called Horse" were also published in "The Western Hall of Fame," (1984) an anthology including the work of Mark Twain, Stephen Crane, O. Henry and Zane Grey. She was awarded the Montana's Outstanding Professional Woman of the Year (1952); the Western Writers of America Spur Award (1957 for "Lost Sister"); the University of Montana Distinguished Service Award (1961); the Western Writers of America Levi Strauss Golden Saddleman Award (1976); and the Western Heritage Wrangler Award (1978 for "Buffalo Woman"). She died of Parkinson's disease at her home in Missoula's West Rattlesnake Valley.
Author. A freelance writer, she wrote 17 books and more than 50 short stories, poems and magazine articles, primarily about the American Old West. Her stories were well researched and often depicted the best, and the worse, of both sides. She was first published (a poem) in her senior year at the University of Montana; she sold her first short story, "Bonnie George Campbell" to The Saturday Evening Post in 1930. She is best known for three stories that were made into film: "The Hanging Tree," which starred Gary Cooper; "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," the first teaming of James Stewart, John Wayne and Lee Marvin; and "A Man Called Horse." Her stories "Lost Sister" and "A Man Called Horse" were also published in "The Western Hall of Fame," (1984) an anthology including the work of Mark Twain, Stephen Crane, O. Henry and Zane Grey. She was awarded the Montana's Outstanding Professional Woman of the Year (1952); the Western Writers of America Spur Award (1957 for "Lost Sister"); the University of Montana Distinguished Service Award (1961); the Western Writers of America Levi Strauss Golden Saddleman Award (1976); and the Western Heritage Wrangler Award (1978 for "Buffalo Woman"). She died of Parkinson's disease at her home in Missoula's West Rattlesnake Valley.
Bio by: Beth Painter
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