Notable people · Literature · Art
Lois Lenski
Springfield-born author and illustrator who grew up in Anna, Ohio, graduated from Ohio State University in 1915, and won the 1946 Newbery Medal for Strawberry Girl. Published 98 books.
At a glance
- Born
- 1893-10-14
- Died
- 1974-09-11
- Education
- Sidney high school, Sidney, OH, to 1911
- Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, to 1915, B.S. education
- Art Students League, New York, 1915-1920
- Westminster School of Art, London, 1920-21
- Known as
- Literature, Art
- Organizations
- Ohio State University
Life story
Lois Lenski was born in Springfield, Ohio, in 1893, daughter of a Lutheran pastor and a schoolteacher. The family moved to Anna, Ohio, when she was six.
She finished high school in Sidney and earned a teaching degree at Ohio State University in 1915. She then studied art in New York and London.
She married the muralist Arthur Covey in 1921 and published her first books in the late 1920s. Strawberry Girl won the Newbery Medal in 1946, and her regional series showed children in many parts of America.
In 1967 she set up a foundation for libraries serving children in need. She died in Tarpon Springs, Florida, in 1974.
Timeline
- 1893-10-14: Born (Springfield, OH) source
- 1899: Family moves to Anna (Anna, OH) source
- 1911: Graduates Sidney high school (Sidney, OH) source
- 1915: B.S. in education, Ohio State University (Columbus, OH) source
- 1921-06-08: Marries Arthur Covey (New York) source
- 1927: First books published (New York) source
- 1945: Strawberry Girl published (United States) source
- 1946: Newbery Medal (United States) source
- 1967: Founds the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation (United States) source
- 1974-09-11: Dies (Tarpon Springs, FL) source
What Lois is known for
- Newbery Medal 1946 for Strawberry Girl (1945)
- 98 books, 1920s-1974
- Strawberry Girl (1945)
- Mr. Small series (1934-62)
- Bayou Suzette (1943)
- Illustrated The Little Engine That Could (1930)
Honors and things named for them
- Newbery Medal (1946)
- Regina Medal (1967)
- Honorary doctorates from Wartburg, UNC-Greensboro and Capital University
Family
- father: Richard C. H. Lenski
- mother: Marietta Young Lenski
- husband: Arthur Covey
- son: Stephen Covey
Ohio places
Where Lois Lenski was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Springfield, Clark County ZIP 45502 · Springfield · Clark County
- Lived: Anna, Shelby County ZIP 45302 · Anna · Shelby County
- School: Columbus (Ohio State University, 1915), Franklin County ZIP 43210 · Columbus · Franklin County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Lois Lenski (Wikipedia) born Springfield 1893-10-14; died Tarpon Springs FL 1974-09-11; Anna; OSU 1915; Newbery 1946