UNI alumna Bess Streeter Aldrich was a well-known American author. She wrote 160 short stories and several novels, the most popular one being A Lantern in Her Hand in 1925. Her writing reflected the lives of Iowa's and Nebraska's pioneers. Aldrich received her Bachelor of Didactics degree from UNI in 1901. She returned in 1906 to be a critic teacher for the primary grades for one year.

More information about Bess Streeter Aldrich can be located on the Aldrich page of the community Cedar Falls Authors Festival website.

Additional information can be found at the Bess Streeter Aldrich Foundation and the Nebraska State Historical Society websites and in the article: A Mabel Meier, "Bess Streeter Aldrich: A Literary Portrait," Nebraska History 50 (1969): 66-100.

News Updates:

2/8/2017
We discovered four pieces of Bess Streeter Aldrich correspondence in the UNI University Archives! All letters are signed by hand. Stop by Special Collections to see them.