Important Dates in the Life of Eudora WeltyFormative Years1909 April 13, Eudora Alice Welty born in Jackson, MS to Mary Chestina Andrews Welty and Christian Webb Welty 1925 Graduates from Central High School, Jackson 1925-27 Attends Mississippi State College for Women, Columbus 1927-29 Attends University of Wisconsin, Madison, B.A. degree with a major in English 1930-31 Studies advertising at Columbia Graduate School of Business, New York 1931 Father's death; returns to Jackson. Begins to work part-time for local radio station and to take freelance jobs as newspaper correspondent, publicist. 1933-36 Works as publicity agent for Works Progress Administration in Mississippi
Early Career 1937 Publishes "A Piece of News" and "A Memory" in the Southern Review 1940 Begins association with Diarmuid Russell as literary agent 1941 A Curtain of Green, with introduction by Katherine Anne Porter; O. Henry Award, second prize for "A Worn Path" 1942 The Robber Bridegroom; O Henry first prize for "The Wide Net"; awarded Guggeneim Fellowship 1943 The Wide Net and Other Stories; O. Henry Award, first prize for "Livvie Is Back." 1944 American Academy of Arts and Letters award of $1000; works for six months on staff of New York Times Book Review; uses pseudonym of Michael Ravenna when reviewing war books. 1946 Delta Wedding; in November, begins five month stay in San Francisco 1947 Gives lecture, "The Reading and Writing of Short Stories," at writers' conference, University of Washington, Seattle; August-November in San Francisco. 1949 The Golden Apples: Guggenheim Fellowship; travels to Europe. 1951 March to July in England; visits Elizabeth Bowen in Ireland. 1952 Election to National Institute of Arts and Letters 1954 The Ponder Heart and Selected Stories (Modern Library edition); July-October, Europe; gives lecture, "Place in Fiction," at Cambridge University 1955 The Bride of the Innisfallen; mother's eye surgery in March; receives William Dean Howells Medal 1956 Attends Broadway opening of Chodorov-Fields production of The Ponder Heart in February; show runs until late June. 1958-61 Honorary Consultant, Library of Congress, illnesses of mother and brother, Walter, who dies in January 1959 1964 The Shoe Bird, a book for children 1966 Death of mother in January; unexpected death of brother Edward a few days later; O. Henry first prize for "The Demonstrators."
Later Career 1970 Losing Battles; awarded the Edward McDowell Medal. 1971 One Time, One Place: Mississippi in the Depression, A Snapshot Album, introduction by Welty; named to American Academy of Arts and Letters. 1972 The Optimist's Daughter; Gold Medal for the Novel, National Institute of Arts and Letters; appointed to the National Council of the Arts. 1973 Pulitzer Prize for The Optimist's Daughter; Diarmuid Russell dies. 1978 The Eye of the Story: Selected Essays and Reviews 1980 The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty 1981 National Medal of Literature and Medal of Freedom awards 1984 One Writer's Beginnings; Modern Language Association Commonwealth Award. 1986 Jackson Public Library named in honor of Eudora Welty; National Medal of Arts. 1987 Named Chevalier de L'orde d'Arts et Lettres (France) 1989 Photographs; portrait of Welty added to National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution. 1990 "Eudora" email made available on the Internet 1991 The Norton Book of Friendship, ed. Eudora Welty and Ronald A. Sharp; National Book Foundation Medal; Helmerich Distinquished Author Award; Cleanth Brooks Medal (Southern Letters); Eudora Welty Society organized. 1992 Awarded the Frankel Prize by the National Endowment for the Humanities 1993 Receives PEN/Malamud Award (excellence in the short story); honorary doctorate, University of Dijon (France). 1994 A Writer's Eye: Collected Book Reviews, ed. Pearl Amelia McHaney 1995 Eudora Welty Writers' Center established by Mississippi legislature on site of Welty's childhood home, 741 N. Congress St. in Jackson 1996 Inducted into France's Legin of Honor 1997 Eudora Welty on the Internet
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