October 30, 1886. . . Zoe Akins Born
Zoe Akins, playwright, was born in Humansville, Missouri on October 30, 1886. She was educated at home, at Monticello Seminary in Godfrey, Illinois, and at Hosmer Hall in St. Louis. For many years, Akins lived in St. Louis where she wrote poetry and criticism for Reedy's Mirror. Later she contributed to leading magazines. She was married to Captain Hugo C. L. Rumbold on March 13, 1932.
Akins first stepped into the dramatic field in 1914 with “Papa.” A sophisticated comedy, it was too liberal for that day. She followed this with “The Magical City” and “Declassee,” the latter achieving a measure of success. Her efforts during the 1920s did not quite measure up to the expectations of the audiences, but when “The Greeks Had a Word For It” was produced in 1929-1930, it brought her deserved recognition as a popular dramatist. Akins' greatest achievement in the writing field came when she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1935 for her dramatization of Edith Wharton's story, The Old Maid.
Other plays written by Akins include: “Foot-Loose,” “Daddy's Gone A-Hunting,” “The Little Miracle,” and “The Love Duel.” She also authored many screenplays, two volumes of poetry, Interpretations, and The Hills Grow Smaller, and a novel, Forever Young. She died in 1958.
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