Ruth Bellamy (November 5, 1906 – March 5, 1969), also known as Ruth Bellamy Brownwood, was an American writer, a journalist, dramatist, songwriter, actress, and poet, based in North Carolina and Japan.
Ruth Bellamy | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ruth Elizabeth Bellamy November 5, 1906 Enfield, North Carolina |
| Died | March 5, 1969 (aged 62) Durham, North Carolina |
| Other names | Ruth Bellamy Brownwood |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, poet, dramatist, journalist, songwriter, college professor |
Early life and education edit
Ruth Elizabeth Bellamy was born in Enfield, North Carolina, the daughter of Phesington Sugg Bellamy and Lula Spruill Bellamy.[1] Her father was a businessman. Her mother, known as "Mamee", was a well-known social figure in Rocky Mount in her later years.[2]
Bellamy earned a bachelor's degree in dramatics[3] at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1928, and pursued further studies at Columbia University and the University of California.[4]
Career edit
Bellamy was head of the Spoken English and Expression department at High Point College,[5] and taught dramatics;[6] she was active in women's club activities in High Point.[7][8] She worked at a travel agency in San Francisco.[5] She taught English and wrote in Japan for five years,[3] and in Hong Kong for two years.[9] She edited two books by Kuni Sasaki, including Reluctant Bachelor (1962).[10] She wrote poems, songs, plays, and articles, including a song titled "Blues Tokyo" that became popular in Japan.[4][5][11]
Bellamy also acted through much of her life, performing in school as a girl, and active on stage and backstage with the Morningside Players in New York, the Civic Theater in Washington, D.C., and the Tokyo Amateur Dramatic Club.[3]
Personal life edit
Ruth Bellamy married and she had a son, David Owen Brownwood, born in Los Angeles in 1935. She married a screenwriter, William A. Golkopf, in 1946, in New York City;[12] they divorced in 1948. She died at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, in 1969, aged 62 years.[4][13] Her papers are archived at East Carolina University.[5]
References edit
- ^ "Celebrate Golden Anniversary". Rocky Mount Telegram. 1966-08-14. p. 4. Retrieved 2020-09-25 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ ""Mamee" 84-Year-Old Landmark, Celebrated Birthday in Enfield". Rocky Mount Telegram. 1966-08-14. p. 4. Retrieved 2020-09-25 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Mincher, Ruth (1960-07-31). "Enfield Native Making Name in Arts in Tokyo". Rocky Mount Telegram. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-09-25 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Halifax Native was Noted in Literature". Rocky Mount Telegram. 1969-03-13. p. 16. Retrieved 2020-09-25 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Ruth Bellamy Papers - Collection Guides". Eastern Carolina University. Retrieved 2020-09-25.
- ^ "Positions Given Graduates of '32". High Point Enterprise. p. 3. Retrieved September 25, 2020 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
- ^ "Music-Literature Dept. Will Meet". High Point Enterprise. February 14, 1933. p. 6. Retrieved September 25, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Music-Literature Program Glorifies Lincoln's Life". High Point Enterprise. February 16, 1933. p. 6. Retrieved September 25, 2020 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
- ^ "Mrs. Brownwood Returning Home". Rocky Mount Evening Telegram. July 27, 1963. p. 2. Retrieved September 25, 2020 – via NewspaperArchive.com.
- ^ Sasaki, Kuni (1962). Reluctant bachelor, an original Japanese story. Translated by Kuni Sasaki and Jiro c. Araki. Preservation Department UCLA Library. New York : Vantage Press.
- ^ Office, Library of Congress Copyright (1958). Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series. p. 1074.
- ^ "Married". Alumnae News: 25. November 1946 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Mrs. Ruth B. Brownwood". The News and Observer. 1969-03-06. p. 29. Retrieved 2020-09-25 – via Newspapers.com.
