Marjory Stoneman Douglas

Marjory Stoneman Douglas was an American journalist, author, women’s suffrage advocate, and conservationist. She was known for her staunch defense of the Everglades against efforts to drain it and reclaim land for development. Douglas lived to 108, working until nearly the end of her life for Everglade restoration.

About Marjory Stoneman Douglas in brief

Summary Marjory Stoneman DouglasMarjory Stoneman Douglas was an American journalist, author, women’s suffrage advocate, and conservationist. She was known for her staunch defense of the Everglades against efforts to drain it and reclaim land for development. Douglas lived to 108, working until nearly the end of her life for Everglade restoration. She received numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and was inducted into several halls of fame. Marjory was born on April 7, 1890, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her parents’ separation and the contentiousness of her mother’s family caused her to suffer from night terrors. She credited her tenuous upbringing with making her “a skeptic and a dissenter’ for the rest of herLife. Her first book was Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, which she kept well into adulthood until “some fiend in human form must have borrowed it and not brought it back’’. Her books, stories, and journalism career brought her influence in Miami, enabling her to advance her causes. Her most influential work was the book The everglades: River of Grass. Her impact has been compared to that of Rachel Carson’s influential book Silent Spring. Her tireless efforts earned her several variations of the nickname ‘Grande Dame of the everglade’ as well as the hostility of agricultural and business interests looking to benefit from land development in Florida. She left for college in 1908, despite grave misgivings about the state of Florida, but recognized that she needed to leave in order to begin her own life.

She found success in a particular class at Wellesley College, graduating with a BA in English in 1912. During her senior year, her aunt informed her of a lump on her breast that had metastasized and informed her she had to have it removed. She became an Orator but was unable to fulfill the office since she was already involved in other activities in other schools. She later became a teacher and a librarian. She died in Miami in 1998. She is survived by her husband, two daughters, and a son. Her husband, Frank, was a well-known businessman and philanthropist in Miami. He died in 2007. Her son, Frank Stonman Douglas, is now the president of the Florida Museum of Natural History and Science. He is the author of the book “Everglades,” which was published in 1998 and has been translated into several languages, including English and Spanish. He was also a member of the board of directors of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and served as the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American Museum of Science and Industry. His wife, Florence Lillian Trefethen, died in 2008, and he died in 2009. He had a son, Michael, who was a physician and served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 20 years. He also served as a U.N. ambassador to the United States from 1987 to 1989.