Hildegarde Dolson (1908–1981) was a prolific writer whose career spanned nearly fifty years. Her work appeared in major magazines, plus she was the author of fifteen books. She was born and raised in Franklin, Pennsylvania, the oldest of four children born to Clifford and Katherine Dolson. From 1926 to 1929, she attended Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, but left in her senior year to move to New York City. After holding down numerous jobs, Dolson found work as an advertising copywriter for Gimbels, Macy’s, Franklin-Simon, and Bamberger stores. She sold her first manuscript to The New Yorker and was later published in other major magazines, including Harper’s, Ladies Home Journal and Reader’s Digest. After her first book was published in 1938, she became a full-time freelance writer.
Portrait by Bradford Bachrach
