Betty Smith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Betty Smith
Smith circa 1943
Born	Elisabeth Lillian Wehner (1896-12-15)December 15, 1896 New York City, U.S.
Died	January 17, 1972(1972-01-17) (aged 75) Shelton, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation	Writer
Education	University of Michigan
Notable works	A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Betty Smith (born Elisabeth Lillian Wehner; December 15, 1896 – January 17, 1972) was an American writer. She was a talented playwright and novelist. She is best known for her famous 1943 book, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. This book became a bestseller.

Early Life and Dreams

Childhood in Brooklyn

Betty Smith was born Elisabeth Lillian Wehner on December 15, 1896. Her birthplace was Williamsburg, a part of Brooklyn, New York. Her parents, John C. Wehner and Katherine Hummel, were German-Americans. John worked as a waiter. Betty had a younger brother, William, and a younger sister, Regina.

Her family moved many times when she was young. They lived in different apartment buildings. One of these homes was on Grand Street. This apartment building later became the setting for her famous novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

A Passion for Writing

From a very young age, Betty loved to read and write. When she was eight, she earned an "A" for a school story. She later said, "I knew then that I would write a book one day." She spent a lot of time at the public library near her home. By age 11, two of her poems were published in a school paper.

Education and Work

Betty attended Public School 49 and then PS 18. She did not like PS 18. She managed to transfer to PS 23 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. She finished eighth grade there. At 14, her mother asked her to leave school. Betty had to work to help support her family.

Four years later, at 18, she wanted to continue her education. She found a way to attend Girls' High School in Brooklyn during the day. At the same time, she worked a night job in Manhattan. This was a very demanding schedule. After two years, she left school again. She took a good-paying job with the United States Postal Service. This job required her to work during the day.

Discovering Theater

As a teenager, Betty was very active at the Jackson Street Settlement House. This place offered many after-school activities. It became one of Betty's favorite spots. She especially enjoyed classes in playwriting and acting.

It was at this settlement house in 1917 that she met George H. E. Smith. He was the coach of her debate team. George's family name had been changed from Schmidt during World War I. Some people believe the famous "tree" from her novel might have grown near this settlement house.

A Writer's Journey

Family Life and Studies

In 1919, Betty moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan. She joined George Smith there. He was studying law at the University of Michigan. They married on October 18, 1919. Betty gave birth to two daughters during their time in Ann Arbor. Their names were Nancy Jean and Mary Elizabeth.

Betty waited until her daughters were in school to continue her own education. She had only finished two years of high school. So, she first enrolled in Ann Arbor High School. The principal thought it was unusual for a married woman to be a high school junior. However, he found no rule against it. She could not graduate because her husband found work in other cities.

Later, Betty and George decided to return to the University of Michigan. George wanted to study political science. Even though Betty had not finished high school, the university allowed her to take classes. She was a "special student." She began to take her writing more seriously. She realized it could be her career. She worked on her writing and journalism skills. She wrote articles, recipes, and plays.

Developing Her Craft

In 1933, Betty and George H.E. Smith separated. They divorced in 1938. Betty continued to use the Smith surname for her writing. She had a strong interest in theater from a young age. She and her brother Willie often went to Saturday matinees. They paid ten cents each to stand in the gallery.

Betty once wrote about her childhood love for theater. She said she saw at least one play a week. She did errands and saved her money to buy tickets. In 1916, she saw the famous actress Sarah Bernhardt perform. Betty remembered Bernhardt's "lovely speaking voice."

Success in Playwriting

At the University of Michigan, Betty took many writing classes. She studied with Professor Kenneth Thorpe Rowe. She wrote several plays under his guidance. One play was called Jonica Starrs. It was a story about family life. This play won a contest at the University of Michigan. It was performed in Ann Arbor in 1930.

In 1931, Betty won the Avery Hopwood Award. She won for her play Francie Nolan. This award came with $1,000, which was a lot of money then. It also brought her public attention. This play was later produced in 2023 by the Mint Theater Company.

After winning the Hopwood Award, Betty was invited to study drama at Yale University. She studied with the famous teacher George Pierce Baker. She wrote several plays during her two years there. She also met Robert V. Finch, a fellow playwright. He became a close friend. Her studies at Yale ended in 1934. She had money worries. She also missed her children very much. They were staying with her sister's family.

Betty never formally graduated from the University of Michigan. This was because she had not finished high school. So, she could not earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Without that, she could not get a Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale.

Moving to Chapel Hill

After her studies at Yale, Betty and her children returned to New York. They lived briefly with her mother. In 1935, Betty found an opportunity with the Works Projects Administration. This was a government program that helped people find jobs during the Great Depression. She started working for the Federal Theatre Project.

In 1936, Betty moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She worked on regional theater activities there. Betty finally found a place that felt like home in Chapel Hill. Even though she still struggled with money, she began to write more seriously.

Becoming a Novelist

Her Famous Books

In the late 1930s, Betty Smith started writing novels. Her friend, Bob Finch, and her writing group encouraged her. She decided to write about what she knew best: the apartment buildings and streets of Brooklyn.

Betty Smith wrote four novels that were published. Three of them are set in Brooklyn. Her first novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, was published in 1943. It quickly became a bestseller. This book made Betty Smith famous. Her second novel, Tomorrow Will Be Better, came out in 1947. Her third book, Maggie-Now, was published in 1958. Betty's fourth and final novel, Joy in the Morning, was published in 1963.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

While living in Chapel Hill, Betty wrote a novel. Its first title was They Lived in Brooklyn. Several publishers rejected it. But in 1942, Harper and Brothers became interested. Betty worked with their editors to revise the novel. She changed characters, conversations, and scenes. Finally, the book was accepted. It was released in 1943 as A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Betty later said the novel and its main character, Francie Nolan, were based on her own life. The book tells the story of a young girl growing up.

In 1944, 20th Century Fox made the novel into a film. Elia Kazan directed it. The movie, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, starred James Dunn, Dorothy McGuire, Joan Blondell, and Peggy Ann Garner. Peggy Ann Garner won a special Academy Award for her role as a child actress. James Dunn won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The film was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

During World War II, American publishers created special books called Armed Services Editions. These books were sent to soldiers fighting overseas. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was one of the most popular books among soldiers. Betty Smith received about 1,500 letters every year from servicemen. She even married a serviceman and editor in 1943.

A second film version of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was released in 1974. In the early 1950s, Betty also worked with George Abbott. They wrote the script for a musical version of the book. This musical came out in 1951.

Tomorrow Will Be Better

Betty Smith's second book, Tomorrow Will Be Better, was published in 1947. It is set in the apartment buildings of Brooklyn in the 1920s. The novel shows young adults trying to find a better future.

Since it was published soon after A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, people compared the two books. Both novels were about family life in Brooklyn and dealing with poverty. The main character, Margy Shannon, comes from a poor family. She meets Frankie, who also faces poverty. They try hard to improve their lives. They work to overcome many personal and financial challenges.

Tomorrow Will Be Better received mixed reviews. The New York Times gave it a positive review. They praised Betty's writing style as "unpretentious." Other reviews were less positive. Some called the novel "gloomy."

Other Novels

Betty Smith's third novel, Maggie-Now, was published in 1958. Her fourth and last novel, Joy in the Morning, appeared in 1963. This novel was also made into a film in 1965.

Personal Details

Family and Relationships

As a child, Betty was called Lizzie. But because she had trouble saying her "z" sounds, her family called her Liddie. She had a younger brother, William, and a younger sister, Regina. Her relationship with her father, John, was warm and loving. However, he faced challenges providing for his family. John Wehner died in 1913 at age 40.

In 1918, her mother, Catherine, married Michael Keogh. He worked for the city's public works department. This marriage brought much-needed financial stability to the family. Both William and Regina took the Keogh surname. Betty, being older, did not.

Betty Smith married three times. Her first marriage was to George H.E. Smith in 1919. They had two daughters, Nancy Jean and Mary Elizabeth. Betty and George separated and later divorced in 1938.

Her second marriage was to Joseph Piper Jones. He was a serviceman and editor. They married in 1943. This marriage did not last. By 1951, they realized they were not a good match. Betty filed for divorce in Nevada.

Six years later, in 1957, she married Robert Voris Finch. He was a longtime friend she had known since her Yale studies. Robert had health problems. He passed away in 1959, less than two years after they married.

Hobbies and Interests

Betty Smith was a small woman with dark brown hair and striking blue eyes. She loved fishing, especially at her cottage in Nags Head, North Carolina. She also enjoyed playing bingo.

Later Years

Betty Smith passed away on January 17, 1972. She was 75 years old. She died of pneumonia in Shelton, Connecticut.

Film Adaptations

• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (directed by Elia Kazan, starring Dorothy McGuire, James Dunn, and Joan Blondell). 20th Century Fox, 1945.
• Joy in the Morning (directed by Alex Segal, starring Richard Chamberlain and Yvette Mimieux). Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1965.