Elizabeth Gray Vining facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elizabeth Gray Vining
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Crown Prince Akihito and Elizabeth Gray Vining
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| Born |
Elizabeth Janet Gray
October 6, 1902 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S
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| Died | November 27, 1999 (aged 97) |
| Alma mater | Germantown Friends School Bryn Mawr College Drexel Institute Wilmington College |
| Occupation | Writer, librarian |
| Known for | Teacher of Emperor Akihito |
| Spouse(s) |
Morgan Fisher Vining
(m. 1929; died 1933) |
| Awards | Newbery Award |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gakushūin Tsuda College Bryn Mawr College |
| Notable students | Akihito Masahito, Prince Hitachi Kazuko Takatsukasa Atsuko Ikeda Takako Shimazu |
Elizabeth Janet Gray Vining (born October 6, 1902, died November 27, 1999) was an American writer and librarian. She is famous for teaching English to Emperor Akihito of Japan when he was a young prince. She also wrote many books, including Adam of the Road, which won the important Newbery Medal in 1943.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Elizabeth Janet Gray was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 6, 1902. She went to Germantown Friends School. Later, she earned a degree from Bryn Mawr College in 1923. In 1926, she got another degree in library science from the Drexel Institute. After that, she worked as a librarian at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
In 1929, she married Morgan Fisher Vining. He was also part of the University of North Carolina. Sadly, in 1933, her husband died in a car accident in New York City. Elizabeth was also badly hurt. While she was getting better, she became a member of the Quaker faith.
Elizabeth Vining soon became well-known as an author. She mainly wrote books for children. Her book Adam of the Road won the famous Newbery Medal in 1943. By the end of World War II, she had already published eleven books.
Teaching the Japanese Imperial Family
From 1946 to 1950, after World War II, Japan was occupied by Allied forces. During this time, Emperor Hirohito himself chose Elizabeth Vining. He wanted her to be a private tutor for his son, Crown Prince Akihito. Akihito was the future Emperor.
As part of her teaching, she set up special meetings. Four Western teenage boys in Tokyo would meet with the prince. This helped him practice speaking English. She even gave the prince a nickname: “Jimmy.” She later wrote that the prince was mostly interested in fish. She felt he needed to learn about more things. Some people in Japan did not like the influence of this American teacher. They felt she was changing the young prince too much.
Besides teaching English, Vining also taught the Imperial children about Western culture. These children included Prince Hitachi and the Princesses Kazuko, Atsuko, and Takako. She also gave lectures at Gakushūin and Tsuda College.
For her important work, she received a special award from Japan. It was called the Order of the Sacred Treasure. She received it just before she returned to the United States in 1950.
Later Life and Achievements
After returning to the United States, Vining wrote a book. It was about her time in Japan. The book, called Windows for the Crown Prince, came out in 1952. Throughout her life, Elizabeth Vining wrote over 60 books. These included both fiction and non-fiction.
She also served on the Board of Trustees for Bryn Mawr College. She was the vice-president from 1952 to 1971. In 1954, she received the Women's National Book Association Skinner Award. This award recognized her excellent work in her field. In 1962, Wilmington College gave her an honorary Doctorate of Literature.
Honors and Awards
- Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1950
- Order of the Precious Crown
