Myrtle Smith Livingston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Myrtle Smith Livingston
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Myrtle Smith Livingston, from a 1926 publication
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| Born |
Myrtle Athleen Smith
May 8, 1902 Holly Grove, Arkansas
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| Died | July 15, 1974 Hawaii
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Educator, playwright |
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Notable work
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For Unborn Children (play) |
Myrtle Smith Livingston (born May 8, 1902 – died July 15, 1974) was an important American educator and writer. She helped create sports programs for women at a university and wrote a famous play.
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Her Early Life and Education
Myrtle Athleen Smith was born in Holly Grove, Arkansas, in 1902. Her parents were Isaac Samuel Smith and Lulu C. Hall Smith. She finished high school in 1920.
She studied pharmacy at Howard University for two years, from 1920 to 1922. Later, she earned a teaching certificate in Colorado in 1924. She continued her studies and received a master's degree in 1940 from Columbia University.
Making a Difference in Education
In 1928, Livingston started teaching physical education at Lincoln University in Missouri. She did a lot to create sports opportunities for women students. She helped start many organized team sports for them.
In 1936, she also began a dance program at Lincoln. It was called the Orchesis Group. During World War II, she taught first aid classes to people in the community. She worked at Lincoln University until she retired in 1972.
A Playwright's Voice
Livingston wrote a short play called For Unborn Children. This play was about important social issues. In 1926, it won a prize in a competition held by The Crisis magazine. It was the first play ever published in The Crisis.
Later, in 1951, this play became the basis for an opera called The Barrier by Jan Meyerowitz. Experts have noted that the play discusses issues that are still important today. She also wrote another short play called Frances.
Her Personal Life
Myrtle A. Smith married William McKinley Livingston in 1925. He was a doctor. She passed away in 1974 in Hawaii, when she was 72 years old. Today, there is a park with tennis courts named after her at Lincoln University. It is called Myrtle Smith Livingston Park.
