Tag: University of Southern Mississippi

Louise Borden Visits Stone County!

borden 
Award winning children’s author Louise Borden will visit Stone County. This official bicentennial project is  made possible by a grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council and through support from the Mississippi Development Authority in partnership with the Friends of Stone County Libraries and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC). Louise Borden is the author of 19 picture books, and several picture book biographies.
Ms. Borden is a featured presenter at the 2017 (50th Annual) Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival April 5-7 at the University of Southern Mississippi.  All of Borden’s events are free and open to the public. For further information contact Kathryn Lewis at (228) 697-4505.
Louise Borden’s Schedule for April 3, 2017:
9 am
America Is
Malone Fine Arts Building, Perkinston Campus, MGCCC
                 
1pm
The Journey that Saved Curious George
Malone Fine Arts Building, Perkinston Campus, MGCCC
                                                                        
3:30pm
America Is …Mississippi Is
Stone Middle School, Wiggins
5:30pm
Book Signing and Author Feedback (Refreshments)
Wiggins Public Library, Wiggins

Emilie Blackmore Stapp Project

Daisha Walker of MGCCC with picture of Emilie Blackmore Stapp
Daisha Walker of MGCCC with picture of Emilie Blackmore Stapp

The Friends of  Stone County Libraries has received a $3,000 grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council for the Emilie Blackmore Stapp project.  Emilie B. Stapp was a well-known children’s author, who lived at the Friendship Farm in Stone County from 1935 until her death in 1962.  She is best known for the Go Hawks and Isabella the Wise Goose book series. Emilie and her sister Marie were active members of this community and were involved in many philanthropic endeavors,  including establishing the first library for Stone County citizens.  This grant will support research on the Stapp sisters, which will be followed by a presentation and gallery exhibit at the Visual Arts Center on the Perkinston Campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

The Friends of  Stone County Libraries is excited to be reintroducing the lives, work, and contributions of these two remarkable women to this community.  If you knew the Stapp sisters or have any information on them you would like to share please contact Daisha Walker at 228-669-9747 or at daish68@yahoo.com.

Friends is proud to partner with the Stone County Arts Council, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, the DeGrummond Children’s Literature Collection and The Old Firehouse Museum on this project.

Daisha Walker, MGCCC, and Ellen Ruffin, Curator, de Grummond at USM, research the project.
Daisha Walker, MGCCC, and Ellen Ruffin, Curator, de Grummond at USM, research the project.

Emilie Blackmore Stapp

Emilie Blackmore Stapp, an American children’s author and philanthropist, and her sister, Marie Graham Stapp, were women with a mission. Their lives are documented in an extensive collection of lively correspondence and letters, published and unpublished manuscripts for children’s stories in books, periodicals, and newspapers; original plays, illustrations and publicity materials; and, personal items, such as photographs of friends and notables, fragile scrapbooks documenting Emilie Stapp’s from 1904 through the time of her death in 1962 can be found in the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at The University of Southern Mississippi, McCain Library & Archives.

The Stapps lived in Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, and finally in Mississippi during a significant historical period, covering two world wars and the tumultuous Jim Crow era. Emilie Blackmore Stapp probably was years ahead of her time in her work with children of all races and creeds, raising funds for two World Wars, and other philanthropic efforts.  Some of these, commencing soon after their arrival in Wiggins, include deeding the land and facility for the Women’s Club of Wiggins, donating over 4000 books to establish the first lending library in Stone County, and funding construction for a new post office.

The Stapp sisters bought a farm they named Friendship Farm out Highway 26 East.  There  they established a pecan orchard and built their homenamed The Dolls’ House. The home received its name from a rare collection of over 400 dolls of historic significance, that the Stapp sisters acquired from their world travels and prominently displayed there during their lifetimes.You will be hearing more about Emilie Blackmore Stapp in the months ahead as The Old Firehouse Museum and The Stone County Arts Council jointly will celebrate her life and accomplishments in several very distinct ways. You will not want to miss those events so stay tuned for dates to be published!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

%d bloggers like this: