Millie Benson wrote the book--really, many books--on feisty girls

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Date published: 6/4/2002

ADRIAN, Texas--Barnstorming Iowa in
an old Jenny biplane in search of
excitement, seeking out life's ancient mysteries at archaeological sites in Central America--these were among the real-life adventures of a real-life Nancy Drew: Mildred Benson, dead at 96.

Benson, whose legacy will be her successful teen-age sleuth, Nancy Drew, herself trailblazed a path throughout the last century, her life full of colorful escapades, and she did it in the spirit of feisty independence.

Benson, whose exploits paralleled those of Nancy Drew and her personal-favorite creation, Penny Parker, "girl reporter," spoke with me about her long career as a writer last year in Toledo, Ohio. Members of my Nancy Drew Sleuths group had traveled from all over the country to meet their favorite author.

Benson was not one to dwell on the past, rather looking to the endless possibilities lying ahead. In an interview about writing the Nancy Drew books, she said, "I didn't analyze things. I just sat down at my typewriter, put in a sheet of paper, and let it roll."

She modestly expressed wonder at the cultural touchstone she helped to create. While perhaps never fully realizing her impact on the lives of countless children, Benson said she was gratified to have inspired so many to do more in their lives.

Under the ghost name of Carolyn Keene, Benson wrote 23 of the first 30 original Nancy Drew books for the Stratemeyer Syndicate. She signed a contract agreeing not to reveal that she was Carolyn Keene, releasing all rights to the books. However, she believed in integrity and absolute honesty--"in everything, but particularly [in] journalism." When the syndicate celebrated Nancy Drew's 50th birthday in 1980, syndicate partner Harriet Stratemeyer Adams claimed that she and her father, Edward Stratemeyer, had written the early Drew books. This misinformation was widely published in the media and reference books.

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Date published: 6/4/2002