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.

When asked to testify at the 1980 trial of a suit involving the two publishers of Nancy Drew, Benson knew it was time to set the record straight. At the trial she testified about the differences between the Nancy she had helped to create and the Nancy of later revisions, molded by Harriet Stratemeyer Adams. Benson said that the updates took the "spice" out of the original books, noting, "I was probably a rough-and-tumble newspaper person who had to earn a living, and I was out in the world. That was my type of Nancy."

After the trial, she began to get the recognition she deserved, and the 1993 Nancy Drew Conference at the University of Iowa honored her achievements.

Nancy Drew first came out at a time when girls were ready for something different. Benson strove to create a character distinct from the usual heroine of girls' books; the author boldly fleshed out a spirited teen-age sleuth, ready to take on dastardly villains, explore hidden passageways, and overcome
all obstacles and formulaic foibles.

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Date published: 6/4/2002