Mary Katharine Reely

Mary Katharine Reely
Reely, from the 1930 yearbook of the University of Wisconsin
Born(1881-09-20)September 20, 1881
Spring Green, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedJune 10, 1959(1959-06-10) (aged 77)
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Other namesKate Reely
OccupationsPlaywright, writer, clubwoman

Mary Katharine Reely (September 20, 1881 – June 10, 1959)[1][2] was an American playwright, writer, editor, and pacifist. She taught at the University of Wisconsin–Madison from 1921 to 1947.

Early life and education

Reely was born in Spring Green, Wisconsin, the daughter of George G. Reely and Artie Bibb Reely. She graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1912.[3]

Career

Reely taught school as a young woman, and worked at the Unity Settlement House in Minneapolis from 1906 to 1908.[3] She was an editor of Book Review Digest,[4][5] and wrote debaters' handbooks, compiling source documents, research, and analysis on various controversial issues[6] for use in community groups and classrooms.[7][8] She published her first play, Anyman: A Modern Morality Play in One Act, in 1913,[9] with at least a dozen more to follow.[10][11]

Reely returned to Wisconsin after World War I, and taught in the library school at the University of Wisconsin–Madison,[12] where she also edited the Wisconsin Library Bulletin.[13] She spoke to radio audiences[14] and community groups about libraries, books and reading.[15][16][17] She resigned from the Wisconsin Free Library Commission in 1947.[18][19]

Reely was secretary of the Madison branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) from 1925 to 1933.[3] She attended the WILPF meeting in Dublin in 1926.[20] She was a member of the American Association of University Women and the National League of American Pen Women.[3]

Reely died in 1959, at the age of 77, in Minneapolis.[2]

Publications

Current affairs guides

  • Selected articles on world peace (1914)[7]
  • Selected articles on immigration (1915)[8]
  • Selected articles on minimum wage (1917)[21]
  • Country life and rural problems: A study outline (1918)[22]
  • Selected articles on disarmament (1921)[23]

Plays

  • Anyman (1913)[9]
  • The Helpmeet: A Domestic Comedy (1914, The Masses)
  • Daily Bread, A Window to the South, and The Lean Years (1919)[24]
  • Solidarity: A Rural Drama of Today (1920)
  • Early Ohios and Rhode Island Reds (1921)[10]
  • The House Can't Build the Barn (1923)[25]
  • Uncle Sam brings it to your door (1923)[26]
  • They Just Won't Talk! and To Be Dealt with Accordingly (1924)[3]
  • Flittermouse (1927)[25]
  • Cave Stuff and Trails (1928)[3]
  • Bringing Up Nine (1930)[11]

Children's literature

  • Through Golden Windows: Children's Poets and Story-tellers (1934, with her sister, Ada M. Randall)[27]
  • The Blue Mittens (1936, children's book)[19]
  • "Thumbs Up Farm" (1946)[28]
  • Seatmates (1949, children's book illustrated by Eloise Wilkin)[29]

Essays and articles

  • "O. Henry vs. Scott" (1922)[13]
  • "Outstanding books for Wisconsin libraries" (1927)[30]
  • "Now is the time to read old books" (1931)[31]
  • "Book selection, positive and negative; Some reflections on discarding, building, and replacing" (1942)[32]

Short fiction

  • "Doctor Goes North" (1917)[33]
  • "Mother's Day" (1917)[33]
  • "A Pot of Bulbs" (1930)[34]

Poetry

  • "He is a King" (1915)[35]
  • "Lilacs Stay On" (1925)[36]
  • "Epitaph" (1927)[37]

References

  1. ^ Birth and death date from Minnesota Death Index, via Ancestry, match the dates on her gravestone.
  2. ^ a b "Mary K. Reely, Children's Book Author, Dies". The Minneapolis Star. 1959-06-11. p. 39. Retrieved 2026-01-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Jones, Margaret C. (1993). Heretics & hellraisers : women contributors to The Masses, 1911-1917. Internet Archive. University of Texas Press. p. 182. ISBN 978-0-292-74026-6.
  4. ^ Mary Katharine Reely (1920). The Book Review Digest 1919. Internet Archive.
  5. ^ Mary Katharine Reely (1921). The Book Review Digest 1920. Internet Archive.
  6. ^ "Brilliant Librarian at Harrison Meeting". The Vancouver Sun. 1937-08-31. p. 6. Retrieved 2026-01-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b Reely, Mary Katharine (1914). Selected articles on world peace including international arbitration and disarmament. Debaters' handbook series. White Plains, N.Y., New York City: The H.W. Wilson Company.
  8. ^ a b Reely, Mary Katharine (1915). Selected articles on immigration. White Plains, N.Y.: H.W. Wilson.
  9. ^ a b Reely, Mary Katharine (1913), Anyman. A modern morality play in one act, Boston : Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association, the Woman's Journal, retrieved 2026-01-24
  10. ^ a b Reely, Mary Katharine (1921). Early Ohios and Rhode Island reds; a comedy in one act. The Library of Congress. [Minneapolis, The Perine Book Co.]
  11. ^ a b Reely, Mary Katharine; American Library Association (1930). Bringing up nine. Chicago: American library association.
  12. ^ University of Wisconsin–Madison, The Badger (1930 yearbook): 38.
  13. ^ a b Reely, Mary Katharine (March 1922). "O. Henry vs. Scott". Wisconsin Library Bulletin. 18 (3): 53–58 – via Internet Archive.
  14. ^ "Mary K. Reely in Chicago to Broadcast and Speak on Books". The Capital Times. 1935-11-22. p. 8. Retrieved 2026-01-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Mary K. Reely's Book Journey Given Monroe; Woman's Club Interestingly Entertained with Talk". The Capital Times. 1930-03-30. p. 21. Retrieved 2026-01-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "University Women Elect, Hear Discussion of Books". The Journal Times. 1940-03-06. p. 12. Retrieved 2026-01-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Club Solicits Donations for the Hospital; Mary K. Reely GIves Book Week Address at Watertown". The Capital Times. 1930-11-23. p. 15. Retrieved 2026-01-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Kate Reely Retires". Wisconsin Library Bulletin. 43 (7): 103. July 1947 – via Internet Archive.
  19. ^ a b "Resigns". The Capital Times. 1947-07-15. p. 1. Retrieved 2026-01-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Local Woman Will Represent U.S. at Dublin". Wisconsin State Journal. 1926-06-13. p. 21. Retrieved 2026-01-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Reely, Mary Katharine (1917). Selected articles on minimum wage. White Plains, N.Y., New York City: The H.W. Wilson Company.
  22. ^ Reely, Mary Katharine (1918). Country life and rural problems; a study outline. Study outline series. New York, N.Y.: The H.W. Wilson Company.
  23. ^ Reely, Mary Katharine (1921). Selected articles on disarmament. University of California Libraries. New York : The H. W. Wilson company; [etc., etc.]
  24. ^ Reely, Mary Katharine (1919). Daily bread; A window to the south; The lean years. Lean years. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company.
  25. ^ a b The United States Catalog: Books in Print. H.W. Wilson. 1928. p. 660.
  26. ^ Reely, Mary Katharine (June 1923). "Uncle Sam brings it to your door". Wisconsin Library Bulletin. 19 (6): 143–147 – via internet Archive.
  27. ^ Randall, Ada M.; Brock, Emma L.; Reely, Mary Katharine (1935). Through golden windows: children's poets and story-tellers. May G. Quigley collection. Milwaukee: E. M. Hale.
  28. ^ "Mary K. Reely Writes New Wisconsin Story for Children". The Capital Times. 1946-09-05. p. 7. Retrieved 2026-01-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ Reely, Mary Katharine (1949). Seatmates;. Internet Archive. New York, F. Watts.
  30. ^ Reely, Mary Katharine (November 1927). "Outstanding books for Wisconsin libraries". Wisconsin Library Journal. 23 (9): 241 – via Internet Archive.
  31. ^ Reely, Mary Katharine (November 1931). "Now is the time to read old books". Wisconsin Library Bulletin. 27 (9): 226–227 – via Internet Archive.
  32. ^ Reely, Mary Katharine (June 1942). "Book selection, positive and negeative; Some reflections on discarding, building, and replacing". Wisconsin Library Bulletin. 38 (6): 89–92 – via Internet Archive.
  33. ^ a b The Best Short Stories of 1917, and the Yearbook of the American Short Story. Small, Maynard. 1918. p. 586.
  34. ^ Reely, Mary Katharine (May–June 1930). "A Pot of Bulbs". The Midland: A Magazine of the Middle West. 16 (3): 160–169 – via Internet Archive.
  35. ^ Reely, Mary Katharine (1915-09-26). "He is a King". The Minneapolis Journal. p. 20. Retrieved 2026-01-25 – via Newspapers.com.
  36. ^ Reely, Mary Katharine (October 1925). "Lilacs Stay On". The Wisconsin Magazine: 9 – via Internet Archive.
  37. ^ Reely, Mary Katharine (February 9, 1927). "Epitaph". The Commonweal. 5 (14): 378 – via Internet Archive.
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