William Owen Steele (December 22, 1917 – June 25, 1979) was an American author from Tennessee.

William O. Steele
Photo of American Author William O. Steele
Born
William Owen Steele

December 22, 1917[1]
DiedJune 25, 1979(1979-06-25) (aged 61)
EducationAttended Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee[2]
OccupationAuthor
SpouseMary Quintard Govan
Parent(s)Core Steele
Sue Steele

Biography

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Early life

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William O. Steele was born on December 22, 1917, in Franklin, Tennessee. He was the son of Isore Steele and Susie Lee.[3] He spent a large amount of his youth exploring the woods around his home. This led to an interest in the history of the area and of its pioneers. He attended Cumberland University.[4]

Career

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He became the author of thirty-nine books. He wrote his historical adventure stories in his home on Signal Mountain, Tennessee, which was the setting for many of his fiction stories. His book, The Perilous Road, which was published in 1958, won the Newbery Honor in 1959.[5] Winter Danger earned the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1962.[6]

Personal life

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He was married to another author, Mary Quintard Govan.[7]

Death

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He died on June 25, 1979, at the age of 61.

Bibliography

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  • The Golden Root (1951)
  • The Buffalo Knife (1952)
  • Over-Mountain Boy (1952)
  • John Sevier Pioneer Boy (1953)
  • Wilderness Journey (1953)
  • The Story of Daniel Boone (1953)
  • Winter Danger (1954)
  • The Story of Leif Ericson (1954)
  • Tomahawks and Trouble (1955)
  • We Were There on the Oregon Trail (1955)
  • Davy Crockett's Earthquake (1956)
  • De Soto Child of the Sun (1956)
  • Lone Hunt (1956)
  • We Were There with the Pony Express (1956)
  • Daniel Boone's Echo (1957)
  • Flaming Arrows (1957)
  • The Perilous Road (1958)
  • Andy Jackson's Water Well (1959)
  • The Far Frontier (1959)
  • The Spooky Thing (1960)
  • Francis Marion Young Swamp Fox (1962)
  • Westward Adventure (1962)
  • The Year of the Bloody Sevens (1963)
  • The No-Name Man of the Mountain (1964)
  • Wayah of the Real People (1964)
  • The Trail Through Danger (1965)
  • The Tomahawk Border (1966)
  • Old Wilderness Road (1968)
  • Hound Dog Zip to the Rescue (1970)
  • Henry Woodward of Carolina (1972)
  • Triple Trouble for Hound Dog Zip (1972)
  • Wilderness Tattoo (1972)
  • Eye in the Forest (1975)
  • John's Secret Treasure (1975)
  • The Man with the Silver Eyes (1976)
  • Cherokee Crown of Tannassy (1977)
  • The Talking Bones (1978)
  • War Party (1978)
  • The Magic Amulet (1979)

References

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  1. ^ Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014. Social Security Administration.
  2. ^ "William O. Steele".
  3. ^ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNGR-82N : 3 February 2021), William Owen Steele in entry for Isore Steele, 1920.
  4. ^ "Arkansas Author, 2 Others to Speak at UA Book Festival". Arkansas Gazette. June 26, 1960. p. 9.
  5. ^ Sieruta, Peter D. (January 1, 2006), "Steele, William O.", The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref/9780195146561.001.0001, ISBN 978-0-19-514656-1, retrieved December 9, 2023
  6. ^ Steele, William O. (2004). Winter Danger. Harcourt. ISBN 9780152052058. Retrieved April 25, 2011 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "William O. Steele". Oxford Reference. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
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