Purple Acheson Wallace
Lila Acheson Wallace (actually Lila Bell Acheson , born December 25, 1889 in Virden , Canada ; † May 8, 1984 in Mount Kisco , New York ) was an American publisher and benefactress who, together with her husband DeWitt Wallace Reader’s Digest , one of the highest-circulation magazines in the world.
Life
Acheson was the daughter of a Presbyterian minister and grew up in small towns in the Midwest . She studied at the University of Oregon , which she graduated with success in 1917, and then taught in schools.
In Tacoma , Washington State , she met the aspiring publisher DeWitt Wallace. Wallace entrusted her with his idea for a magazine that would collect stories in digest format. Before the project was started, however, the United States entered the First World War one. While Wallace was serving in the US Army , Acheson organized YWCA centers in the eastern states for women who worked in the war industry . After the war she remained active in social work in the east. In 1921 she married Wallace, a year later on February 5, 1922, the first edition of Reader's Digest appeared . The magazine's circulation rose from 1,500 in the first year to 200,000 in 1929. At the beginning of the 21st century, Reader's Digest appeared in 50 editions and 21 languages, with an estimated worldwide circulation of around 23 million copies.
The Wallaces engaged in a variety of community activities, including restoring historic sites around the world. In 1972 both received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for their charitable work . The Wallace Foundation (before 2003 Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund ) supports educational and cultural programs.
Lila Acheson Wallace died of complications from Alzheimer's disease .
Award
- 1972 Presidential Medal of Freedom
- 1978 External member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts
- 1992 National Medal of Arts , posthumously
Others
The Lila Wallace Reader's Digest Writers Award is named after her.
Web links
- Lila Acheson Wallace in the nndb (English)
- Full biography (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Michael Ray: Lila Bell Acheson. In: Encyclopædia Britannica . Retrieved April 8, 2020 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Wallace, Lila Acheson |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Wallace, Lila Bell Acheson (full name); Acheson, Lila Bell |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American publisher |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 25, 1889 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Virden , Canada |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 8, 1984 |
| Place of death | Mount Kisco , New York , United States |