Ruth Bellamy
American poet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ruth Bellamy (November 5, 1906 – March 5, 1969), also known as Ruth Bellamy Brownwood, was an American writer, a journalist, dramatist, songwriter, actress, and poet, based in North Carolina and Japan.
November 5, 1906
Ruth Bellamy | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ruth Elizabeth Bellamy November 5, 1906 Enfield, North Carolina |
| Died | March 5, 1969 (aged 62) Durham, North Carolina |
| Other name | Ruth Bellamy Brownwood |
| Occupations | Writer, poet, dramatist, journalist, songwriter, college professor |
Early life and education
Ruth Elizabeth Bellamy was born in Enfield, North Carolina, the daughter of Phesington Sugg Bellamy and Lula Spruill Bellamy.[1] Her father was a businessman. Her mother, known as "Mamee", was a well-known social figure in Rocky Mount in her later years.[2]
Bellamy earned a bachelor's degree in dramatics[3] at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1928, and pursued further studies at Columbia University and the University of California.[4]
Career
Bellamy was head of the Spoken English and Expression department at High Point College,[5] and taught dramatics;[6] she was active in women's club activities at High Point.[7][8] She worked at a travel agency in San Francisco.[5] She taught English and wrote in Japan for five years,[3] and in Hong Kong for two years.[9] She edited two books by Kuni Sasaki, including Reluctant Bachelor (1962).[10] She wrote poems, songs, plays, and articles, including a song titled "Blues Tokyo" that became popular in Japan.[4][5][11]
Bellamy also acted through much of her life, performing in school as a girl, and active on stage and backstage with the Morningside Players in New York, the Civic Theater in Washington, D.C., and the Tokyo Amateur Dramatic Club.[3]
Personal life
Ruth Bellamy married, and had a son, David Owen Brownwood, born in Los Angeles in 1935. She married a screenwriter, William A. Golkopf, in 1946, in New York City;[12] they divorced in 1948. She died at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, in 1969, aged 62 years.[4][13] Her papers are archived at East Carolina University.[5]
