Florence Ripley Mastin
Florence Ripley Mastin | |
|---|---|
 Mastin, from the Class of 1908 yearbook of Barnard College | |
| Born | Florence Josephine Mastin March 18, 1886 |
| Died | February 23, 1968 (aged 81) |
| Occupation | Writer, poet |
| Alma mater | Barnard College |
| Notable awards | Freedom Foundation Medal |
| Partner | Grace Beatrice MacColl |
| Relatives | George Ripley (ancestor) |
Florence Ripley Mastin (March 18, 1886 – February 23, 1968)[1][2] was an American poet and teacher.[1] Her work appeared regularly in The New York Times and other publications, and her "Freedom's Dream" was chosen as the official poem of New York State's observance of the Hudson-Champlain 350th Celebration in 1960.
Early life and education
[edit]Florence Josephine Mastin was born on March 18, 1886, in Wayne, Pennsylvania,[2] and grew up in Piermont, New York, the daughter of William Francis Mastin and Florence Amelia Wells Mastin.[3] She earned a bachelor's degree at Barnard College in 1908.[4][5] In her twenties she changed her middle name from Josephine to Ripley, which was her maternal grandmother's maiden name.[2] She was descended from reformer and critic George Ripley.[1]
Career
[edit]Mastin taught English at Erasmus Hall High School.[4][6] She wrote a school song for Erasmus Hall in 1915.[7] Mastin published her first book of poetry, Green Leaves, in 1918. Mastin's poem "Freedom's Dream" won the Freedom Foundation Medal in 1959[8] and in 1960 was made New York State's official poem for the observance of the Hudson-Champlain 350th Celebration.[1]
Publications
[edit]Mastin's poems were published in The New York Times,[1][4] Poetry,[9] The Survey,[10] Unity,[11] Current History,[12] Labor Digest,[13] and many others. She published several collections of her poetry.[14]
- Green Leaves (1918)
- Cables of Cobweb (1935)
- Over the Tappen Zee (1962)
Personal life and legacy
[edit]Mastin and her widowed mother lived together for many years. After her mother's death in 1943, Mastin and her Barnard classmate Grace Beatrice MacColl lived together as partners.[15] Mastin died on February 23, 1968, in New York, at the age of 81.[1]
There is a collection of her papers at Syracuse University.[8] In 1972 students in Nyack studied works by Mastin before a bicycling trip.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "Florence Ripley Mastin Is Dead". The New York Times. February 24, 1968. p. 27.
- ^ a b c Mike Hays (November 5, 2020). "Nyack People & Places: Chalk, Woodsmoke, Apple, & Corduroys". Nyack News & Views. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ Parents' names from 1900 United States census, via Ancestry.
- ^ a b c "Florence Ripley Mastin". Poetry Foundation. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ Barnard College, Mortarboard (1908 yearbook): 149.
- ^ Tilevitz, Nettie (May 29, 1983). "English at Erasmus". The New York Times. p. 79. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
- ^ "New Erasmus Song, 'The Big Gray School'". Brooklyn Eagle. January 11, 1915. p. 4. Retrieved June 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Florence Ripley Mastin Papers". Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ Mastin, Florence Ripley (May 1928). "Hearing the Frogs". Poetry. 32 (11): 85.
- ^ Mastin, Florence Ripley (November 17, 1917). "The Deaf Mute". The Survey: 164.
- ^ Mastin, Florence Ripley (December 23, 1915). "To the Dreamer". Unity. 76 (17): 259.
- ^ Mastin, Florence Ripley (March 1916). "The Sharpshooter". Current History: 1114.
- ^ Mastin, Florence Ripley (June 1916). "The Knight Errant". Labor Digest. 8 (5): 30.
- ^ Mastin, Florence Ripley (January 17, 2016). "Moth Moon". The Griffin Daily News. pp. B2. Retrieved June 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ 1950 United States census, via Ancestry.
- ^ Geacintov, Martha (October 29, 1972). "Cycling trip makes bards of Nyack H.S. students". The Journal News. p. 17. Retrieved June 1, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
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