Los Angeles County
Biographies
MRS. NELLIE DEAN GRAHAM
Mrs. Nellie
Dean Graham, author, social worker and an outstanding society leader of Los
Angeles, is one of the most interesting and charming women of Southern
California. Mrs. Graham was born at Newark, Ohio,
daughter of Andrew and Gertrude M. (Dean) Smucker. She inherits her literary talent from the
father’s side of her house. A
great-uncle, Isaac Smucker, was an author, and a great-great-uncle, Rev. Samuel
Smucker, was both a clergyman and a writer in Heidelberg, Germany. Her maternal grandfather, Andrew J. Dean, was
a descendant of the Meeker family, his great-great-grandfather and eight
brothers all being soldiers of the Revolution.
When she
graduated from the Newark high school, Nellie Dean Smucker wrote the class song
and the class poem, and she began writing verse when a small girl. Thus her literary talents had the advantage
of early development. She was married
when quite young and in her early married life she contributed short stories to
magazines and newspapers, including the Ohio State Journal of Columbus and the
Boston Globe. Under the pen name of
Vosey she conducted for about two years a column in the Newark Advocate. She was a contributor to Godey’s Lady’s Book
in 1891 and 1892.
On the 8th
of November, 1888 when eighteen years of age, Miss Smucker was united in
marriage to Clarence Van Graham, of a long line of Scotch ancestry. They came to California
for the benefit of the health of Mrs. Graham, who since 1905 has lived in Los Angeles
County. Mr. Graham passed away October 20, 1920,
leaving an only son, William A. Graham, who resides in Hollywood, where he is engaged in
business. He married Miss Cleva O. Dunn,
who was born, reared and educated in Tacoma, Washington, and they have two children, William A., Jr.,
and Nancy Ann, both born in Hollywood.
After
establishing her home in Los Angeles,
Mrs. Graham entered the social life of the city. She has served as president of the Woman’s
City Club of Los Angeles and the Wednesday Afternoon Club of Alhambra and has
long held membership in the Southern California Woman’s Press Club and the
Friday Morning Club of Los Angeles. She
was made press chairman of the Los Angeles District of the California
Federation of the Women’s Clubs. For
three years she was president of the Press Club, has been for two years
president of the Philanthropy and Civics Club of Los Angeles and the past six
years has been president of the Pan Pacific Association for Mutual
Understanding. She became a member of
the republican state central committee in 1920, the first year when women
throughout the nation were permitted to vote for president. Mrs. Graham is Junior past president of the
Republican Study Club. She is now regent
of the Alhambra-San Gabriel Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. She was a charter member of the Woman’s
Athletic Club of Los Angeles and is a past grand associate matron of the
California Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star. During the World War she was appointed by
Governor Stephens to serve on the war donations board. Through all her activities in these various
clubs she has written constantly, using the professional pen name of Nellie
Dean Graham. A contemporary writer
said: “She is held in affectionate
regard by all who have come within the compass of her gracious influence, and
in California
her circle of friends is coincident with that of her acquaintances.”
Transcribed
By: Michele Y. Larsen on April 18, 2012.
Source: California
of the South Vol. II,
by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 285-286,
Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles,
Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 Michele
Y. Larsen.
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