Angela
Morgan: A Brief Sketch
Family Life
Although Angela Morgan (born Nina Lillian Morgan) claimed her birth year
as 1883, she was probably born closer to 1875 in Yazoo County, Mississippi.
In her own accounts she recalls her childhood home as Washington D.C. instead
of Lawrence Kansas where her family moved in 1885, suggesting the earlier
birth date. Morgan's family included parents Alwyn and Carol and her three
sisters and one brother. After the death of Col. Alwyn Morgan, the four
sisters formed a quartet and went on the road with their brother Albert
as manager. They called themselves "The Morgan Sisters" and "The Angela
Sisters," perhaps an explanation of how Nina became Angela. The group disbanded
in 1898 upon the death of Helen and marriage of the others. Morgan married
Peter Swenigson in 1900 but divorced in 1906.
Career
Before the World War I era, Morgan made a living as a journalist for publications
as the Chicago Daily American, the New York American, and the Boston American.
In 1915 Morgan became a full time poet under the patronage of Mrs. John
Henry Hammond and later Mrs. Andrew Carnegie who published Morgan's "Battle
Cry of the Mothers." Morgan, a prolific writer was published in many capacities,
under contract with the International Feature's Syndicate or for Mrs. Hammond.
She moved with her mother to London in 1923 and was away from the American
literary scene for almost 3 years. Upon her return in 1926, she settled
in Philadelphia and in the following years, she served as resident poet
at Ogontz Junior College, president of the Philadelphia branch of the League
of American Pen Women and chairman of the literary arts committee of the
Philadelphia Arts Alliance. In 1936 she was elected poet laureate of the
National Federation of Women's Clubs. Angela Morgan died on January 24,
1957 in Mt. Marion New York. The Angela Morgan papers were stored in a
warehouse in Philadelphia. When they went to auction to pay for storage
fees, Morgan's friend Rebecca Shelley bought them and moved them to her
Michigan farm. Rebecca Shelley donated the extensive collection to the
Bentley Library.
Involvement in the Peace Movement
On April 28, 1915, the year Battle Cry of the Mothers was published, Angela
Morgan attended the International Congress of Women at The Hague, Holland.
She served as one of 1,136 delegates to this ground breaking international
conference to promote peace. Morgan recited her poem at this conference
making Battle Cry of the Mothers an anthem for pacifism from the female
perspective.
* This biography was compiled from information from the Angela Morgan
Papers at the Bentley Historical Library.
For further online biographical or information on Angela Morgan see the
New
York Public Library's collection.