Alberta Powell Graham

Born in Harrington, Delaware, Alberta Powell Graham moved to Ottumwa, Iowa, as a child and went on to build a career that blended music and writing. She studied at the American Conservatory in Chicago and also pursued training in fields including music, poetry, education, and literature.

Graham was known both as a composer and as an author, with hundreds of songs to her name as well as books for younger readers. Her writing focused heavily on biography and history, including works on figures such as Christopher Columbus, Clara Barton, La Salle, and Lafayette, along with books about American presidents and bands.

Later in life, she lived in Washington, D.C., where she carried out research at the Library of Congress. Her papers, preserved at the University of Iowa, reflect the two sides of her career: a deep commitment to music and a gift for making real historical lives interesting and approachable for children.