author
Dolly Williams Kirk
1863–1941
An Alabama teacher and writer, she is best remembered for bringing legends of chivalry to young readers in a lively, accessible way. Her work reflects both a love of history and years spent in the classroom.
1 Audiobook
With Spurs of Gold: Heroes of Chivalry and their Deeds
by Frances Nimmo Greene, Dolly Williams Kirk
About the author
Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Dolly Williams Kirk was an educator as well as an author. Reference sources describe her early schooling in New Orleans and later study at Sophie Newcomb College, Chautauqua, the University of Michigan, and Columbia University.
She taught in Montgomery's public schools from the 1890s and later served on the faculty of Sidney Lanier High School, where she became head of the English department. That long career in education helps explain the clear, instructive tone of her writing.
Kirk is chiefly known today for co-authoring With Spurs of Gold: Heroes of Chivalry and Their Deeds (1905) with Frances Nimmo Greene, a book of historical stories for younger readers. Public-domain library records and book catalogs suggest that this is the main work by which she is remembered now.