Edna M. (Edna Mary) Colman

Edna M. Colman, also listed as Edna Mary Colman and Edna Mary Hercher Colman, is known for White House gossip: from Andrew Johnson to Calvin Coolidge, published in 1927. The book’s long reach into presidential history suggests a writer especially interested in the human side of public life, not just official events.

She also appears as co-author, with L. Morton Tillinghast, of The Story of America, Book 4: Colonial Life in America, published in 1928. That pairing points to a second side of her work: writing history for general readers, including younger audiences, in a clear and approachable way.

Very little biographical information about her has been easy to confirm from reliable online sources, so much of her life remains obscure. What does stand out is the range of her historical writing, from colonial America to the private atmosphere of the White House, and a style that seems aimed at bringing history closer to everyday readers.