Mabel Wagnalls

author

Mabel Wagnalls

1871–1946

A gifted pianist who also turned to writing, she left behind fiction, music-themed books, and a lasting cultural legacy in Ohio. Best known today for helping create the Wagnalls Memorial, she connected a literary life with a deep commitment to community.

1 Audiobook

Stars of the Opera A Description of Operas & a Series of Personal Interviews with Marcela Sembrich, Emma Eames, Emma Calvé, Lillian Nordica, Lilli Lehmann, Geraldine Farrar & Nellie Melba

Stars of the Opera A Description of Operas & a Series of Personal Interviews with Marcela Sembrich, Emma Eames, Emma Calvé, Lillian Nordica, Lilli Lehmann, Geraldine Farrar & Nellie Melba

by Mabel Wagnalls

About the author

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 20, 1871, she was an American pianist and writer, and the only child of Adam and Anna Willis Wagnalls. Her family name was closely tied to publishing through Funk & Wagnalls, and her own career blended music, literature, and public-minded philanthropy.

She published a number of books, including The Rose-Bush of a Thousand Years, and was also known for writing about music and musicians. After her marriage, she was often known as Mabel Wagnalls Jones.

Her most enduring public legacy is the Wagnalls Memorial in Lithopolis, Ohio, which she established in honor of her parents and dedicated to the local community. She died in New York City on March 22, 1946, but her work still links books, music, and civic life in a memorable way.