author
Nella Braddy
1894–1973
A writer and editor with a close connection to Helen Keller’s circle, she is best remembered for bringing literary and biographical work to a wide audience. Her books range from etiquette and anthologies to the well-known life of Anne Sullivan Macy.
1 Audiobook
The Book of Business Etiquette
by Nella Braddy
About the author
Born in Georgia on November 28, 1894, Nella Braddy Henney studied at Wesleyan College and then at Converse College, where she earned her bachelor's degree in 1915. She worked in publishing and became associated with Doubleday, building a career that combined editing, writing, and literary curation.
Henney became especially important in the world around Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. After working with Keller on revisions to The Story of My Life, she grew close to Keller, Sullivan, and Polly Thomson. She later wrote Anne Sullivan Macy: The Story Behind Helen Keller, a biography that helped preserve the story of Keller’s teacher for later generations.
She also wrote and edited other books, including Young Folks' Encyclopaedia of Etiquette and anthologies such as The Standard Book of British and American Verse. Nella Braddy Henney died in 1973, leaving behind a body of work that reflects both her love of books and her gift for making literary and historical lives feel vivid and approachable.