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Betty Bard MacDonald papers, 1934-2017

Overview of the Collection

Creator
MacDonald, Betty Bard
Title
Betty Bard MacDonald papers
Dates
1934-2017 (inclusive)
Quantity
15.13 cubic feet (33 boxes) plus 3 vertical files and 2 optical discs
Collection Number
2344
Summary
Papers of a noted author including both personal and professional correspondence, legal and real estate records, texts and writings, ephemera, newspaper and magazine clippings, marketing/publicity materials, daybooks, diaries, and engagement calendars
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on access.

Request at UW

Languages
English
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Biographical Note

Author Betty MacDonald (born Anne Elizabeth Campbell Bard) was born to parents Darsie and Elsie/Sydney Bard on March 26, 1907, in Boulder, Colorado. Her family moved often before settling in Seattle, where Betty attended the St. Nicholas School and Lincoln High School before graduating from Roosevelt High School in 1924. She later attended the University of Washington.

On July 9, 1927, MacDonald married Robert E. Heskett. The couple moved to a small farming community, Center in the Chimacum Valley, near Port Townsend. During this time, Betty and Robert operated an egg ranch. It was this experience that inspired MacDonald to write one of her most famous books, "The Egg and I." MacDonald left Heskett after four years of marriage, and returned to Seattle with her daughters, Anne and Joan.

Throughout the 1930s, Betty lived with her mother and sisters (Mary Bard, Dede Bard, and Alison Bard) in Seattle and was eventually hired by the National Recovery Administration (NRA) and then the United States Treasury Department. In 1938, she was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and was admitted to the Firland Sanatorium in Richmond Highlands, WA. She was discharged in 1939 but the experience inspired her to write “The Plague and I”.

She married Donald C. MacDonald on April 29, 1942 and moved with him and her daughters to Vashon Island. While Anne and Joan were in school, Betty and Donald commuted by ferry to Seattle for work each day.

MacDonald's first book, "The Egg and I," was published in 1945. It quickly became a bestseller and was eventually translated into many different languages. She continued to write many bestsellers, including "The Plague and I," (about her battle with tuberculosis), “Anybody Can Do Anything” (about surviving the Great Depression) "Onions in the Stew," (about raising her daughters on Vashon Island) and her best-selling children's books, the "Mrs. Piggle Wiggle" series and "Nancy and Plum."

The MacDonalds purchased ranch land in Carmel Valley, California in 1952. They moved there to ranch cattle in 1956, but continued to travel to Seattle periodically. In 1956, Betty was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She died in Seattle on February 7th, 1958, at the age of 49.

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Content Description

Materials include both personal and professional correspondence, legal and real estate records, texts and writings, ephemera, newspaper and magazine clippings, marketing/publicity materials, daybooks, diaries, and engagement calendars.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Organized into 5 accessions.

  • Accession No. 2344-001, Betty Bard MacDonald letter, 1945
  • Accession No. 2344-002, Betty Bard MacDonald papers, 1956-1988
  • Accession No. 2344-003, Betty Bard MacDonald papers, 1934-2015
  • Accession No. 2344-004, Betty Bard MacDonald papers, 2017
  • Accession No. 2344-005, Betty Bard MacDonald letter, 1948

Related Materials

Betty Bard MacDonald photograph collection , PH1423

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Authors--United States
  • Farm life--Washington (State)--History--Sources
  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)

Personal Names

  • MacDonald, Betty Bard--Archives


2007 (Last modified: 7/25/2025)

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