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Marjory Stoneman Douglas (April 7, 1890 – May 14, 1998) was an American journalist, writer, feminist, and environmentalist known for her staunch defense of the Everglades against efforts to drain it and reclaim land for development. Moving to Miami as a young woman to work for ''The Miami Herald'', Douglas became a freelance writer, producing over a hundred short stories that were published in popular magazines. Her most influential work was the book ''The Everglades: River of Grass'' (1947), which redefined the popular conception of the Everglades as a treasured river instead of a worthless swamp; its impact has been compared to that of Rachel Carson's influential book ''Silent Spring'' (1962). Her books, stories, and journalism career brought her influence in Miami, which she used to advance her causes. Even as a young woman Douglas was outspoken and politically conscious of many issues that included women's suffrage and civil rights. She was called upon to take a central role in the protection of the Everglades when she was 79 years old. For the remaining 29 years of her life she was "a relentless reporter and fearless crusader" for the natural preservation and restoration of the nature of South Florida.〔Grunwald, p. 204.〕 Her tireless efforts earned her several variations of the nickname "Grande Dame of the Everglades"〔Basse, Craig (May 14, 1998). "Grande dame of the Everglades." ''St. Petersburg Times'' (Florida); p. 1A.〕 as well as the hostility of agricultural and business interests looking to benefit from land development in Florida. Numerous awards were given to her, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and she was inducted into several halls of fame. Douglas lived until age 108, working until nearly the end of her life for Everglades restoration. Upon her death, an obituary in ''The Independent'' in London stated, "In the history of the American environmental movement, there have been few more remarkable figures than Marjory Stoneman Douglas."〔Cornwell, Rupert (May 25, 1998). "Obituary: Marjory Stoneman Douglas." ''The Independent'' (London); p. 16.〕 ==Early life== Marjory Stoneman was born on April 7, 1890, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the only child of Frank Bryant Stoneman (1857–1941) and Lillian Trefethen (1859–1912), a concert violinist. One of her earliest memories was her father reading to her ''The Song of Hiawatha'', at which she burst into sobs upon hearing that the tree had to give its life in order to provide Hiawatha the wood for a canoe.〔Douglas, p. 42.〕 She was an early and voracious reader. Her first book was ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'', which she kept well into adulthood until "some fiend in human form must have borrowed it and not brought it back".〔 She visited Florida when she was four years old, and her most vivid memory of the trip was picking an orange from a tree at the Tampa Bay Hotel.〔Douglas, p. 31.〕 From there she and her parents embarked on a cruise from Tampa to Havana.〔Duncan, Scott (May 15, 1998). "Marjory, we loved you so." ''The Miami Herald''; Commentary.〕 When she was six years old, Marjory's parents separated. Her father endured a series of failed entrepreneurial ventures and the instability caused her mother to move them abruptly to the Trefethen family house in Taunton, Massachusetts. She lived there with her mother, aunt, and grandparents who did not get along well and consistently spoke ill of her father, to her dismay.〔Davis, p. 95.〕 Her mother, whom Marjory characterized as "high strung", was committed to a mental sanitarium in Providence several times. Her parents' separation and the contentious life with her mother's family caused her to suffer from night terrors.〔Douglas, pp. 47, 48.〕 She credited her tenuous upbringing with making her "a skeptic and a dissenter" for the rest of her life.〔Douglas, p. 50.〕 As a youth, Marjory found solace in reading, and eventually she began to write. At sixteen years old she contributed to the most popular children's publication of the day, ''St. Nicholas Magazine''—also the first publisher of 20th century writers F. Scott Fitzgerald, Rachel Carson, and William Faulkner—with a puzzle titled "Double Headings and Curtailings". In 1907, she was awarded a prize from the ''Boston Herald'' for a story titled "An Early Morning Paddle", about a boy who watches a sunrise from a canoe.〔Davis, p. 100.〕 However, as her mother's mental health deteriorated, Marjory took on more responsibilities, eventually managing some of the family finances and gaining a maturity imposed upon her by circumstance.〔Douglas, pp. 53–54.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Marjory Stoneman Douglas」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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