Theodora A. Peck (October 25, 1882 – January 11, 1964) was an American author and poet from

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

. She published several historical novels when she was in her twenties and thirties, and her poems were published in magazines, newspapers, and literary journals throughout her life.

Early life

Theodora Agnes Peck was born in

Burlington, Vermont Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...

on October 25, 1882. An only child, her father was

Theodore S. Peck Theodore Safford Peck (March 22, 1843 – March 15, 1918) was an American Civil War veteran who received the Medal of Honor. He also attained the rank of major general (United States), major general as Adjutant General#United States, Adjutant Ge ...

, a recipient of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, and her mother was Agnes Louise Lesslie (1843–1917) of

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Peck attended the public schools of Burlington and graduated from Burlington High School in 1900. She then attended a special non-degree program at the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...

, which she completed in 1904.

Writing career

In 1900, Peck authored the poem "A Dream of the Flag", which she read at several public events. Her poem was subsequently published in Leslie’s Popular Monthly. In 1905, Peck published her first novel, ''Hester of the Grants: A Romance of Old Bennington''. This endeavor was widely reported on in newspapers nationwide, owing largely to her sex and youth. Residing temporarily in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

provided the inspiration for Peck’s next novel, 1908's ''The Sword of Dundee: A Tale of Bonnie Prince Charlie''. The book that followed was another historical work set in Revolutionary War-era Vermont, 1914's ''White Dawn: A Legend of Ticonderoga''. Peck continued to write and publish poetry throughout her life. Her work appeared in numerous newspapers, magazines, and literary journals and she was frequently asked to provide readings of her work at veterans’ reunions, memorial dedications, and other public events.

Affiliations and memberships

During her life, Peck maintained membership in several professional and legacy societies, including the Burlington Literary Society,

Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...

Society of Colonial Dames The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America is an American organization composed of women who are descended from an ancestor "who came to reside in an American Colony before 1776, and whose services were rendered during the Colonial Pe ...

, and United Daughters of 1812. She was a member of the Athena Club (a women’s service organization) and was active with the

Third Order of Saint Francis The Third Order of Saint Francis is a third order in the Franciscan tradition of Christianity, founded by the medieval Catholic Church in Italy, Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi. The preaching of Francis and his disciples caused many ma ...

. Peck was an honorary member of the

Society of the Army of the Potomac The Society of the Army of the Potomac was a military society founded in 1869 which was composed of officers and enlisted men who served with the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. History After the conclusion of the Civil War, a ...

, the International Mark Twain Society and the Institute Litteraire et Artistique de France. At age 18, she became the first female honorary member of the Medal of Honor Legion of the United States (now referred to as the

Legion of Valor The Legion of Valor of the United States of America, commonly known as the Legion of Valor, is a war veterans' organization created to promote patriotic allegiance, fidelity to the United States Constitution, and popular support for civil libert ...

) after being bestowed medal number one of the Second Class.

Philanthropy

Peck was also a philanthropist and benefactor, and her causes included Burlington's Young Men’s Christian Association (

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

) and

Saint Michael's College Saint Michael's College (St. Mikes or Saint Michael's) is a private Roman Catholic college in Colchester, Vermont. Saint Michael's was founded in 1904 by the Society of Saint Edmund. It grants Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees i ...

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colches ...

. At her death, her family's home was sold and the proceeds were used to establish the Theodora Agnes Peck Scholarship Endowment at the University of Vermont.

Death and burial

Peck died in Burlington on January 11, 1964. A 1920 convert to Catholicism, her funeral took place at Burlington’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. She was buried at

Lakeview Cemetery Lake View Cemetery is a Private property, privately owned, Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Rural cemetery, garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland, Ohio, East Cleveland ...

in Burlington. Peck never married, and had no children. In July 1963, obituaries for Teresa (or Theresa) C. Egan, who died at age 80, indicated that she had been Theodora Peck's live-in companion for more than 40 years.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Peck, Theodora Agnes 1882 births 1964 deaths Writers from Burlington, Vermont University of Vermont alumni 20th-century American women writers Converts to Roman Catholicism from Congregationalism Philanthropists from Vermont Burials at Lakeview Cemetery (Burlington, Vermont) Poets from Vermont American women poets 20th-century American poets 20th-century American philanthropists