GILCHRIST, MARIE EMILIE (4 Jan. 1893-9 Nov. 1989) was a local poet whose poems appeared in numerous periodicals including The Nation, The Saturday Review of Literature, The New Yorker, The Forum, and The Book of Rhymers' Club. Gilchrist was also a researcher for several years and, later, editor for Reader's Digest.
Born in Vermillion to Joseph and Emilie (Martin) Gilchrist, Marie attended Froebel School, graduated from HATHAWAY BROWN SCHOOL (1910), attended Western Reserve University, then graduated from Smith College (1916). Gilchrist worked for the CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY until 1918, then for an insurance office followed by publicity service for the American Red Cross. She returned to Smith College where she held a fellowship in English (1920-1921), and received her M.A. (1921). She worked in the Hampshire Bookshop at Northampton, Mass. during 1922, then returned to Cleveland.
In 1926 Gilchrist rejoined the Cleveland Public Library as assistant in the Stevenson Room for Young People where she helped to organize and direct the Stevenson Room Poetry Group in 1927. After a year in the Stevenson Room, Gilchrist became an assistant in the Popular Library section. Gilchrist left the library in 1930.
Gilchrist's first book of poems, Wide Pastures, was published by Macmillan in 1926. Her contribution to the book, Writing Poetry, published by Houghton Mifflin in 1932, contained work from the Stevenson Room Poetry Group. In 1942 Gilchrist wrote The Story of the Great Lakes about shipping on the Great Lakes, during the period of 1835-1905.
Never married, Gilchrist retired to the MARGARET WAGNER HOME in CLEVELAND HEIGHTS. Gilchrist is buried in Maple Hill Cemetery in Munson Township.