Ellen Wilson was born sometime around 1902 near Pittsburgh, in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, the birthplace of Mary Cassatt. She received her bachelor's degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1924 and a master's degree from Radcliffe College in 1927. Thirty years later, she conducted graduate study at University Aix-Marseille, School for Foreign Students. She began writing children's books after her own three boys had gone to school. Inspired by her children, she wrote the "Three Boys" series. Then she published several biographies for children, including works on Ernie Pyle, Annie Oakley, and Robert Frost. In later years, Wilson concentrated on writing biographies for young adults. She especially enjoyed researching these works.

Wilson taught the history of children's literature at Indiana University in Bloomington for many years.

Considered an authority on children's literature, she wrote many articles on the subject and led workshops at writers' conferences. She died on December...