Thomas Wood Stevens

[1] Stevens had become interested in printing and was inspired by visits to the rare books collection of the Newberry Library.

Starting in 1901 Stevens was part of the "Little Room", the group of artists and writers who met at the studio of Ralph Elmer Clarkson.

This group included figures such as Lorado Taft, Oliver Dennett Grover, Edith Wyatt, and Hamlin Garland.

From 1903 to 1913 Stevens taught classes such as lettering, illustration, and mural decoration at the Chicago Art Institute.

[5] Drawing of the Sword, a patriotic pageant written and produced by Stevens in 1917 at the Carnegie Institute, was later combined with a Red Cross pageant by Joseph Lindon Smith and toured the nation raising money for the Red Cross, raising over $1 million.

[10] Stevens was a prolific writer, publishing fifty-one books and eleven adaptions of Shakespeare, in addition to countless articles, lectures, and other short pieces.

[13] In addition to providing a model for drama departments nationwide, Stevens influenced many students who went on to careers in theatre and film.

These included actor Carl Benton Reid,[14] costumer and academic Lucy Barton, and actress Irene Tedrow.

[15] A photo of Thomas Wood Stevens and his wife Helen by Elizabeth Buehrmann is in the collection of the New York Public Library.