Susan Glaspell
Notable Iowa Families & Companies

Susan Glaspell

The Davenport-born writer who won a Pulitzer, co-founded the Provincetown Players, and wrote the classic “Trifles.”

Born1876–1948
FieldDrama & literature
FromDavenport, Iowa
LegacyA Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright and pioneering American dramatist
The story

How it began

Susan Glaspell was born in 1876 in Davenport, Iowa, and began as a journalist before turning to fiction and drama. With her husband she co-founded the Provincetown Players, the influential theater company that launched Eugene O'Neill.

Her one-act “Trifles” (and its story version, “A Jury of Her Peers”) became an American classic, and she won the 1931 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for “Alison's House.”

What they built

What she's known for

Legacy

Legacy & philanthropy

Glaspell helped shape modern American theater and is now studied as an early feminist dramatist. Her Iowa roots run through her Davenport-set fiction.

She is among Iowa's most important literary figures.

Life

Milestones

Where you'll see the name

Named for the family

“Trifles” / “A Jury of Her Peers”
FAQ

Common questions

Who was Susan Glaspell?

The Davenport-born writer who won a Pulitzer, co-founded the Provincetown Players, and wrote the classic “Trifles.”

Where was Susan Glaspell from?

Susan Glaspell was from Davenport, Iowa.

When was Susan Glaspell born?

1876–1948.

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Sources

Where these facts come from

This profile presents only publicly reported facts, drawn from the sources above. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the family or its companies.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons (public domain or freely licensed).

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