SACRED LEGACY ARCHIVES™

Virginia O'Hanlon

1889-07-20 – 1971-05-13

Portrait of Virginia O'Hanlon
Virginia O'Hanlon from the 1890s.Credit: https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/25/nyregion/25virginia.html?_r=1&hp

Life & Legacy

Laura Virginia O'Hanlon Douglas (July 20, 1889 – May 13, 1971) was an American educator best known for writing a letter as a child to the New York newspaper The Sun that inspired the 1897 editorial "Is There a Santa Claus?". The editorial, by Francis Pharcellus Church, contains the line "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus", and brought attention to O'Hanlon for the rest of her life. Historian Gerald Bowler called it "the most famous editorial in history."

Occupation & Career

teacher

Education

Hunter College; Columbia University; Fordham University

Accomplishments, Inventions & Publications

Is There a Santa Claus?

Legacy Highlights

Notable Work

Is There a Santa Claus?

Education & Institutions

Columbia University · Fordham University · Hunter College

Verified Legacy Record

Sources & Provenance

  1. Wikidata population candidate Q1536140 — wikidata View source

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