Virginia Hamilton, born on March 12, 1934 in Yellow Springs, Ohio, was a celebrated author and poet. Hamilton first attended Antioch College on a full scholarship, before transferring to The Ohio State University. Throughout her career, Hamilton wrote 41 books and cemented herself as a skilled storyteller focused on younger audiences. In 1992, Hamilton was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing, which honors excellence in children’s storytelling at the highest level. Individual works have garnered her the National Book Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Newbury Medal, and the Coretta Scott King Award, most notably. Hamilton died of cancer on February 19, 2002. Virginia Hamilton was made a Great Ohioan in 2018.