Discover the Best Books Written by Betty Smith

Betty Smith (born Elisabeth Lillian Wehner; December 15, 1896 – January 17, 1972) was an American playwright and novelist who wrote the 1943 bestseller A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Smith was born Elisabeth Lillian Wehner on December 15, 1896, in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York, to first-generation German-Americans John C. Wehner, a waiter, and Katherine (or Catherine) Hummel. She had a younger brother, William, and a younger sister, Regina. 

At the time of her birth, the family was living at 207 Ewen Street (now Manhattan Avenue). When she was four, they were living at 227 Stagg Street and would move several times to various tenements on Montrose Avenue and Hopkins Street before settling in a tenement on the top floor of 702 Grand Street. The Grand Street tenement served as the setting for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

As a child, Smith developed an early passion for the written word, and at age eight, she received an A for school composition. "I knew then," she was reported as saying, "that I would write a book one day." She made great use of the then-new public library near her home on Leonard Street and, at age 11, had two poems published in a school publication. Smith attended Public School 49 through fourth grade, then transferred to PS 18, which she disliked, before wangling her way into out-of-district PS 23 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where she finished eighth grade. 

At this point in her life, she was compelled to quit school by her mother and go to work to support the family. She was 14. Four years later, at age 18, endeavoring to further her education, she discovered she could attend Girls' High School in Brooklyn during the day while, at the same time, working a night job in Manhattan. But after two years of this rigorous schedule, she quit school because a well-paying job she had accepted with the United States Postal Service required her to work days.

In her teenage years, Smith was an active member at the Jackson Street Settlement House, operated by the School Settlement Association. The settlement house became one of Smith's favorite destinations, offering a diverse range of after-school social activities. Classes in playwriting, acting, and other theatrical activities were particularly interesting. At the settlement house in 1917, she met her future first husband, George H. E. Smith, the coach of her debate team and a fellow German-American, whose family name had been changed during WWI from Schmidt. 

Some claim it was likely at the Jackson Street Settlement House, rather than near her apartment, that the tree grew, which gave name to her best-known novel, but this assertion is unsubstantiated. In 1919, after moving briefly to Richmond Hill, Queens, with her mother and stepfather, she joined George Smith in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he pursued a law degree at the University of Michigan. They married on October 18, 1919. During the couple's extended stay in Ann Arbor, Smith gave birth to two girls and then waited until they were in school before endeavoring to complete her education.

 Because she had only completed two years of high school, Smith first enrolled in Ann Arbor High School, even though the principal thought it "unusual for a married woman to be a high school junior but could find no law against it." However, she again was not able to graduate due to her husband finding work in Belding, Michigan, and later Detroit. Although George Smith's career was thriving, he found the practice of law unfulfilling. 

As a result, they decided to return to Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan to "start over," with George studying political science, aiming toward a career in politics. Although she had not finished high school, the university allowed her to take classes as a special student without matriculating. Smith began to take her writing more seriously, realizing it could be a career. She honed her composition and journalism skills, submitting articles and recipes to newspapers and writing plays. 

Despite family money worries, she continued with her writing endeavors instead of taking part-time jobs as she had before. In 1933, Betty and George H.E. Smith legally separated, and they divorced before World War II in 1938. Although divorced, she continued to use the Smith surname throughout her writing career.