Poet, Environmentalist, Wife, Mother, Feminist, Pacifist, Activist, Singer, Educator, Quaker, Dog Lover, Editor, Community Leader, Fencer, Equestrian, Mentor, Friend
An Inspiration to Many
She was Beloved. |
Poet, Editor, Artist, Mother,
Olympic-caliber fencer, major in the Army's first all-female brigade, editor, teacher, ecologist, poet and citizen of the world.
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Jere Knight,
Most known for Poetry, Environmentalism & Editor of Lassie Come Home , the Classic Book Written By World Class Author Eric Knight, Jere's Husband. Jere, was always a community leader altruistic activist for female equal rights and sustaining the environment in which She loved so greatly, in one of the most beautiful Areas of Bucks County Pennsylvania on the Famous Farm where she and her Husband Eric Knight called home. |
Jere, Stayed Active as voice for the Environment all of her life, and kept true to her Core Values of Equality for Women, Minorities and the mentoring of the young.
Jere's sense of Beauty in Nature came through in her Poetry and dedication to keeping the Pristine beauty of the Beauty Upper Bucks County, Pennsylvania. There is a Nature Trail Dedicated to Jere here, a 100 acre Preserved land Park in remembrance of Jere's Environmental contributions. Open to the Public in 1990, all interested |
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Shortly after Jere Knight received a 1995 honorary doctorate from Lehigh University she insisted the degree wasn't
just for service to humanity. Yes, she'd supported loyally the Friends of the Lehigh University Library. Yes, she'd edited a Pulitzer Prize-winning series of books by a Lehigh history professor. And, yes, she'd shared with the school a lifetime of advocacy for meaningful literature and human rights, conservation and peace. But Knight, who could be modest and impish at the same time, couldn't help suspecting she was honored for devotion to all creatures great and small, notably dogs, specifically collies. With a lark in her voice, she allowed that maybe, just maybe, she should donate her degree in humane letters to a humane society. |
Pulitzer Prize
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Jere Knight was born Ruth Frances Brylawski in Philadelphia to Edward and Hortense Brylawski. From the
University of Pennsylvania she received a bachelor's degree in psychology and languages, and a master's in political
science. She parlayed the latter degree into a job as secretary for the Pennsylvania chapter of the League of Nations Association
University of Pennsylvania she received a bachelor's degree in psychology and languages, and a master's in political
science. She parlayed the latter degree into a job as secretary for the Pennsylvania chapter of the League of Nations Association
She held this position when she met the man who turned her world upside down.
Eric Knight was cinema editor of The Public Ledger in Philadelphia, a fellow Quaker with similar interests in the
arts, equestrian sports and the nature of war. Jere Knight recalled she was "a horrible bluestocking" until she met
Eric Knight, and that she was liberated by his "leaven" of humor.
Eric Knight was cinema editor of The Public Ledger in Philadelphia, a fellow Quaker with similar interests in the
arts, equestrian sports and the nature of war. Jere Knight recalled she was "a horrible bluestocking" until she met
Eric Knight, and that she was liberated by his "leaven" of humor.
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She held this position when she met the man who turned her world upside down.
Eric Knight was cinema editor of The Public Ledger in Philadelphia, a fellow Quaker with similar interests in the arts, equestrian sports and the nature of war. Jere Knight recalled she was "a horrible bluestocking" until she met Eric Knight, and that she was liberated by his "leaven" of humor. |
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After marrying in 1932, an event Eric Knight wrote as a News Flash
in that day's edition of his paper, they shared a decade of adventures. 
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When Eric Knight struggled as a screenwriter in California, Jere Knight served as assistant story editor with Selznick International Pictures. For the studio she supervised a bunch of eventually well-known sons of well-known authors, including Budd Schulberg Jr. and Ring Lardner Jr. While Eric taught fiction for the University of Iowa's new Writers Workshop, she worked for Selznick's New York office, overseeing the development of such films as "Gone with the Wind." |
Jere Knight helped edit all of Eric Knight's writings, including "Lassie Come-Home" (1940), the book that launched the industry of collie-as-hero(ine).
She wrote two children's versions of "Lassie." She demonstrated the book for youngsters by demonstrating the behavior of her own collies.
She wrote two children's versions of "Lassie." She demonstrated the book for youngsters by demonstrating the behavior of her own collies.
Jere Knight also helped edit the 1941 war novel "This Above All," which became a movie starring TyronePower and Joan Fontaine. In 1941
This Above All, Eric Knights very successful book which became a Movie in 1941
when Eric was in England, reporting for The Saturday Evening Post on the lendlease program, she was preparing an article for the same publication on that nation's women warriors.
Jere Knight's career blossomed after Sadly Eric Knight died in January 1943 in the crash of a military plane in Surinam (Dutch Guiana), regardless, Jere Knight's career blossomed, as she pressed forward without the Love of her life.
Jere Knight's career blossomed after Sadly Eric Knight died in January 1943 in the crash of a military plane in Surinam (Dutch Guiana), regardless, Jere Knight's career blossomed, as she pressed forward without the Love of her life.
Oveta Culp Hobby, on the cover of Time Magazine
In addition to helping Eric Knight's three daughters from his first marriage, she served as an
important aide to Oveta Culp Hobby, founding director of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps, later known as the
Women's Army Corps and popularly known as the WAC.
important aide to Oveta Culp Hobby, founding director of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps, later known as the
Women's Army Corps and popularly known as the WAC.
A specialist in well-being and intelligence, she wrote a speech on logistics for Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jere Knight had written a speech on logistics for the future president Eisenhower.
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Jere Knight introducing her son Jeff to President Eisenhower. 1957
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Lawrence Henry Gipson
After World War II Knight focused on history and literature. For two years she taught at Moravian Preparatory
School in Bethlehem. She worked as research and editorial associate to Lehigh University history professor
Lawrence Henry Gipson on his series of books on the British empire from 1748 to 1776, one volume of which won
a Pulitzer Prize. In 1967 The Globe-Times published her book-length supplement on the Lehigh Valley's economic
history.
School in Bethlehem. She worked as research and editorial associate to Lehigh University history professor
Lawrence Henry Gipson on his series of books on the British empire from 1748 to 1776, one volume of which won
a Pulitzer Prize. In 1967 The Globe-Times published her book-length supplement on the Lehigh Valley's economic
history.
E.E. Cummings
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Knight never lost her love of poetry. She shepherded the literary estate of E.E. Cummings. She wrote the libretto for
a 1970 opera based on "Helen in Egypt," an epic poem by H.D., born Hilda Doolittle in Bethlehem. A 1984 trip to Nicaragua led her to translate poetry by Central American women. Nine years later Petoskey Stone Press printed "The Uphill View," a collection of her poetry, shown in the Poetry section of this website . |
Jere Knight was also an Olympic Class Fencer.
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Shown below is Part of The Bucks County Farm That Jere and Eric Knight LIved, and where Jere developed and honed her Environmental Love.
