The author’s daughter, Merian Lovelace Kirchner, was the guest of honor, and noted Minnesota writer Patricia Hampl gave the keynote address. In July 1992, the Society sponsored a Convention to celebrate what would have been Maud Hart Lovelace’s 100th birthday, attended by 350 fans. An initial one-page newsletter became a multi-page Journal of the Betsy-Tacy Society, issued biannually. The Society’s earliest activities included mobilizing its members to encourage republication of the out-of-print Betsy-Tacy books and organizing local events focusing on the series’ ties to Mankato. That small group evolved into an organization that now boasts hundreds of members throughout the United States and other countries. In April 1990, a small group of local women met to establish the Betsy-Tacy Society, with the goals of promoting awareness of the beloved series and preserving and protecting the still-existing homes and landmarks that Maud so lovingly depicted. A timeline of our major activities can be found here.īy the end of the 1980s, most of the Betsy-Tacy books were out of print – and even local interest had waned.

The BTS was established in 1990 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the Betsy-Tacy books written by Maud Hart Lovelace.

Betsy tacy by maud hart lovelace