Alice Rush McKeon

Alice Rush McKeon was a Maryland author and environmentalist.[1] She was born in March 1884 in Philadelphia, PA, and died in Ruxton, MD in February 1979.[2] McKeon was a direct descendent of founding father and signatory of the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Rush.[3] She was credited as the prime force behind the signing of Maryland's first billboard control law.[2]

Alice Rush McKeon
Born
Alice Rush

March, 1884
Philadelphia, PA
DiedFebruary 24, 1979
Ruxton, Maryland
NationalityAmerican
OccupationAuthor
Known forGardening Advocacy and Environmental Activism
Notable workThe Litterbug Family
SpouseEdward H. McKeon

Work and advocacy

An early advocate for highway beautification, she is credited by some with coining the term litterbug.[1][4] She took particular interest at curbing the spread of roadside billboards, and advocated strongly for their removal.[5]

McKeon wrote the 1931 book The Litterbug Family which includes poems and pictures about the problem of littering, and leads with the words "Look at your pavements and roadsides. Have YOU been a LITTER-BUG?".[6][7] The book is credited with helping spur the passage of the first billboard control law in Maryland, to fight what she called "billboard blight".[3]

McKeon was an avid gardener, and twice served as president of the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland. She also hosted a radio program on Baltimore station WBAL (AM) called "Garden Clubs of the Air". She also wrote a short book called "Dear Mrs. Radio" based on the show.[3]

References
  1. Dickson, Paul (2014). Authorisms: words wrought by writers. New York: Bloomsbury. p. 103. ISBN 9781620405406.
  2. "Alice Rush McKeon Obituary". The Evening Sun. 1979-02-26. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  3. "Alice Rush McKeon Tree Planting – Carroll Garden Club". Carroll Garden Club, Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland. 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  4. Dickson, Paul (2014-06-17). "How authors from Dickens to Dr Seuss invented the words we use every day". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-22.
  5. McLaughlin, Kathleen (June 6, 1933). "Cheer Advance Made by Foes of Billboards: Garden Club Committee Hears Reports". Chicago Daily Tribune. Vol. 92:134. Internet Archive. p. 1.
  6. "Don't Be a Litterbug". Congressional Record April 27, 1954. Holmes County Advertiser. April 16, 1954.
  7. "National Parks and Conservation Magazine July-September 1954: Vol 28 Iss 118". Internet Archive. National Parks and Conservation Association. July 1954. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: others (link)
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