Margaret Mitchell.

Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell

Born 8 Nov 1900 Atlanta, United States

Died 16 Aug 1949 Atlanta, United States

Citizenship United States

Would Be 125 yr If Living

9 min read

Reading time

1,785

Words

Sep 29, 2026

Published

Awards

TL;DR

Margaret Mitchell published a single novel in her lifetime, Gone with the Wind 1936, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937 and sold over a million copies in six months. The novel is among the best-selling books, second only to the Bible. Mitchell died in 1949 after being struck by a car in Atlanta.

Identity & family.

KIN · 4

Names, aliases, and relatives of Margaret Mitchell — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Native Name Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell

Nicknames Peggy

Parents: Maybelle Stephens Mitchell Eugene Mitchell
Spouses: John R. Marsh Berrien Kinnard Upshaw

At a glance.

STATS

Margaret Mitchell by the numbers — life, work, and family.

48 Years lived

3 Awards

2 Marriages

Who was Margaret Mitchell?

BIOGRAPHY

Margaret Mitchell — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

In 1900, Atlanta, Georgia welcomed Margaret Mitchell into a family steeped in history. Her father Eugene Mitchell was a prominent lawyer and historian who co-founded the Atlanta Historical Society. Her mother Maybelle Stephens Mitchell was a suffragist leader and co-founder of the League of Women Voters in Georgia. Mitchell was a tomboy, dressed in boys’ pants until age 14, and loved riding her Texas plains pony. She listened to aging Confederate soldiers narrate Civil War battle details. Her maternal grandmother Annie Stephens provided eyewitness accounts of the Civil War and Reconstruction that became key sources for Gone with the Wind.

Career

Mitchell began her writing career as a journalist for The Atlanta Journal Sunday Magazine in 1922. She wrote 129 feature articles and 85 news stories, including a 1923 interview with actor Rudolph Valentino. After an ankle injury forced her resignation in 1926, she started writing a historical novel at her husband’s suggestion. Harold Latham of Macmillan discovered the manuscript in 1935, and Gone with the Wind was published in June 1936. The novel became an immediate bestseller, selling over a million copies in six months. It won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1937. Mitchell refused to write a sequel or assist in the film adaptation.

Personal life

Mitchell married bootlegger Berrien Kinnard Red Upshaw in September 1922 against her family’s wishes. The marriage was abusive, and they separated in December 1922, divorcing in October 1924. In July 1925, she married John R. Marsh, Red’s former roommate. They lived in Atlanta’s Crescent Apartments, nicknamed The Dump, now the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum. Mitchell had no children. She died on August 16, 1949, five days after being struck by a drunk driver while crossing Peachtree Street with her husband.

Legacy

Gone with the Wind stays in print and is the second-best-selling novel after the Bible. The 1939 film adaptation directed by David O. Selznick became a cinematic landmark. Mitchell was posthumously inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame in 2000 and featured on a US postage stamp in 1986. Though she wrote only one completed novel, her influence on literature and popular culture is enduring.

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 3

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Margaret Mitchell — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

Pulitzer Prize for the Novel
National Book Award
Georgia Women of Achievement

Did you know?

FACTS · 19

Little-known facts about Margaret Mitchell — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

Film rights to Gone with the Wind were bought by David O. Selznick in 1936 for $50,000, but he later sent an additional $50,000 because he felt he underpaid after the film became a hit.
Mitchell never intended to publish her novel; a friend told visiting editor Harold Latham about it in 1935. After reluctant persuasion, she gave him the mildewed, out-of-order manuscript. Latham refused to return it and published it in 1936.
Mitchell began writing Gone With the Wind in 1926 after breaking her ankle in the same spot where she had fallen from a horse as a girl.
She learned Civil War history from her paternal grandfather, Russell Crawford Mitchell, a Confederate soldier. She joked she was ten before realizing the South lost the war.
Mitchell said she would never write a sequel. After her death, her estate long refused sequels until after her brother Stephens Mitchell died; the sequel Scarlett was later authorized.
Mitchell refused to help with the film adaptation of Gone with the Wind, telling producer Selznick he owned the novel and could do as he pleased. She did send friend Susan Myrick as a technical advisor.
Mitchell attended Smith College for one academic year, 1918-1919, then dropped out when her mother became ill with the flu. Smith later awarded her an honorary degree after her novel won the Pulitzer.
On August 11, 1949, Mitchell was crossing Peachtree Street in Atlanta to enter a movie theater with her husband when she was hit by a speeding car driven by an off-duty taxi driver. She died five days later.
To discourage questions about the film adaptation, Mitchell jokingly told reporters she thought Groucho Marx would make a good Rhett Butler.
Mitchell approved of Vivien Leigh’s portrayal of Scarlett O’Hara after seeing the film. She had minor quibbles: she thought the Tara mansion was too opulent and disliked the introductory crawl wording.
Her own favorite choice for Rhett Butler was Basil Rathbone.
Mitchell began her writing career as a journalist for the Atlanta Journal in 1922 and continued until a broken ankle forced her resignation in 1926.
Mitchell was pictured on a one-cent US postage stamp in the Great Americans series, issued June 30, 1986.
Novelist Edwin Granberry was so impressed with Gone With the Wind that he compared it to War and Peace. He convinced Mitchell to accept $50,000 for film rights from Selznick.
Mitchell’s remains are buried beside her husband John Marsh in Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta, Georgia.
Her second husband John Marsh was best man at her first wedding to Berrien Upshaw.
Both of Mitchell’s parents were attorneys.
A classmate at Smith College was Otelia Cromwell, the first Black student admitted to Smith, who later earned a doctorate from Yale.
Mitchell had a brother named Stevens Mitchell.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 30

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Margaret Mitchell.

When was Margaret Mitchell born?

Margaret Mitchell was born on November 8, 1900. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Where was Margaret Mitchell born?

She was born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Her family lived east of downtown Atlanta on Jackson Street during her early childhood.
When did Margaret Mitchell die?

Margaret Mitchell died on August 16, 1949. She was 48 years old at the time of her death.
How did Margaret Mitchell die?

She died from injuries sustained when a drunk driver struck her while she crossed Peachtree Street in Atlanta on August 11, 1949. She never regained consciousness after the accident.
Where did Margaret Mitchell die?

She died at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She had been hospitalized there after the accident.
How old was Margaret Mitchell when she died?

She was 48 years old. She died on August 16, 1949, five days after being hit by a car.
What was Margaret Mitchell's birth name?

Her full birth name was Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell. She was also known by the nickname Peggy.
How tall was Margaret Mitchell?

Margaret Mitchell was 4 feet 11 inches tall, which is 1.50 meters. Despite her small stature, she had a strong personality.
What was Margaret Mitchell known for?

She is best known as the author of Gone with the Wind, her only completed novel. Published in 1936, it won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937 and became one of the best-selling books of all time.
Was Margaret Mitchell married?

Yes, she was married twice. First to Berrien Kinnard Red Upshaw from September 1922 to October 1924, and then to John R. Marsh from July 4, 1925 until her death in 1949.
Who were Margaret Mitchell's parents?

Her parents were Eugene Mitchell, a prominent lawyer and historian, and Maybelle Stephens Mitchell, a suffragist leader. Both were from Atlanta, Georgia.
What awards did Margaret Mitchell win?

She won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1937, the National Book Award, and was inducted into Georgia Women of Achievement. She also received an honorary degree from Smith College.
Where did Margaret Mitchell go to school?

She attended The Westminster Schools in Atlanta before graduating from Washington Seminary in 1918. She then attended Smith College for one year but dropped out after her mother’s death.
What is the significance of the nickname 'Peggy' for Margaret Mitchell?

Peggy was a childhood nickname. It reflects the informal, affectionate side of her personality, though she was also known as Jimmy during her tomboy years.
What was Margaret Mitchell's nationality?

She was an American. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia and lived there most of her life.
What did Margaret Mitchell do for a living?

She was a writer. Before her novel, she worked as a journalist for The Atlanta Journal Sunday Magazine from 1922 to 1926, writing over 200 pieces.
How many awards did Margaret Mitchell win?

She won three major awards: the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and Georgia Women of Achievement. She also received an honorary degree from Smith College.
Did Margaret Mitchell have any children?

No, she did not have any children. She focused on her writing and her role as a volunteer during World War II.
What is the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum?

It is the historic home in Atlanta where Mitchell and her husband John Marsh lived, nicknamed The Dump. It is now a museum dedicated to her life and work.
Who was Margaret Mitchell's first husband?

Her first husband was Berrien Kinnard Red Upshaw, a bootlegger. They married in 1922 but divorced in 1924 due to his alcoholism and physical abuse.
Who was Margaret Mitchell's second husband?

Her second husband was John R. Marsh, a former roommate of her first husband. They married in 1925 and remained together until her death.
What was Margaret Mitchell's relationship with the film adaptation of Gone with the Wind?

She refused to help directly but approved of Vivien Leigh’s Scarlett. She made only minor criticisms, such as the opulence of Tara and the wording of the opening crawl.
Did Margaret Mitchell write any other books besides Gone with the Wind?

No, she only completed one novel in her lifetime. Posthumously, her novella Lost Laysen and collections of her journalism and childhood writings were published.
How did Margaret Mitchell's upbringing influence Gone with the Wind?

She grew up hearing Civil War stories from her grandfather and grandmother. Her grandmother Annie Stephens provided eyewitness accounts of the war and Reconstruction, which became key sources.
What was the public reaction to Gone with the Wind upon publication?

It was an instant success, selling over a million copies in six months. It became the top American fiction bestseller in 1936 and 1937.
Why did Margaret Mitchell drop out of college?

She left Smith College in 1919 after her mother died from the flu during the pandemic. She returned to Atlanta to manage her father’s household.
What role did Margaret Mitchell play during World War II?

She volunteered for the American Red Cross, raised money by selling war bonds, and christened two light cruisers: USS Atlanta CL-51 in 1941 and USS Atlanta CL-104 in 1944.
Was a sequel to Gone with the Wind ever authorized?

Not until after the death of Mitchell’s brother Stephens Mitchell, who was executor of her estate. A sequel titled Scarlett was later authorized as both a novel and TV miniseries.
What is the legacy of Gone with the Wind?

It remains one of the best-selling books of all time, second only to the Bible. The 1939 film is a classic, and Mitchell was inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame in 2000.
What did Margaret Mitchell think of the movie casting?

She approved of Vivien Leigh as Scarlett but doubted her own favorite for Rhett Butler was Basil Rathbone. She jokingly suggested Groucho Marx to deflect questions.

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If something's wrong in a profile, Daniel will find it. With 7 years of research experience, he's developed an almost unreasonable eye for inaccurate career timelines, misattributed credits, and dates that don't quite add up. He doesn't publish anything he can't verify. The profiles on Famousy are as accurate as they are largely because of work you'll never see his name on.

Published on September 29, 2026

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