Jean Kerr

Jean Kerr (born Bridget Jean Collins, July 10, 1922 – January 5, 2003) was an American author and playwright born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, who authored the 1957 bestseller Please Don't Eat the Daisies and the plays King of Hearts in 1954 and Mary, Mary in 1961. Early life and education Kerr was born on July 10, 1922, in Scranton, Pennsylvania to Irish immigrant parents Tom and Kitty Collins, and grew up on Electric Street in Scranton. She attended Marywood Seminary, the topic of her humorous short story "When I was Queen of the May." She received a bachelor's degree from Marywood College in Scranton and attended The Catholic University of America, where she received her master's degree in 1945. A nun at Marywood persuaded her to drop her first name, because "only Irish washerwomen are named Biddie". Career