About
The author with her grandfather and Irene Morden's
grandson, Charlie A. Sweet, Jr. Charlie A. Sweet Jr., with his Grandmother Morden, March 1945.
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My name is Hayley Hoffman, and I am a graduate student at the University of Kentucky. For as long as I can remember, my grandfather has told me stories about his Grandmother Morden. She was a big-game hunter, as evidenced by the trophy kills that hung in his basement; she traveled, as shown by the African sculptures in his living room. But for all the things he remembered about her, from her driver to her furs, he couldn't help but wonder what he didn't know about Grandmother Irene Morden. Because of her consistent and dangerous travel schedule, he questioned: Was she a member of the Office of Strategic Services during World War II? Was she one of America's first female spies? I knew we had to find out.
The short answer, from what I've discovered from my research, is no. Grandmother Morden, nor her second husband Bill, were members of the OSS or its contemporary CIA. They ran in the circles of early OSS spies, but never took on the role themselves. What we did find along the way, however, was so much more compelling than a World War II spy drama. Grandmother Morden was one of the world's most revered big-game hunters in her heyday, but many of her kills are credited to her husband. She was an avid explorer, but was never officially recognized by the American Museum of Natural History for the role she played in expeditions around the globe. She spent time with the likes of Ernest Hemingway, James L. Clark, and Roy Chapman Andrews, but faded into the background while these men rose to prominence. My great-great-grandmother was a feminist icon and American hero who had been erased by history. This website serves as an aggregate of what my family has pieced together about the life of Grandmother Morden. It contains a map of her travels, a collection of her writings, and a sample of oral histories from the people who knew her well. It is an ever-evolving digital homage to the woman whose adventurous and rabble-rousing spirit runs through my veins. I hope that you enjoy it. - Hayley Hoffman, Aug. 2019 |