Sara Ann Freed Scholarship Fund

Sara Ann Freed was at the top of her professional career as editor-in-chief of Mysterious Press, and a senior editor of Warner Books, both subsidiaries of AOL Time Warner Book Group. In 2003, at the age of 57, she was diagnosed with leukemia. Within a matter of weeks she died. The outpouring of heartfelt appreciation for this Pennsylvania Mennonite farm girl turned influential New York City editor in the competitive world of book publishing was impressive. She was described as a modern champion of the mystery genre. One colleague remarked that Freed “was one of the most beloved people in the mystery field. Even people we didn’t publish received encouragement from Sara Ann.”

Born to a Mennonite family in Souderton, Pennsylvania, she always felt like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. At Goshen College, Dr. J. Daniel Hess, Assistant Professor of English at that time, recognized the abilities of this shy history major and invited her to be editor of the school newspaper, the Record. This opportunity proved to be life changing for Sara Ann. After a short time at the Mennonite Publishing House in Scottdale, Pennsylvania, she moved to New York City where she met her husband, Ira Weissman, and spent the rest of her life feeling at home as a New Yorker.

The Mystery Writers of America bestowed the Ellery Queen Award on her in 1999. The award honors distinguished people in the mystery-publishing field. Among the writers she edited were Marcia Muller, Margaret Maron, James Patterson, Kate White and Kelly Lange.

She advised Patricia Cornwell, who became a celebrated crime writer, to make Dr. Kay Scarpetta, her fictional medical examiner, the leading character in the book she was writing. Cornwell followed the advice and the book, “Postmortem,” achieved great success in 1990 and was the first of a series of bestselling mysteries.

Known for her ability to discover new talent, Sara Ann was honored with the naming of an annual award called the Sara Ann Freed Memorial Award, given each year to a new author in the field of mystery writing.

Sara Ann was a private and humble person. No one from her past, including her family knew the level of accomplishment she had achieved professionally. She was generous with her time and money in significant and quiet ways. One colleague wrote, “She was truly a unique and wonderful person, a brilliant editor and a fabulous friend.” Her husband, Ira, established this scholarship in hopes that Goshen College and the broader Mennonite community would recognize these characteristics of the woman he loved. It is also his hope that it will encourage and inspire other young women who have a gift for writing, editing and encouraging others.