Lucille E. Hein was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1915, moving to Madison, Wisconsin at the age of three. She received her B.A. and M.A. from the University of Wisconsin, where her special interest was English and comparative literature. During this time, Hein also traveled in Europe, where she enrolled in courses at the Sorbonne, the University of London, the University of Leiden, and Birmingham University.
In 1940, Hein relocated to Staten Island, New York, and there she became one of the first two women to teach at Wagner College. After four years as an instructor of English, Hein became associated with the Camp Fire Girls, Inc. as a writer of technical reports and manuals.
In 1950 Hein began her career as a freelance writer and editor. As a freelancer, she wrote and edited many books and articles, most of which pertain to children and religious subjects. Hein was the author of fourteen books, including Enjoy Your Children, One Small Circle, Enjoying the Outdoors with Children, We Talk With God, From Sea to Shining Sea, and Thinking of You. She also edited several projects by other authors, often acting as a ghost writer. Hein's work also appeared in many magazines, including The Lutheran, Christian Home, Seventeen, and Woman's Day. In addition, she worked on pamphlets and reports for such organizations as Camp Fire Girls, Inc., the Lutheran Church in America, the YMCA, and the Lutheran Brotherhood Insurance Company.
At the time of the acquisition of the Original Collection, Hein spent her summers with family in Platteville, Wisconsin.
