Dorothy Bates, 96; wrote books in 1950s to help crossword enthusiasts

Dorothy Bates, 96, a woman who wrote popular books for crossword-puzzle enthusiasts under a male pseudonym, died Monday in a Jonesboro, Ark., hospital of heart failure arising from a malignant tumor.

Bates, whose maiden name was Dorothy Lee Keith, wrote numerous books for puzzlers in the 1950s under the name “Lee Keith.” Her books included lists of two- to eight-letter words from the Merriam-Webster 2nd International Dictionary, along with puzzle-solving tips.

Bates preferred that her readers think the puzzle books were written by a man, believing male authors had more credibility even when it came to games and riddles.

“They wouldn’t have had any faith in a woman making word lists and solving puzzles in those days,” she told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in an interview last month.

Will Shortz, the New York Times’ crossword editor and National Public Radio’s “Puzzle Master,” used Bates’ books in constructing puzzles and told the Arkansas newspaper that her work should be considered “artifacts” of the puzzle world.

Bates, who lived in Pocahontas, Ark., all her life, had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.