William Andrew Johnston in 1924

William Andrew Johnston (1871–1929) was an American journalist, writer, and co-founder, with George T. Delacorte Jr., of Dell Publishing.[1]

Personal

Johnston was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on January 26, 1871, the son of William Andrew and Agnes (Parry) Johnston. He graduated with a Litt.D from Western University of Pennsylvania (now the University of Pittsburgh) in 1891, where he was valedictorian.[2] Soon after graduation, he moved to New York City and took a job at the New York World newspaper, where he worked for 27 years.[1]

In 1921 he co-founded Dell Publishing. In 1927 he moved to Chicago, becoming vice-president of public relations for Celotex Corporation.[1]

Johnston was married twice, first in 1896, to Hazel Minnette Williams of Hampshire, England,[3] and second, in 1910, to Hattie Belle McCollum (1883-1963). of Lockport, New York[4] He had a son, George E. Johnston.[5]

He died in Chicago on February 16, 1929, at age 58.[1]

Publications

According to The New York Times', "most of Mr. Johnston's books were written from his experience as a reporter."[1] He is best known for his books Limpy, the Boy Who Felt Neglected (1917), based on his own disability, and The Fun of Being a Fat Man (1922), again based on his life experience, in reaction to a book by Henri Beraud called The Tragedy of Being Fat (Le Martyre de l'obèse).[2] He wrote a series of articles for Collier's from 1925-26, on the theme "if I were a...", such as "If I Were a Business Man",[6] "If I Were a Clergyman", "If I Were a Doctor", "If I Were a Lawyer", "If I Were a Rich Man", "If I Were Out of a Job". He also wrote a number of detective stories, and non-fiction.

Fiction

Non-fiction

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "William Johnston Dead". The New York Times. Feb 17, 1929. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Pratt, Fletcher (8 May 1927). "Being Fat Helped William Johnston Win Writer's Fame". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  3. ↑ Leonard, John William; Marquis, Albert Nelson (1908). Who's who in America. pp. 1007–1008.
  4. 1 2 "Noted Journalist who Married in Lockport". The Buffalo Sunday Morning News. 17 Apr 1910. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  5. ↑ Johnston, William (1921). My Own Main Street. Cincinnati: The Standard Publishing Company. Retrieved Jun 6, 2021.
  6. ↑ Johnston, William (Sep 27, 1924). "If I Were a Business Man". Collier's: 8. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
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