History Focus forAugust 19

A short focus on a person or event associated with this day in History.

Ogden (Frederic) Nash (August 19, 1902)

Frederic Ogden Nash was born on August 19, 1902, in Rye, New York. He was descended from the Revolutionary War hero General Francis Nash, for whom Nashville, Tennessee, is named. As a child, Nash grew up in various places, moving all the time. He attended St. George's School in Newport, Rhode Island, and entered Harvard University. His family ran into financial problems, so he left Harvard after one year to find work.

After teaching for a year at St. George's, Nash went to New York City. There he tried selling bonds and writing advertising copy. In the mid-1920s he became a manuscript reader for a book publisher. About this time his humorous verse began to appear in The New Yorker magazine. Eventually he went to work on the staff of The New Yorker. His first book of verse, 'Hard Lines', appeared in 1931. Altogether he wrote 20 volumes of verse, including 'The Bad Parents' Garden of Verse' (1936), 'I'm a Stranger Here Myself' (1938), and 'Everyone but Thee and Me' (1962).

As his success continued he left publishing to devote his time to full time writing. In 1943 he wrote the lyrics and collaborated with S.J. Perelman on the book for the Broadway musical 'One Touch of Venus'. It was later made into a movie. He also appeared as a panelist on television shows. By the late 1940s Nash was the best-known American writer of humorous poetry. He died in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 19, 1971.

Sources: Compton’s Encyclopedia | Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 96

© Phillip Bower