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Dr. Seuss’ work — dozens of children’s books — evoke the image of the elderly Geisel, bearded and gray, tolling away at one of his lyrical masterpieces. Few people know of the young and mischievous Geisel, Dr. Seuss before he earned the title.
Several online sources agree to the following story: As a freshman member of the Dartmouth College class of 1925, Geisel became a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. He began writing for the Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern, a school paper, and eventually became editor-in-chief. His tenure was short-lived, as Geisel was forced to resign after he was caught throwing a drinking party (that violated Prohibition laws).
In order to continue his work on the Jack-O-Lantern without the administration’s knowledge, Geisel began signing his work with the pen name “Seuss”. His first work signed as “Dr. Seuss” appeared after he obtained his undergraduate degree.
Seuss attended Lincoln College, Oxford, intending to earn a Ph.D. in literature. At Oxford he met his future wife Helen Palmer; he married her in 1927, and returned to the United States without earning the degree. Many people believe that the “Dr.” in his pen name is an acknowledgment of his father’s unfulfilled hopes that Seuss would earn a doctorate at Oxford. Additionally, many believe that Dr. Seuss’ views on Prohibition were influenced by his ancestors, both his father and grandfather were brewmasters.
Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated 44 children’s books during his career. American children equate “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” with the holiday season and often read “The Cat in the Hat” as their first book. A common gift given to high school and college graduates is the Seuss masterpiece of encouragement, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” Among Dr. Seuss’ trademarks were his inventive rhyming text and his bizarre illustrated creatures.
Many Dr. Seuss books have been adapted into animated programs. His books “The Cat in the Hat”, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Horton Hears a Who!” have been adapted into feature films, and the musical “Seussical the Musical” is an adaptation of all his books.
It seems that Seuss’ childhood prepared him to create the world of Seuss. His mother, Henrietta Seuss Geisel, worked in the family bakery. Mother Seuss often memorized the names of the pies on special each day and ‘chanted’ them to her customers. It is said that if young Theodore had trouble sleeping, Henrietta would recite her ‘pie-selling chants’ to get the boy to sleep. “I credit my mother for the rhythms in which I write and the urgency with which I do it,” Dr. Seuss stated.
Seuss’ father, Theodor Robert Geisel, was a parks superintendent in charge of a large park that included a zoo and was located three blocks from a library.
During World War II, Dr. Seuss turned to political cartoons, drawing over 400 in two years as editorial cartoonist for the left-wing New York City daily newspaper, PM. Dr. Seuss’ political cartoons, later published in “Dr. Seuss Goes to War”, opposed the viciousness of Hitler and Mussolini and were highly critical of isolationists, most notably Charles Lindbergh, who opposed American entry into the war.
In 1942, Dr. Seuss turned his energies to direct support of the U.S. war effort. First, he worked drawing posters for the Treasury Department and the War Production Board. Then, in 1943, he joined the Army and was commander of the Animation Dept. of the First Motion Picture Unit of the United States Army Air Forces, where he wrote films that included “Your Job in Germany”, a 1945 propaganda film about peace in Europe after World War II, and “Design for Death”, a study of Japanese culture that won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1947. While in the Army, he was awarded the Legion of Merit. Dr. Seuss’ non-military films from around this time were also well-received; “Gerald McBoing-Boing” won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Subject in 1950.
In May 1954, Life magazine published a report on illiteracy among school children, which concluded that children were not learning to read because their books were boring. This report influenced much of Seuss’ later work. Accordingly, Seuss’ publisher made up a list of 400 words he felt were important and asked Dr. Seuss to cut the list to 250 words and write a book using only those words. Nine months later, Seuss, using 220 of the words given to him, completed “The Cat in the Hat”.
A rumor exists that in 1960, someone wagered $50 with Dr. Seuss that he couldn’t write an entire book using only fifty words. The result was supposedly “Green Eggs and Ham”.
Dr. Seuss passed away on September 24, 1991. He left behind quite a legacy. At the time of his death, some 200 million copies of his books, translated into 15 different languages, had found their way into homes and hearts around the world.
As the Random House website devoted to Seuss puts it, “After devoting 53 years to creating entertaining and instructive books, the good Dr. Seuss taught all that he could teach. Theodor Seuss Geisel passed away on September 24, 1991, at the age of 87.”
Though he devoted most of his life to writing children’s books, Dr. Seuss never had any children himself.
Brandy Calvert is the Senior Staff Writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. Contact her via e-mail at bmurray@middlesborodailynews. Information from www.seussville.com and www.wikipedia.org was used in this article.
Photos: In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday (March 2), many area schools celebrated in proper Seuss fashion as part of the National Education Association’s ‘Read Across America.’ Yellow Creek School Center invited different members of the community to read a Dr. Seuss book to a class. Among those that participated were: Middlesboro Daily News Senior Staff Writer Brandy Calvert, Bob Dixon with Kentucky Farm Bureau, Bell County Sheriff Bruce Bennett, Papa John’s Owner John Brock Jr., Kentucky State Police Trooper Walt Meachum, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Ranger Dirk Wiley, Leah Lambert with Social Services, Middlesboro City Councilman Rob Lincks, Attorney Keith Nagle, aspiring teacher Megan Hensley, Mickey Wilson with Commercial Bank Insurance, Middlesboro Police Officer Chuck Bruce, Middlesboro Firefighter Scott Earl and local radio personality Brian O’Brien. Pictured reading “Horton Hears a Who” to kindergarten students is Middlesboro Daily News Senior Staff Writer Brandy Calvert. Also pictured reading “One Fish, Two Fish” to first grade students is Middlesboro Police Officer Chuck Bruce.
(BRANDY CALVERT/ Daily News)
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