Owen Wister (July 14, 1860 – July 21, 1938) was an American writer and historian, considered the "father" of

western fiction Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West frontier and typically set from the late eighteenth to the late nineteenth century. Well-known writers of Western fiction include Zane Grey from the early 20th century and ...

. He is best remembered for writing '' The Virginian'' and a biography of

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

Biography

Early life

Owen Wister was born on July 14, 1860, in

Germantown Germantown or German Town may refer to: Places Australia * Germantown, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region United States * Germantown, California, the former name of Artois, a census-designated place in Glenn County * Ge ...

, a neighborhood in the northwestern part of

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. His father, Owen Jones Wister, was a wealthy physician raised at

Grumblethorpe Grumblethorpe, in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the home of the Wister family, who lived there for over 160 years. It was built in 1744 as a summer residence, but it became the family's year-round residence in 1793. It is a museum ...

in Germantown. He was a distant cousin of

Sally Wister Sally may refer to: People *Sally (name), a list of notable people with the name Military *Sally (military), an attack by the defenders of a town or fortress under siege against a besieging force; see sally port *Sally, the Allied reporting nam ...

through his descent from John Wister (born Johannes Wüster) (1708–1789), brother of

Caspar Wistar Caspar Wistar may refer to: * Caspar Wistar (glassmaker) (1696–1752), Pennsylvania glassmaker and landowner * Caspar Wistar (physician) Caspar Wistar (September 13, 1761January 22, 1818) was an American physician and anatomist. He is sometim ...

. His mother, Sarah Butler Wister, was the daughter of

Fanny Kemble Frances Anne "Fanny" Kemble (27 November 180915 January 1893) was a British actress from a theatre family in the early and mid-19th century. She was a well-known and popular writer and abolitionist, whose published works included plays, poetry ...

, a British actress, and Pierce Mease Butler.

Education

Wister briefly attended schools in Switzerland and

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

, and later studied at St. Paul's School in

Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2020 census the population was 43,976, making it the third largest city in New Hampshire behind Manchester and Nashua. The village of ...

and

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

, where he was a member of the

Hasty Pudding Theatricals The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, known informally simply as The Pudding, is a theatrical student society at Harvard University, known for its burlesque crossdressing musicals. The Hasty Pudding is the oldest theatrical organization in the United Sta ...

, and a member of

Delta Kappa Epsilon Delta Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as ''DKE'' or ''Deke'', is one of the oldest fraternities in the United States, with fifty-six active chapters and five active colonies across North America. It was founded at Yale College in 1844 by fifteen ...

(Alpha chapter). Wister was also a member of the

Porcellian Club The Porcellian Club is an all-male final club at Harvard University, sometimes called the Porc or the P.C. The year of founding is usually given as 1791, when a group began meeting under the name "the Argonauts",, p. 171: source for 1791 origins ...

, through which he became lifelong friends with future 26th President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

. As a senior Wister wrote the Hasty Pudding's then most successful show, ''Dido and Aeneas'', whose proceeds aided in the construction of their theater. Wister graduated from Harvard in 1882. At first he aspired to a career in music and spent two years studying at a Paris conservatory. Thereafter, he worked briefly in a bank in New York before studying law; he graduated from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

in 1888. Following this, he practiced with a

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

firm but was never truly interested in that career. He was interested in politics, however, and was a staunch supporter of U.S. president

. Harvard's Board of Overseers had Theodore Roosevelt as a member in 1916 and Owen Wister as a member in 1918. In the 1930s, Wister opposed President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

and his

New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Cons ...

Writing career

Wister began his literary work in 1882, publishing ''The New Swiss Family Robinson'', a parody of the 1812 novel ''

The Swiss Family Robinson ''The Swiss Family Robinson'' (German: ''Der Schweizerische Robinson'') is a novel by Johann David Wyss, first published in 1812, about a Swiss family of immigrants whose ship en route to Port Jackson, Australia, goes off course and is shipwreck ...

''. It was so well received that

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

wrote a letter to Wister praising it. Wister had spent several summers in the

American West The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...

, making his first trip to the Territory of

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

in 1885, planning to shoot big game, fish trout, meet the Indians, and spend nights in the wild. Like his friend

Teddy Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

, Wister was fascinated with the culture, lore and terrain of the region. He was "...struck with wonder and delight, had the eye to see and the talent to portray the life unfolding in America. After six journeys nto the dying 'wild west'for pleasure, he gave up the profession of law...", and became the writer he is better known as. On an 1893 visit to

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowston ...

, Wister met the western artist

Frederic Remington Frederic Sackrider Remington (October 4, 1861 – December 26, 1909) was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in the genre of Western American Art. His works are known for depicting the Western United State ...

, who remained a lifelong friend. When he started writing, Wister naturally inclined towards fiction set on the western frontier. His most famous work remains the 1902 novel '' The Virginian'', a complex mixture of persons, places and events dramatized from experience, word of mouth, and his own imaginationultimately creating the

archetypal The concept of an archetype (; ) appears in areas relating to behavior, historical psychology, and literary analysis. An archetype can be any of the following: # a statement, pattern of behavior, prototype, "first" form, or a main model that ...

cowboy A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquer ...

, who is a natural

aristocrat The aristocracy is historically associated with "hereditary" or "ruling" social class. In many states, the aristocracy included the upper class of people (aristocrats) with hereditary rank and titles. In some, such as ancient Greece, ancient Ro ...

, set against a highly mythologized version of the

Johnson County War The Johnson County War, also known as the War on Powder River and the Wyoming Range War, was a range conflict that took place in Johnson County, Wyoming from 1889 to 1893. The conflict began when cattle companies started ruthlessly persecuting ...

, and taking the side of the large landowners. This is widely regarded as being the first cowboy novel, though many modern scholars argue that this distinction belongs to Emma Ghent Curtis's ''The Administratrix,'' published over ten years earlier. ''The Virginian'' was reprinted fourteen times in eight months. It stands as one of the top 50 best-selling works of fiction and is considered by Hollywood experts to be the basis for the modern fictional cowboy portrayed in literature, film, and television. In 1904 Wister collaborated with

Kirke La Shelle Kirke La Shelle (September 23, 1862 – May 16, 1905) was an American journalist, playwright and theatrical producer. He was known for his association with such successful productions as ''The Wizard of the Nile'', ''The Princess Chic'', ''Besid ...

on a successful stage adaptation of ''The Virginian'' that featured

Dustin Farnum Dustin Lancy Farnum (May 27, 1874 – July 3, 1929) was an American singer, dancer, and actor on the stage and in silent films. Although he played a wide variety of roles, he tended toward westerns and became one of the biggest stars of the genr ...

in the title role. Farnum reprised the role ten years later in

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...

's film adaptation of the play. Wister was a member of several literary societies, a member of The Franklin Inn Club, a fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

and a member of the Board of Overseers of Harvard University.

Personal life

In 1898, Wister married Mary Channing, his cousin. The couple had six children. Channing died during childbirth in 1913. Their daughter, Marina Wister, married artist

Andrew Dasburg Andrew Michael Dasburg (4 May 1887 – 13 August 1979) was an American modernist painter and "one of America's leading early exponents of cubism". Biography Dasburg was born in 1887 in Paris. He emigrated from Germany to New York City with ...

in 1933.

Death

In 1938, Wister died at his home in

Saunderstown, Rhode Island Saunderstown is a small village and historic district in the towns of Narragansett and North Kingstown in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. Saunderstown has its own post office with the ZIP Code of 02874, which also includes a sm ...

. He is buried in

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, it was the second major rural cemetery in the United States after Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery is ...

Legacy

Since 1978,

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a public land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, and opened in September 1887. The University of Wyoming ...

Student Publications has published the literary and arts magazine '' Owen Wister Review''. The magazine was published bi-annually until 1996 and became an annual publication in the spring of 1997. Just within the western boundary of the

Grand Teton National Park Grand Teton National Park is an American national park in northwestern Wyoming. At approximately , the park includes the major peaks of the Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Grand Teton Na ...

in Wyoming, there is an 11,490-foot mountain named

Mount Wister Mount Wister () is located in the Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The peak is located west of Taggart Lake and to the south of Avalanche Canyon. The mountain is named after famed author Owen Wister Owen ...

, named for Owen Wister. Near a house that Wister built near

La Mesa, California La Mesa () is a city in San Diego County, located east of Downtown San Diego in Southern California. The population was 61,121 at the 2020 census, up from 57,065 at the 2010 census. Its civic motto is "the Jewel of the Hills." History La Me ...

, but never occupied due to his wife's death, is a street called Wister Drive. In the same neighborhood are Virginian Lane and Molly Woods Avenue (named for a character in ''The Virginian''). All of those streets were named by Wister himself. In 1976, he was inducted into the

Hall of Great Westerners The Hall of Great Westerners was established by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1958. Located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., the Hall was created to celebrate the contributions of more than 200 men and women of the American W ...

of the

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, with more than 28,000 American West, Western and Native Americans in the United States, American Indian art works and Artifact (archaeology), ar ...

Bibliography

Novels

*''The New Swiss Family Robinson'' (

1882 Events January–March * January 2 ** The Standard Oil Trust is secretly created in the United States to control multiple corporations set up by John D. Rockefeller and his associates. ** Irish-born author Oscar Wilde arrives in ...

) *''The Dragon of Wantley: His Tale'' (

1892 Events January–March * January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States. * February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado. * February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies for ...

) *''Lin McLean'' ( 1897) (1918 filmed as ''

A Woman's Fool ''A Woman's Fool'' is a 1918 American silent Western film directed by John Ford featuring Harry Carey. The film is considered to be lost. Plot As described in a film magazine, Lin McLean (Carey), a cowboy, is a fool where women are concerned. ...

'' by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

) *'' The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains'' ( 1902)
''Philosophy 4: A Story of Harvard University''
( 1903) *''A Journey in Search of Christmas'' (

1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. * ...

) * *''Padre Ignacio: or, the Song of Temptation'' (

1911 A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...

) *''Romney: And Other New Works about Philadelphia'' (written 1912–1915; published incomplete 2001)

Non-fiction

*''In Memory of Thomas Wharton'' (introduction, pp.ix-xxii) to ''Bobbo and Other Fancies'' (1897) by Wharton, Thomas Isaac (1859-1896) * ''Ulysses S. Grant'' (

1901 Events January * January 1 – The Crown colony, British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and Western Australia Federation of Australia, federate as the Australia, ...

) *''Oliver Wendell Holmes'', in the "American Men of Letters Series" (1902) *''The Bison, Musk-Ox, Sheep, and Goat Family'', with G. B. Grinnell and Caspar Whitney in the "

American Sportsman's Library The ''American Sportsman's Library'' is a series of 16 uniformly-bound volumes on sporting subjects, from an American perspective, published by the Macmillan Company (see Macmillan Publishers) in the period 1902-1905. Caspar Whitney, the owner/ed ...

" (1903) *''Benjamin Franklin'', in the "English Men of Letters Series" (1904) *''The Seven Ages of Washington: A Biography'' ( 1907) *''The Pentecost of Calamity'' (

1915 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction". *January 1 ...

) *''The Aftermath of Battle: With the Red Cross in France'' (

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * ...

) (preface to Edward D. Toland's autobiography) *''A Straight Deal: or the Ancient Grudge'' (

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

) *''Neighbors Henceforth'' (

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

) *''A Monograph of the Work of Mellor Meigs & Howe'' ( 1923) (contributor) *'' Roosevelt: The Story of a Friendship, 1880–1919'' (

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

) *''

The Philadelphia Club Philadelphia Club was founded in 1834 and is located at 13th and Walnut Streets in Center City, Philadelphia. It is the oldest city club in the United States and one of the oldest gentlemen's clubs. Notable members have included George Meade, ...

, 1834–1934'' (

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

) *''The Illustrations of Frederic Remington'' (1970) (commentary)

Story collections

*''Red Men and White'' ( 1895) (aka ''Salvation Gap and Other Western Classics'') *''The Jimmyjohn Boss and Other Stories'' (

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...

) *''Members of the Family'' (

) (Illus. H. T. Dunn) *''Safe in the Arms of Croesus'' ( 1927) *''When West Was West'' (

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

) *''The West of Owen Wister: Selected Short Stories'' (

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

)

Short stories

*"The New Swiss Family Robinson: A Tale for Children of All Ages", a parody of ''

'' (

)
new edition, 1922
*"Hank's Woman" (

) (in ''The Jimmyjohn Boss'') *"How Lin McLean Went East" (

) (incorporated into ''Lin McLean'') *"Em'ly" (

1893 Events January–March * January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America. * Mark Twain started writing Puddn'head Wilson. * January 6 – Th ...

) (incorporated into ''The Virginian'') *"The Winning of the Biscuit-Shooter" (

) (incorporated into ''Lin McLean'') *"Balaam and Pedro" ( 1894) (incorporated into ''The Virginian'') *"The Promised Land (Wister short story)" ( 1894) (in ''The Jimmyjohn Boss'') *"A Kinsman of Red Cloud" ( 1894) (in ''The Jimmyjohn Boss'') *"Little Big Horn Medicine" ( 1894) (in ''Red Men and White'') *"Specimen Jones" ( 1894) (in ''Red Men and White'') *"The Serenade at Siskiyou" ( 1894) (in ''Red Men and White'') *"The General's Bluff" ( 1894) (in ''Red Men and White'') *"Salvation Gap" ( 1894) (in ''Red Men and White'') *"Lin McLean's Honey-Moon" ( 1895) (incorporated into ''Lin McLean'') *"The Second Missouri Compromise" ( 1895) (in ''Red Men and White'') *"La Tinaja Bonita" ( 1895) (in ''Red Men and White'') *"A Pilgrim on the Gila" ( 1895) (in ''Red Men and White'') *"Where Fancy Was Bred" (

1896 Events January–March * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end, as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports that Wil ...

) (incorporated into ''The Virginian'') *"Separ's Vigilante" ( 1897) (incorporated into ''Lin McLean'') *"Grandmother Stark" ( 1897) (incorporated into ''The Virginian'') *"Sharon's Choice" ( 1897) (in ''The Jimmyjohn Boss'') *"Destiny at Drybone" ( 1897) (incorporated into ''Lin McLean'') *"Twenty Minutes for Refreshments" (

) (in ''The Jimmyjohn Boss'') *"Padre Ignazio" (

) (in ''The Jimmyjohn Boss'') *"The Game and the Nation" (

) (incorporated into ''The Virginian'') * "Mother" (1901,1907) (in ''Safe in the Arms of Croesus'') *"Superstition Trail" (

) (incorporated into ''The Virginian'') *"In a State of Sin" ( 1902) (incorporated into ''The Virginian'') *"The Vicious Circle" ( 1902) (in ''The Saturday Evening Post'', December 13, 1902; later revised as ''Spit-Cat Creek'') *"With Malice Aforethought" ( 1902) (incorporated into ''The Virginian'') *"Stanwick's Business" (

) (in ''Safe in the Arms of Croesus'') *"The Jimmyjohn Boss" (in ''The Jimmyjohn Boss'') *"Napoleon Shave-Tail" (in ''The Jimmyjohn Boss'') *"Happy Teeth" (in ''Members of the Family'') *"Spit-Cat Creek" (in ''Members of the Family'') *"In the Back" (in ''Members of the Family'') *"

How Doth the Simple Spelling Bee ''How Doth the Simple Spelling Bee'' is a short story by Owen Wister that was published in book form in 1907. It is a satire about spelling reform efforts of the time, which also humorously and in a good-natured manner pokes fun at academia in gen ...

" ( 1907) (Illus. Frederic Rodrigo Gruger) (in ''Safe in the Arms of Croesus'') *Timberline (Wister short story), "Timberline" ( 1908) (in ''Members of the Family'') *The Gift Horse (Wister short story), "The Gift Horse" ( 1908) (in ''Members of the Family'') *"Extra Dry" (

1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Januar ...

) (in ''Members of the Family'') *"Where It Was" (

) (in ''Members of the Family'') *"The Drake Who Had Means of His Own" (

) (in ''Members of the Family'') *"Safe in the Arms of Croesus" (in ''Safe in the Arms of Croesus'') *"With the Coin of Her Life" (in ''Safe in the Arms of Croesus'') *"The Honeymoonshiners" (in ''Safe in the Arms of Croesus'') *"Bad Medicine (Wister short story), Bad Medicine" (in ''When West Was West'') *"Captain Quid" (in ''When West Was West'') *"Once Round the Clock" (in ''When West Was West'') *"The Right Honorable, The Strawberries" (

) (in ''When West Was West'') *"Little Old Scaffold" (

) (in ''When West Was West'') *"Absalom of Moulting Pelican" (

) (in ''When West Was West'') *"Lone Fountain" (in ''When West Was West'') *"Skip to My Loo" (in ''When West Was West'') *"At the Sign of the Last Chance" (

) (in ''When West Was West'')

Essays

*"Where Charity Begins" ( 1895) *"The Evolution of the Cow-Puncher" ( 1895) *"Concerning "Bad Men" The True "Bad Man" of the Frontier, and the Reasons for His Existence" (

) *"Theodore Roosevelt, Harvard '80" (

) *"The Open Air Education" ( 1902) *"After Four Years" (

1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony i ...

) *"High Speed English and American Railroad Flyers" ( 1906) *"The Keystone Crime: Pennsylvania's Graft-Cankered Capitol" ( 1907) *"According to a Passenger" (

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the c ...

) *"How One Bomb Was Made" (

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...

) *"Roosevelt and the 1912 Disaster: A Friend Remembers - and Interprets" (

) *"Roosevelt and the War: A Chapter of Memories" (

) *"John Jay Chapman (Wister essay), John Jay Chapman" (

) *"In Homage to Mark Twain" (

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * ...

) *"Old Yellowstone Days" (

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

)

Poetry

*"The Pale Cast of Thought" (1890) *"From Beyond the Sea" (1890) *"Autumn on Wind River" (1897) *"In Memoriam" (1902) *'' Done In The Open'' (1902) (Illus. by

) *"Serenade" (1910) *''Indispensable Information for Infants: Or Easy Entrance to Education'' (1921)

Operas

*''Dido and Aeneas'' (

) *''Kenilworth'' (unpublished) *''Listen to Binks'' (unpublished) *''Montezuma'' (unpublished) *''Villon'' (unpublished) *''Watch Your Thirst: A Dry Opera in Three Acts'' ( 1923)

Plays

*''The Dragon of Wantley'' (unpublished) *''The Honeymoonshiners'' (published in the story collection ''Safe in the Arms of Croesus'') *''Lin McLean'' (unpublished) *''Slaves of the Ring'' (unpublished) *''That Brings Luck'' (unpublished) *''The Virginian'' (unpublished)

Works inspired by ''The Virginian''

Many movie industry historians will agree that most, if not all, westerns can be claimed to contain influences from ''The Virginian''. It is nearly universally accepted that the "Hollywood cowboy" was, and still is, based on this book. *''

The Virginian (1914 film) 'The Virginian'' is a 1914 American silent Western film based on the 1902 novel '' The Virginian'' by Owen Wister. The film was adapted from the successful 1903–04 theatre play '' The Virginian'', on which Wister had collaborated with playw ...

'' directed by

, with

*''

The Virginian (1923 film) ''The Virginian'' is a 1923 American silent Western film based upon the 1902 Owen Wister novel '' The Virginian'' and adapted from the popular 1904 theatrical play which Wister had collaborated on with playwright Kirke La Shelle. The film s ...

'' with

Kenneth Harlan Kenneth Daniel Harlan (July 26, 1895 – March 6, 1967) was an American actor of the silent film era, playing mostly romantic leads or adventurer types. Early life Harlan was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of George W. Harlan and ac ...

and

Florence Vidor Florence Vidor (née Cobb, later Arto; July 23, 1895 – November 3, 1977) was an American silent film actress. Early life Vidor was born in Houston on July 23, 1895, to John and Ida Cobb. Her parents had married in Houston on March 3, 1894, bu ...

*''

The Virginian (1929 film) ''The Virginian'' is a 1929 American pre-Code Western film directed by Victor Fleming and starring Gary Cooper, Walter Huston, and Richard Arlen. The film was based on the 1902 novel '' The Virginian'' by Owen Wister and adapted from the popula ...

'' with

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...

and

Walter Huston Walter Thomas Huston ( ;According to the Province of Ontario. ''Ontario, C ...

*''

The Virginian (1946 film) ''The Virginian'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by Stuart Gilmore and starring Joel McCrea, Brian Donlevy, Sonny Tufts, and Barbara Britton. Based on the 1902 Owen Wister novel of the same name, the film was adapted from the popula ...

'' with

Joel McCrea Joel Albert McCrea (November 5, 1905 – October 20, 1990) was an American actor whose career spanned a wide variety of genres over almost five decades, including comedy, drama, romance, thrillers, adventures, and Westerns, for which he beca ...

and

Brian Donlevy Waldo Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1901 – April 6, 1972) was an American actor, noted for playing dangerous tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. He usually appeared in supporting roles. Among his best-known films are ''Beau Geste'' (193 ...

*'' The Virginian (1962–1971 TV series)'' with

James Drury James Child Drury Jr. (April 18, 1934 – April 6, 2020) was an American actor. He is best known for having played the title role in the 90-minute weekly Western television series '' The Virginian'', which was broadcast on NBC from 1962 to ...

and

Doug McClure Douglas Osborne McClure (May 11, 1935February 5, 1995) was an American actor whose career in film and television extended from the 1950s to the 1990s. He is best known for his role as the cowboy Trampas during the entire run from 1962 to 1971 o ...

*''The Virginian'' 2000 telefilm with

Bill Pullman William Pullman (born December 17, 1953) is an American actor. After graduating with a Master of Fine Arts degree in theater, he was an adjunct professor at Montana State University before deciding to pursue acting. He made his film debut in ''R ...

Diane Lane Diane Colleen Lane (born January 22, 1965) is an American actress. Born and raised in New York City, Lane made her screen debut at age 14 in George Roy Hill's 1979 film ''A Little Romance''. The two films that could have catapulted her to star ...

, John Savage,

Colm Feore Colm Joseph Feore (; born August 22, 1958) is a Canadian actor. A 15-year veteran of the Stratford Festival, he is known for his Gemini-winning turn as Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in the CBC miniseries '' Trudeau'' (2002), his portrayal of G ...

, and

Dennis Weaver William Dennis Weaver (June 4, 1924 – February 24, 2006) was an American actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, best known for his work in television and films from the early 1950s until just before his death in 2006. Weave ...

*''The Virginian'' 2014 telefilm with

Trace Adkins Trace may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * ''Trace'' (Son Volt album), 1995 * ''Trace'' (Died Pretty album), 1993 * Trace (band), a Dutch progressive rock band * ''The Trace'' (album) Other uses in arts and entertainment * ''Trace'' ...

Brendan Penny Brendan James Penny (born November 9, 1978) is a Canadian film and television actor who first became well known to TV audiences as A.J. Varland in the first season of '' Whistler'' that aired in Canada from 2006 to 2008. He is perhaps best known ...

Ron Perlman Ronald Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in the television series ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1987–199 ...

, and

Victoria Pratt Victoria Ainslie Pratt (born December 18, 1970) is a Canadian actress, author, and fitness model. Early life Pratt grew up in Chesley, Ontario, a self described "tomboy at heart." She attended the kinesiology program at York University in Tor ...

References

External links

Owen Wister Papers
at the

–

American Heritage Center The American Heritage Center is the University of Wyoming's repository of manuscripts, rare books, and the university archives. Its collections focus on Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain West (including politics, settlement, and western trails) and ...

* *
History of Owen Wister & Medicine Bow, WyomingOwen Wister Review"Owen Wister"
by Richard W. Etulain in th
Western Writers Series Digital EditionsWestern American Literature Journal: Owen Wister
* * * * *

', Penn State Press, 2001 Sample chapter available
La Salle University Local History
Owen Wister and his family at Belfield, now the grounds of La Salle University, Philadelphia, PA
Article in Pittsburgh ''Post-Gazette'' on Wister
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wister, Owen 19th-century American novelists 20th-century American novelists American male novelists Western (genre) writers Writers from Philadelphia Writers from Wyoming St. Paul's School (New Hampshire) alumni 1860 births 1938 deaths Pennsylvania Republicans The Harvard Lampoon alumni Members of the Philadelphia Club Members of the American Philosophical Society Wister family Germantown Academy alumni Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia) 19th-century American male writers American people of English descent American people of German descent Harvard Law School alumni 20th-century American male writers Hasty Pudding alumni Novelists from Pennsylvania Theodore Roosevelt Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters

Biography

Early life

Education

Writing career

Personal life

Death

Legacy

Bibliography

Novels

Non-fiction

Story collections

Short stories

Essays

Poetry

Operas

Plays

Works inspired by ''The Virginian''

References

Further reading

External links