Thomas Cadwallader Zimmerman (January 23, 1838 – November 13, 1914) was a Pennsylvania German writer and translator, notable for his translations of English language classics into the Pennsylvania German dialect. He was also the editor of the ''Reading Times'' newspaper in

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...

Berks County Berks County (Pennsylvania German: ''Barricks Kaundi'') is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 428,849. The county seat is Reading. The Schuylkill River, a tributary of the Delaware River, ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

Life and career

Zimmerman was born in

Lebanon County Lebanon County ( Pennsylvania Dutch: Lebanon Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,568. Its county seat is the city of Lebanon. The county was formed from portions of Dauphi ...

, Pennsylvania in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

in 1838.Rosenberger, p. 507. There he attended public school until he was thirteen years old, and was apprenticed as a printer with the ''Lebanon Courier''.''Biography'', p. 89. Upon completion of his apprenticeship, he went to Philadelphia to work at ''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...

''. In 1856, he became a journeyman printer with the ''Berks and Schuylkill Journal''. He relocated to Columbia,

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

in 1859, and returned to the Reading area at the outset of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, where in 1863 he enlisted in Company C of the 42nd Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers.''Biography'', p. 90. Although he is sometimes referred to as "Colonel," he saw no active service during the war. On June 11, 1867 he married Tamsie T. Kauffman of Reading. By 1897, he was the president of the ''Reading Times'' Publishing Company and editor of the ''Reading Times'' newspaper. In 1903, a volume titled ''Olla Podrida'' was published of his translations. In 1904, he was awarded a

Doctor of Humane Letters The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (; DHumLitt; DHL; or LHD) is an honorary degree awarded to those who have distinguished themselves through humanitarian and philanthropic contributions to society. The criteria for awarding the degree differ ...

degree from

Muhlenberg College Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Muhlenberg, the German patriarch of Luthe ...

Allentown Allentown may refer to several places in the United States and topics related to them: *Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California *Allentown, Georgia, a town in Wilkinson County *Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Taze ...

, Pennsylvania. Zimmerman retired from his newspaper career in October, 1908.''Proceedings'', p. 12. Zimmerman was quite active in public life. He was trustee of the Board of the State Asylum at Wernersville, director of the Reading Free Public Library, president of the Pennsylvania Association of Superintendents and Trustees of Insane Asylums and vice-president of the Pennsylvania Chautauqua Association.''Proceedings'', p. 14. He was one of the founders of the Pennsylvania German Society, and of the Historical Society of Berks County. Zimmerman died in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1914.

Translations

Zimmerman specialized in the translation of German poetry into English and of English language classics into the Pennsylvania German dialect, which, during his lifetime, was spoken by a significant percentage of the population in the area where he lived and worked.''Biography'', p. 91. Because of his association with the ''Reading Times'', in which his translations were regularly published, he was able to reach a large number of readers in the

region. His most notable translations included Clement C. Moores' "

Twas the Night Before Christmas ''A Visit from St. Nicholas'', more commonly known as ''The Night Before Christmas'' and ''Twas the Night Before Christmas'' from its first line, is a poem first published anonymously under the title ''Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas'' i ...

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...

's "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott" (" A Mighty Fortress Is Our God)" and Friedrich Schiller's "Die Glocke" (" Song of the Bell").

Publications

*''Olla Podrida'' (1903)

References

* * *

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zimmerman, Thomas C. 1838 births 1914 deaths American poets in Pennsylvania Dutch American writers in Pennsylvania Dutch People from Lebanon County, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania culture American male journalists Pennsylvania Dutch people People from Berks County, Pennsylvania Print editors Pennsylvania Dutch culture Pennsylvania Dutch language English–German translators American people of German descent 19th-century translators 19th-century American male writers Journalists from Pennsylvania