Marquis James (August 29, 1891,
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the List of cities in Missouri, third most populous city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County, Missouri, Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...
– November 19, 1955) was an American author and journalist, twice awarded the
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...
for his works ''The Raven: A Biography of
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston (, ; March 2, 1793 – July 26, 1863) was an American general and statesman who played a prominent role in the Texas Revolution. He served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas and was one of the first two indi ...
'' and ''The Life of
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...
''.
Early life and education
Marquis James was born on August 29, 1891, in Springfield, Missouri, the fifth child and only son of Houstin James (December 18, 1844, Pike Co., Ohio – August 18, 1908, Enid, Oklahoma), a lawyer, and Rachel Leo Marquis (July 14, 1848, Jay Co., Indiana – May 22, 1930, Enid, Oklahoma), a schoolteacher (daughter of Dr. James Marquis and Mary Cosner).
Houstin, a Civil War veteran, participated in both the
Land Rush of 1889 and the
Land Run of 1893.
[Rockwell, Stella, ed., ''Garfield County, Oklahoma, 1907–1982, Vol. I'', Garfield Historical Society, Josten's Publishing Company, Topeka, Kansas. 1982., pp. 330–331] While unsuccessful in 1889, Houstin successfully staked a claim southeast of
Enid, Oklahoma
Enid ( ) is the ninth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County, Oklahoma, Garfield County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 51,308. Enid was founded during the openin ...
in the 1893 run and moved his family there. Marquis James was educated at East Hill School and Central, and graduated
Enid High School in 1910. He attended one year of college at Oklahoma Christian University (later
Phillips University).
Career
During high school Marquis James helped found the ''Quill'', Enid's student newspaper.
He became a reporter for ''Enid Events'' at 14.
James worked for many of the local papers including ''Wave Democrat'', ''Enid Morning News'', and the ''Enid Daily Eagle''.
He also sent Enid related articles to the ''Wichita Eagle'' and ''The Oklahoman''.
[Brown, Gary]
''James Marquis Chronological Biography''
Enid History.org, 2004 Following high school he worked at various newspapers across the country, including as a rewrite editor for the ''New York Tribune'' in 1916.
From 1916 to 1918, Marquis James appeared with short stories and serials in the ''
Chicago Ledger''.
James served as an Army captain in the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, in France from 1917 to 1919. Following his military service, he became National Director of Publicity for the American Legion and worked on the staff at the ''American Legion Monthly'' from 1923 to 1932.
James also contributed work to ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'', occasionally using the pseudonym "Quid".
Personal life and death
James married fellow reporter Bessie Williams Rowland in 1914. The two collaborated on children's books based on James' Pulitzer Prize–winning biographies. They had one daughter, Cynthia. After 38 years of marriage, James and Rowland divorced in 1952. James married Jacqueline Mary Parsons in 1954.
[Vickery, Paul S.,]
James, Marquis (1891-1955)
", ''Oklahoma Encyclopedia of History & Culture'', Oklahoma Historical Society Marquis James died suddenly at the age of sixty-four of a
cerebral hemorrhage on November 19, 1955. He was working on a biography of
Booker T. Washington at the time of his death.
The Public Library of Enid and Garfield County dedicated the Marquis James room to him in 1964 which contains artifacts relating to James' life and career; in 2016 the library was designated a National Literary Landmark in his honor.
Bibliography
Books
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*
[Combined edition of ''Andrew Jackson : the border captain'' and ''Andrew Jackson : portrait of a president'', for which he was awarded the 1938 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.]
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* ''Alfred I. DuPont, The Family Rebel'' (1941)
* ''Biography of a Business, 1792-1942'' (1943)
* ''The Cherokee Strip: A Tale of an
Oklahoma
Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
Boyhood'' (1945)
* ''The Metropolitan Life: A Study in Business Growth'' (1947)
* ''Merchant Adventurer: The Story of W.R. Grace'' (completed 1948, published 1993)
* ''The Texaco Story, The First Fifty Years: 1902-1952'' (1953)
* ''Biography of a Bank: The Story of Bank of America'', with his wife
Bessie R. James (1954)
Articles
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* Profile of
Alice Roosevelt Longworth.
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*
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*
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* Profile of John H. Craige.
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*
* Topic: Mayor
John Hylan.
* Topic: Scopes Trial.
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*
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* Topics:
Astor Place Riot, Edward Z. C. Judson
* Topics:
Casey Jones, railroads, folklore.
References
External links
*
Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - James, Marquis*
{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Marquis
1891 births
1955 deaths
20th-century American biographers
American male biographers
American business writers
American economics writers
20th-century American historians
The New Yorker people
Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography winners
Writers from Enid, Oklahoma
Enid High School alumni
20th-century American male writers
Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters