Christopher Morley(1890-1957)

Christopher Morley was born in Haverford, Pennsylvania, in 1890. His father was a mathematics professor at Haverford College. As a child, Morley was a dedicated bookworm. He graduated from Haverford and won a Rhodes scholarship which enabled him to attend New College, Oxford. While there he published his first book, a volume of poems. He returned to the States; in 1913, he began work at Doubleday. His first novel, "Parnassus on Wheels," essentially a story about a bookmobile -- the first one -- was a success on both sides of the Atlantic, and he followed it with "The Haunted Bookshop." In New York, he contributed to many magazines, and was a contributing editor of "The Saturday Review." Morley earned the loyalty of many who worked with and for him. He continued to publish short stories, plays, poems, and novels. Many, including stories for children, are still in print. The movie of his novel "Kitty Foyle" (1939) starred Ginger Rogers, who won an Academy Award for her performance. Dalton Trumbo adapted the novel for the screen, and earned his first Oscar nomination for this film. Morley had a deep love for the novels of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and even started a sort of appreciation "club" he called "The Standard Doyle Company.".Witty and worldly, Morley was also considered gentle and kind. Morley said, "Cherish your happy moments; they make a fine cushion for your old age." He died in 1957.