Drama Critic. One of the founding members of the Algonquin Round Table. A graduate of Hamilton College, Clinton, New York, class of 1909, he was known to his friends as "Aleck." His reputation as a critic was built on his wit and skill as an arbiter of taste. He was born on January 19, 1887, in an eighty-five room house once used as a commune in Phalanx, New Jersey. The house was owned by the Bucklin family, Woollcott's maternal grandparents. The Bucklins and Woollcotts were avid readers setting in young Alexander a lifelong love of literature, especially the works of Charles Dickens. During World War I he was refused for military service due to poor eyesight. He then signed up as an orderly in a medical unit. He reached the rank of Sergeant. He subsequently became a reporter with a new publication called, "Stars and Stripes." Alexander worked as a reporter with the New York Times. He covered the sinking of the Titanic. He was given the post he coveted, "Drama Critic," which he held until 1922. He moved to The New York World and had the same job until 1928. In 1929 he became a radio personality on CBS Radio as The Town Crier. On the day of his death on January 23, 1943, he was on a radio discussion program at CBS in New York City, called "The Peoples Platform." He scribbled a note that said "I'm sick" and showed it to the other program participants and then stooped over. He had a heart attack followed with a cerebral hemorrhage and died that evening.
Drama Critic. One of the founding members of the Algonquin Round Table. A graduate of Hamilton College, Clinton, New York, class of 1909, he was known to his friends as "Aleck." His reputation as a critic was built on his wit and skill as an arbiter of taste. He was born on January 19, 1887, in an eighty-five room house once used as a commune in Phalanx, New Jersey. The house was owned by the Bucklin family, Woollcott's maternal grandparents. The Bucklins and Woollcotts were avid readers setting in young Alexander a lifelong love of literature, especially the works of Charles Dickens. During World War I he was refused for military service due to poor eyesight. He then signed up as an orderly in a medical unit. He reached the rank of Sergeant. He subsequently became a reporter with a new publication called, "Stars and Stripes." Alexander worked as a reporter with the New York Times. He covered the sinking of the Titanic. He was given the post he coveted, "Drama Critic," which he held until 1922. He moved to The New York World and had the same job until 1928. In 1929 he became a radio personality on CBS Radio as The Town Crier. On the day of his death on January 23, 1943, he was on a radio discussion program at CBS in New York City, called "The Peoples Platform." He scribbled a note that said "I'm sick" and showed it to the other program participants and then stooped over. He had a heart attack followed with a cerebral hemorrhage and died that evening.
Bio by: Tom Morosco
Advertisement
See more Woollcott memorials in:
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
