A. Minor Griswold
A. Minor Griswold | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Alphonso Minor Griswold January 26, 1834 Westmoreland, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 14, 1891 (aged 57) |
Resting place | Westmoreland, New York, U.S. |
| Education | Hamilton College |
| Spouse |
Henrietta M. Benson (m. 1857) |
| Writing career | |
| Pen name | The Fat Contributor |
| Signature | |
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Alphonso Minor Griswold (January 26, 1834 – March 14, 1891) was an American humorist, journalist, and lecturer, known by his pen name The Fat Contributor.
Early life
Alphonso Minor Griswold was born on January 26, 1834, in Westmoreland, Oneida County, New York. He attended an academy in Oneida County. He attended Hamilton College as a member of the class of 1859, but did not graduate.[1][2][3][4]
Career
In 1858, Griswold became reporter for the Buffalo Times in Buffalo, New York. He was promoted to editorial writer and became known as "The Fat Contributor" after publishing humorous articles for the Buffalo Republic.[1][2][3] In 1859, he became editor of the Detroit Advertiser and later became editor of the Cleveland National Democrat. He succeeded Artemus Ward as associate editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer and wrote "Fat Contributor" letters.[1][3][5] In 1863, he became city editor of the Cincinnati Evening Times.[1][3] Due to ill health he left that paper in 1864, he retired from editing and became the manager for actor Lawrence Barrett.[3][5]
On March 15, 1865, Griswold started a humor lecture called the "Injun Meal" in Cincinnati. That led to him continuing his lecture series for 18 years throughout the United States and Canada.[1][3] In 1872, he founded the Cincinnati Saturday Night. In 1874, he became the sole owner. He ran the paper until he sold it in 1883.[1][2][3] He lived in Paris and toured Europe from 1883 to 1886 with his lecture series entitled "Griswold's Tour Around the World".[2][3][5] His lecture series was illustrated with drawings by Thomas Worth.[4] He also contributed to European papers.[5] After returning to the United States in 1886, he purchased an interest in Texas Siftings of Austin, Texas. The paper moved its operations to New York City and he became its editor and managed it alongside Alexander E. Sweet and J. Armoy Knox.[1][2][3] He then continued his lecture series in the United States.[3]
Personal life
Griswold married Henrietta M. Benson, daughter of A. J. Benson, of Boston in 1857. They had no children.[2][3] He was friends with actor William Lightfoot Visscher and writer Henry Clay Lukens ("Erratic Enrique").[1] He lived on West 123rd Street in New York City.[4]
Griswold died on March 14, 1891, of apoplexy in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, while on tour at the age of 57.[2] He was buried in Westmoreland, New York.[6]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Visscher, William Lightfoot (October 11, 1908). "Ten Wise Men and Some More: Chapter V. Alphonso Minor Griswold". The Los Angeles Herald. pp. 11–12. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Obituary: A. Minor Griswold". The American Stationer. Vol. 29. Howard Lockwood. 1891. p. 632. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Griswold, Alphonso Miner". The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography Vol. VI. New York: J. T. White Company. 1896. p. 29. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "A. Miner Griswold". Daily Sentinel. March 16, 1891. p. 2. Retrieved May 13, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 4 "Poor "Gris" is Gone". Cleveland Plain Dealer. March 15, 1891. p. 3. Retrieved May 13, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "The Last Sad Rites". Rome Daily Sentinel. March 19, 1891. p. 2. Retrieved May 13, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
Media related to Alphonso Minor Griswold at Wikimedia Commons