Charlton Ogburn
Encyclopedia
Charlton Ogburn, Jr. was a journalist and author of memoirs and non-fiction works. He was also a well-known advocate of the Oxfordian theory
of Shakespeare authorship. He wrote over a dozen books and numerous magazine articles.
and writer Dorothy Ogburn née Stevens and the nephew of the sociologist William Fielding Ogburn
. He was raised in Savannah
and New York
, graduated from Harvard in 1932 and wrote and worked in publishing. During World War II
he joined military intelligence
, leaving with the rank of captain. He returned to the US to begin a career with the State Department. After the success of his story The White Falcon (1955) he quit the government to write full-time in 1957. He married Vera M. Weidman in 1951. He was among the first State Department officials to explicitly oppose the growing U.S. involvement in the Vietnam war
.
Ogburn's papers are archived at Emory College..
in World War II
, was be his best-known work during his lifetime; it was later made into the film Merrill's Marauders
(1962).
The following quotation
, or variants of it, is frequently misattributed to Petronius
. In fact it comes from a magazine article he wrote an article published by Harper's Magazine
in 1957 about his time with Merrill's Marauders:
In full, it reads as follows:
)"Ogburn has written a most extraordinary book...he is a very sensitive, reflective writer in the Thoreauvian tradition."
case on the authorship question sponsored by American University
which over a thousand members of the public attended. Three supreme court justices -- John Paul Stevens
, Harry Blackmun
, and William J. Brennan -- heard arguments in favor of the orthodox view of Shakespearean authorship and the Oxfordian theory
attributing the works to Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
(1550–1604). Although the justices held in favor of the traditional account of authorship, Stevens later authored an influential article, "The Shakespeare Canon of Statutory Construction," in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review
(1991), supporting Ogburn's position.
Ogburn's book also inspired a succession of influential articles in The New Yorker
(1988), Atlantic Monthly (1991), and Harpers Magazine
(1999) and stimulated a reinvigoration of the Oxfordian theory
, as well as a nationally broadcast, 3-hour teleconference on the topic, Uncovering Shakespeare: An Update, with moderator William F. Buckley, Jr.
.
Oxfordian theory
The Oxfordian theory of Shakespearean authorship proposes that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford , wrote the plays and poems traditionally attributed to William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon. While a large majority of scholars reject all alternative candidates for authorship, popular...
of Shakespeare authorship. He wrote over a dozen books and numerous magazine articles.
Life
Ogburn was the son of lawyer Charlton Greenwood OgburnCharlton Greenwood Ogburn
Charlton Greenwood Ogburn was a practicing lawyer who was drawn into the Shakespearean authorship question when Charles Wisner Barrell approached him for assistance in his lawsuit against Folger Shakespeare Library Director Giles Dawson for libel in response to comments made after Barrell...
and writer Dorothy Ogburn née Stevens and the nephew of the sociologist William Fielding Ogburn
William Fielding Ogburn
William Fielding Ogburn was an American sociologist who was born in Butler, Georgia and died in Tallahassee, Florida. He was also a statistician and an educator. Ogburn received his B.A. degree from Mercer University and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University...
. He was raised in Savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, graduated from Harvard in 1932 and wrote and worked in publishing. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he joined military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
, leaving with the rank of captain. He returned to the US to begin a career with the State Department. After the success of his story The White Falcon (1955) he quit the government to write full-time in 1957. He married Vera M. Weidman in 1951. He was among the first State Department officials to explicitly oppose the growing U.S. involvement in the Vietnam war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
Ogburn's papers are archived at Emory College..
The Marauders
The Marauders (1959), his first person account of the Burma CampaignBurma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, was be his best-known work during his lifetime; it was later made into the film Merrill's Marauders
Merrill's Marauders (film)
Merrill's Marauders is a 1962 Cinemascope war film directed and co-written by Samuel Fuller based on the exploits of the jungle warfare unit of the same name in the Burma Campaign. The source is the non-fiction book The Marauders, written by Charlton Ogburn Jr., a communications officer who served...
(1962).
The following quotation
Quotation
A quotation or quote is the repetition of one expression as part of another one, particularly when the quoted expression is well-known or explicitly attributed by citation to its original source, and it is indicated by quotation marks.A quotation can also refer to the repeated use of units of any...
, or variants of it, is frequently misattributed to Petronius
Petronius
Gaius Petronius Arbiter was a Roman courtier during the reign of Nero. He is generally believed to be the author of the Satyricon, a satirical novel believed to have been written during the Neronian age.-Life:...
. In fact it comes from a magazine article he wrote an article published by Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
in 1957 about his time with Merrill's Marauders:
- We trained hard ... but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we would be reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.
In full, it reads as follows:
- We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we would be reorganised. Presumably the plans for our employment were being changed. I was to learn later in life that, perhaps because we are so good at organising, we tend as a nation to meet any new situation by reorganising; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralization.
The Winter Beach
His account of his travels along the largely deserted north eastern shore in The Winter Beach is considered a classic of nature-writing. Roger Tory Peterson wrote, "In The Winter Beach, literary courage, eloquence and wisdom have, I think, brought about a triumph." (Stewart UdallStewart Udall
Stewart Lee Udall was an American politician. After serving three terms as a congressman from Arizona, he served as Secretary of the Interior from 1961 to 1969, under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B...
)"Ogburn has written a most extraordinary book...he is a very sensitive, reflective writer in the Thoreauvian tradition."
Oxfordian theory
Ogburn is, however, probably most well known for several books and articles on the Shakespeare authorship question, continuing the passion of his parents, who had written several books on the topic, including This Star of England (1952). Ogburn Jr's last and most influential book, The Mysterious William Shakespeare: The Man and the Myth (1984) led directly to the making of a 1987 Frontline documentary on the authorship question, narrated by Al Austin, and a 1987 Moot courtMoot court
A moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
case on the authorship question sponsored by American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
which over a thousand members of the public attended. Three supreme court justices -- John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from December 19, 1975 until his retirement on June 29, 2010. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest member of the Court and the third-longest serving justice in the Court's history...
, Harry Blackmun
Harry Blackmun
Harold Andrew Blackmun was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1970 until 1994. He is best known as the author of Roe v. Wade.- Early years and professional career :...
, and William J. Brennan -- heard arguments in favor of the orthodox view of Shakespearean authorship and the Oxfordian theory
Oxfordian theory
The Oxfordian theory of Shakespearean authorship proposes that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford , wrote the plays and poems traditionally attributed to William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon. While a large majority of scholars reject all alternative candidates for authorship, popular...
attributing the works to Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford was an Elizabethan courtier, playwright, lyric poet, sportsman and patron of the arts, and is currently the most popular alternative candidate proposed for the authorship of Shakespeare's works....
(1550–1604). Although the justices held in favor of the traditional account of authorship, Stevens later authored an influential article, "The Shakespeare Canon of Statutory Construction," in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review
University of Pennsylvania Law Review
The University of Pennsylvania Law Review is a law review focusing on legal issues, published by an organization of second and third year J.D. students at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. It is the oldest law journal in the United States, having been published continuously since 1852...
(1991), supporting Ogburn's position.
Ogburn's book also inspired a succession of influential articles in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
(1988), Atlantic Monthly (1991), and Harpers Magazine
Harpers Magazine
Harpers Wine and Spirit Trade Review or simply Harpers is a British fortnightly publication for the wine and spirit industry. Founded in 1878, it has a circulation of 5,224 fully subscribed readers. It is read across all sectors of the drinks industry including producers, distributors,...
(1999) and stimulated a reinvigoration of the Oxfordian theory
Oxfordian theory
The Oxfordian theory of Shakespearean authorship proposes that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford , wrote the plays and poems traditionally attributed to William Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon. While a large majority of scholars reject all alternative candidates for authorship, popular...
, as well as a nationally broadcast, 3-hour teleconference on the topic, Uncovering Shakespeare: An Update, with moderator William F. Buckley, Jr.
William F. Buckley, Jr.
William Frank Buckley, Jr. was an American conservative author and commentator. He founded the political magazine National Review in 1955, hosted 1,429 episodes of the television show Firing Line from 1966 until 1999, and was a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist. His writing was noted for...
.
See also
- Colonel Charles N. HunterCharles N. HunterCharles N. Hunter was the author of the book Galahad a first person account of the Burma Campaign in World War II. Galahad was the code-name for the U.S. Army's 5307th Composite Unit , better known as Merrill's Marauders. "Colonel Charles N...
author of Galahad (San Antonio, TX: Naylor Co., 1963), a book about Merrill's MaraudersMerrill's MaraudersMerrill’s Marauders or Unit Galahad, officially named the 5307th Composite Unit , was a United States Army long range penetration special operations unit in the South-East Asian Theater of World War II which fought in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations, or CBI...
and the commanding officer frequently mentioned in Ogburn's book, The Marauders.
External links
- Biography at the Ogbourne Chronicles websites.