George Ade
Encyclopedia
George Ade was an American writer
, newspaper columnist
, and playwright
.
, one of seven children raised by John and Adaline (Bush) Ade. While attending Purdue University
, he became a member of the Sigma Chi
fraternity. He also met and started a lifelong friendship with fellow cartoonist
and Sigma Chi
brother John T. McCutcheon
and worked as a reporter for the Lafayette Call. He graduated in 1887.
In 1890 Ade joined the Chicago Morning News, which later became the Chicago Record, where McCutcheon was working. He wrote the column, Stories of the Streets and of the Town. In the column, which McCutcheon illustrated, George Ade illustrated Chicago-life. It featured characters like Artie, an office boy; Doc Horne, a gentlemanly liar; and Pink Marsh, a black shoeshine boy. Ade's well-known "fables in slang" also made their first appearance in this popular column.
Ade's literary reputation rests upon his achievements as a great humorist of American character during an important era in American history: the first large wave of migration from the countryside to burgeoning cities like Chicago, where, in fact, Ade produced his best fiction. He was a practicing realist during the Age of (William Dean) Howells and a local colorist of Chicago and the Midwest. His work constitutes a vast comedy of Midwestern manners and, indeed, a comedy of late 19th century American manners.
Ade's fiction dealt consistently with the "little man," the common, undistinguished, average American, usually a farmer or lower middle class citizen. (He sometimes skewered women, too, especially women with laughable social pretensions.)
Ade followed in the footsteps of his idol Mark Twain
by making expert use of the American language. In his unique "Fables in Slang," which purveyed not so much slang as the American colloquial vernacular, Ade pursued an effectively genial satire notable for its scrupulous objectivity. Ade's regular practice in the best fables is to present a little drama incorporating concrete, specific evidence with which he implicitly indicts the object of his satire—always a type (e.g., the social climber). The fable's actual moral is nearly always implicit, though he liked to tack on a mock, often ironic moral (e.g., "Industry and perseverance bring a sure reward").
As a moralist who does not overtly moralize, who is all too aware of the ironies of what in his day was the modern world, George Ade was perhaps our first modern American humorist. Through the values implicit in the fables, Ade manifests an ambivalence between the traditional rural virtues in which he was raised (the virtues of Horatio Alger
and the McGuffey Readers
) and the craftiness he saw all around him in booming Chicago.
The United States, in Ade's lifetime, underwent a great population shift and transfer from an agricultural to an industrial economy. Many felt the nation suffered the even more agonizing process of shifting values toward philistinism, greed, and dishonesty. Ade's prevalent practice is to record the pragmatic efforts of the little man to get along in such a world.
Ade propounds a golden mean, satirizing both hidebound adherence to obsolete standards and too-easy adjustment to new ones. His view is often an ambiguous, ambivalent, pragmatic reaction to the changing scene, but it remains an invaluable literary reflection of the conflicting moral tensions resident in our national culture at the turn of the century.
Ade was a playwright as well as an author, penning such stage works as Artie, The Sultan of Sulu (a musical comedy with composer Nathaniel D. Mann
and lyricist Alfred George Whathall ), The College Widow, The Fair Co-ed, and "The County Chairman". He wrote the first American play about football.
After twelve years in Chicago
, he built a home near the town of Brook, Indiana
(Newton County
). It soon became known for hosting a campaign stop in 1908 by William Howard Taft
, a rally for Theodore Roosevelt
's Bull Moose Party
in 1912, and a homecoming for soldiers and sailors in 1919.
George Ade is one of the American writers whose publications made him rich. When land values were inflated about the time of World War I, Ade was a millionaire. The Ross-Ade
football stadium at Purdue University
was built with his (and David E. Ross's) financial support. He also generously supported his college fraternity, Sigma Chi
, leading a fund-raising campaign to endow the Sigma Chi mother house at the site of the fraternity's original establishment at Miami University
. Ade is also famous among Sigma Chis as the author of The Sigma Chi Creed
, written in 1929, one of the central documents of the fraternity's philosophies.
George Ade died in Brook, Indiana
, aged 78. He is buried in Fairlawn Cemetery in Kentland.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, newspaper columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
, and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
.
Biography
Ade was born in Kentland, IndianaKentland, Indiana
Kentland is a town in Jefferson Township, Newton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,748 at the 2010 census. The town was founded in 1860 as "Kent", though this name was soon lengthened to Kentland. The name honors Alexander Kent, who acquired the then marshy plat and prepared it...
, one of seven children raised by John and Adaline (Bush) Ade. While attending Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, he became a member of the Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
fraternity. He also met and started a lifelong friendship with fellow cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
and Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
brother John T. McCutcheon
John T. McCutcheon
John Tinney McCutcheon was an American newspaper political cartoonist who was known as the "Dean of American Cartoonists"....
and worked as a reporter for the Lafayette Call. He graduated in 1887.
In 1890 Ade joined the Chicago Morning News, which later became the Chicago Record, where McCutcheon was working. He wrote the column, Stories of the Streets and of the Town. In the column, which McCutcheon illustrated, George Ade illustrated Chicago-life. It featured characters like Artie, an office boy; Doc Horne, a gentlemanly liar; and Pink Marsh, a black shoeshine boy. Ade's well-known "fables in slang" also made their first appearance in this popular column.
Ade's literary reputation rests upon his achievements as a great humorist of American character during an important era in American history: the first large wave of migration from the countryside to burgeoning cities like Chicago, where, in fact, Ade produced his best fiction. He was a practicing realist during the Age of (William Dean) Howells and a local colorist of Chicago and the Midwest. His work constitutes a vast comedy of Midwestern manners and, indeed, a comedy of late 19th century American manners.
Ade's fiction dealt consistently with the "little man," the common, undistinguished, average American, usually a farmer or lower middle class citizen. (He sometimes skewered women, too, especially women with laughable social pretensions.)
Ade followed in the footsteps of his idol Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
by making expert use of the American language. In his unique "Fables in Slang," which purveyed not so much slang as the American colloquial vernacular, Ade pursued an effectively genial satire notable for its scrupulous objectivity. Ade's regular practice in the best fables is to present a little drama incorporating concrete, specific evidence with which he implicitly indicts the object of his satire—always a type (e.g., the social climber). The fable's actual moral is nearly always implicit, though he liked to tack on a mock, often ironic moral (e.g., "Industry and perseverance bring a sure reward").
As a moralist who does not overtly moralize, who is all too aware of the ironies of what in his day was the modern world, George Ade was perhaps our first modern American humorist. Through the values implicit in the fables, Ade manifests an ambivalence between the traditional rural virtues in which he was raised (the virtues of Horatio Alger
Horatio Alger, Jr.
Horatio Alger, Jr. was a prolific 19th-century American author, best known for his many formulaic juvenile novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through hard work, determination, courage, and honesty...
and the McGuffey Readers
McGuffey Readers
McGuffey Readers were a series of graded primers that were widely used as textbooks in American schools from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century, and are still used today in some private schools and in homeschooling....
) and the craftiness he saw all around him in booming Chicago.
The United States, in Ade's lifetime, underwent a great population shift and transfer from an agricultural to an industrial economy. Many felt the nation suffered the even more agonizing process of shifting values toward philistinism, greed, and dishonesty. Ade's prevalent practice is to record the pragmatic efforts of the little man to get along in such a world.
Ade propounds a golden mean, satirizing both hidebound adherence to obsolete standards and too-easy adjustment to new ones. His view is often an ambiguous, ambivalent, pragmatic reaction to the changing scene, but it remains an invaluable literary reflection of the conflicting moral tensions resident in our national culture at the turn of the century.
Ade was a playwright as well as an author, penning such stage works as Artie, The Sultan of Sulu (a musical comedy with composer Nathaniel D. Mann
Nathaniel D. Mann
Nathaniel D. Mann was an American composer best known for his work with L. Frank Baum. He composed at least two songs with Baum, "Different Ways of Making Love" and "It Happens Ev'ry Day," and another with John Slavin, "She Didn't Really Mind the Thing at All," for The Wizard of Oz stage musical...
and lyricist Alfred George Whathall ), The College Widow, The Fair Co-ed, and "The County Chairman". He wrote the first American play about football.
After twelve years in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, he built a home near the town of Brook, Indiana
Brook, Indiana
Brook is a town located in Iroquois Township, Newton County, Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 997.-Geography:Brook is located at 40°51'58" North, 87°21'57" West ....
(Newton County
Newton County, Indiana
Newton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 14,244. The county seat is Kentland.- History :...
). It soon became known for hosting a campaign stop in 1908 by William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
, a rally for Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
's Bull Moose Party
Progressive Party (United States, 1912)
The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party between President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt....
in 1912, and a homecoming for soldiers and sailors in 1919.
George Ade is one of the American writers whose publications made him rich. When land values were inflated about the time of World War I, Ade was a millionaire. The Ross-Ade
Ross-Ade Stadium
Ross–Ade Stadium is a stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States. It is the home of the Purdue University Boilermakers football team.-History:...
football stadium at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
was built with his (and David E. Ross's) financial support. He also generously supported his college fraternity, Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
, leading a fund-raising campaign to endow the Sigma Chi mother house at the site of the fraternity's original establishment at Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
. Ade is also famous among Sigma Chis as the author of The Sigma Chi Creed
Sigma Chi
Sigma Chi is the largest and one of the oldest college Greek-letter secret and social fraternities in North America with 244 active chapters and more than . Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from Delta Kappa Epsilon...
, written in 1929, one of the central documents of the fraternity's philosophies.
George Ade died in Brook, Indiana
Brook, Indiana
Brook is a town located in Iroquois Township, Newton County, Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 997.-Geography:Brook is located at 40°51'58" North, 87°21'57" West ....
, aged 78. He is buried in Fairlawn Cemetery in Kentland.
Works
- Artie. A story of the streets and town (1896)
- Pink Marsh : a story of the streets and town (1897)
- Doc' Horne (1899)
- Fables in slang (1899)
- More fables (1900)
- American vacations in Europe (1901)
- Forty modern fables (1901)
- Ki-Ram (1901)
- Girl proposition (1902)
- The County Chairman (1903)
- Handsome Cyril, or, The messenger boy with the warm feet (1903)
- In Babel; stories of Chicago (1903)
- Circus Day (1903)
- People you know (1903)
- Strenuous lad's library (1903)
- Sultan of Sulu; an original satire in two acts (1903)
- Breaking into society (1904)
- The College Widow (1904; adapted as a musical in 1917, Leave It to JaneLeave It to JaneLeave It to Jane is a musical in two acts, with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, based on the 1904 play College Widow, by George Ade. The story concerns the football rivalry between Atwater College and Bingham College, and satirizes college life in a...
) - Sho gun, an original comic opera in two acts (1904)
- True bills (1904)
- Round about Cairo, with and without the assistance of the dragoman or Simon Legree of the Orient (1906)
- Slim princess (1907)
- Fair co-ed (1909)
- Old town (1909)
- I Knew Him When : a Hoosier fable dealing with the happy days of away back yonder (1910)
- Hoosier hand book and true guide for the returning exile (1911)
- Verses and jingles (1911)
- Just out of college; a light comedy in three acts (1912)
- Knocking the neighbors (1913)
- Ade's fables (1914)
- Invitation to you and your folks from Jim and some more of the home folks (1916)
- Marse Covington; a play in one act (1918)
- Hand-made fables (1920)
- Single blessedness, and other observations (1922)
- Mayor and the manicure; a play in one act (1923)
- Nettie, a play in one act (1923)
- Speaking to father; a play in one act (1923)
- Father and the boys; a comedy-drama (1924)
- The Sigma Chi Creed (1929)
- On the Indiana trail (1930)
- Old-time saloon: not wet--not dry, just history (1931)
- Thirty fables in slang (1933)
- One afternoon with Mark Twain (1939)
- Notes & reminiscences (with John T. McCutcheon) (1940)
George Ade in Fiction
- Ade is on a journey to Mars with Nikola Tesla and Mark Twain in the 2005 novel Wonder of the WorldsWonder of the WorldsWonder of the Worlds by Sesh Heri, published 2005 by Lost Continent Library, is the first in a trilogy of novels featuring secret agent Harry Houdini facing off against a Martian invasion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.-Plot introduction:...
by Sesh HeriSesh HeriSesh Heri is a theorist, illustrator and an author of fiction and non-fiction. Heri resides in Sacramento, California.-Biography:...
.
External links
- Over 150 George Ade stories read in Mister Ron's Basement Podcast, now indexed to make them easy to find
- George Ade Digital Exhibit at Purdue University Libraries The Libraries Archives and Special Collections holds many of Ade's original works.
- George Ade Papers 1865-1971 at The Newberry Library