Harvey Fergusson
Encyclopedia
Harvey Fergusson was an American writer.
, then attended Washington and Lee University
in Lexington
, Virginia
, graduating in 1911. Soon after leaving college, he took a job as a staff reporter for the Washington, D.C.
Herald. After brief stints with newspapers in Savannah
, Georgia
and Richmond
, Virginia
, he returned to DC and joined the Washington bureau of the Chicago
Record-Herald. He left the paper in 1915 to work as an assistant to the columnist Frederic Haskin. He married for the first time in 1919 — the marriage ended in divorce a few years later. In 1923, he left journalism to devote himself full-time to writing.
Fergusson's second novel, Capitol Hill, drew heavily upon his experiences as a reporter. His protagonist, Ralph Dolan, works his way up through the newspaper trade, then switches to the business of public relations
and lobbying
, ending as the top lobbyist of a large industry association. Virtually in parallel with Capitol Hill, Fergusson wrote The Blood of the Conquerors, the first of his historical novels set in New Mexico. Blood was also the first novel in a trilogy Fergusson titled, Followers of the Sun. The other books in this trilogy were In Those Days and Wolf Song.
Wolf Song is considered by most critics to be his best novel — indeed, some have called it the finest novel of the American West. It tells the story of a mountain man, Sam Lash, loosely modelled on Kit Carson
. Fergusson married for the second time in 1927, the year of Wolf Song's publication, but his wife died of pneumonia before the year ended.
He moved to Hollywood and worked intermittently as a screenwriter, earning credits on It Happened in Hollywood (1937) and Stand Up and Fight
(1939). His primary focus remained on novel-writing, although it would be over 20 years before he returned to the subject of the West's past. His two novels of the 1930s dealt with contemporary themes, and Fergusson also published two works of non-fiction, Rio Grande and Modern Man: His Beliefs and Behavior.
Fergusson moved to Berkeley
in the early 1940s, where he wrote an autobiographical book, Home in the West: An Inquiry into My Origins. He also returned to the subject of politics, this time as a work of non-fiction, People and Power: A Study of Political Behavior in America. His last two novels, Grant of Kingdom and The Conquest of Don Pedro, dealt with earlier periods in the history of New Mexico
. Fergusson died in Berkeley, in 1971, at the age of 81.
Frontier's End: The Life and Literature of Harvey Fergusson is a 1988 biography of Fergusson written by Robert Gish.
Biography
Fergusson was born and grew up in Albuquerque, New MexicoNew Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, then attended Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...
in Lexington
Lexington, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 7,042 in 2010. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It is home to...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, graduating in 1911. Soon after leaving college, he took a job as a staff reporter for the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Herald. After brief stints with newspapers in Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, he returned to DC and joined the Washington bureau of the 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...
Record-Herald. He left the paper in 1915 to work as an assistant to the columnist Frederic Haskin. He married for the first time in 1919 — the marriage ended in divorce a few years later. In 1923, he left journalism to devote himself full-time to writing.
Fergusson's second novel, Capitol Hill, drew heavily upon his experiences as a reporter. His protagonist, Ralph Dolan, works his way up through the newspaper trade, then switches to the business of public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
and lobbying
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
, ending as the top lobbyist of a large industry association. Virtually in parallel with Capitol Hill, Fergusson wrote The Blood of the Conquerors, the first of his historical novels set in New Mexico. Blood was also the first novel in a trilogy Fergusson titled, Followers of the Sun. The other books in this trilogy were In Those Days and Wolf Song.
Wolf Song is considered by most critics to be his best novel — indeed, some have called it the finest novel of the American West. It tells the story of a mountain man, Sam Lash, loosely modelled on Kit Carson
Kit Carson
Christopher Houston "Kit" Carson was an American frontiersman and Indian fighter. Carson left home in rural present-day Missouri at age 16 and became a Mountain man and trapper in the West. Carson explored the west to California, and north through the Rocky Mountains. He lived among and married...
. Fergusson married for the second time in 1927, the year of Wolf Song's publication, but his wife died of pneumonia before the year ended.
He moved to Hollywood and worked intermittently as a screenwriter, earning credits on It Happened in Hollywood (1937) and Stand Up and Fight
Stand Up and Fight
Stand Up and Fight is a 1939 film starring Wallace Beery and Robert Taylor. The supporting cast includes Florence Rice, Helen Broderick, Charles Bickford, Barton MacLane, Charley Grapewin, and John Qualen, and the movie was directed by W.S. Van Dyke...
(1939). His primary focus remained on novel-writing, although it would be over 20 years before he returned to the subject of the West's past. His two novels of the 1930s dealt with contemporary themes, and Fergusson also published two works of non-fiction, Rio Grande and Modern Man: His Beliefs and Behavior.
Fergusson moved to Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
in the early 1940s, where he wrote an autobiographical book, Home in the West: An Inquiry into My Origins. He also returned to the subject of politics, this time as a work of non-fiction, People and Power: A Study of Political Behavior in America. His last two novels, Grant of Kingdom and The Conquest of Don Pedro, dealt with earlier periods in the history of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. Fergusson died in Berkeley, in 1971, at the age of 81.
Frontier's End: The Life and Literature of Harvey Fergusson is a 1988 biography of Fergusson written by Robert Gish.