Burton Jesse Hendrick

Burton Jesse Hendrick was an influential American author and journalist known for his significant contributions to biographical literature and historical writing. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, he attended Yale University, where he honed his editorial skills as the editor of both The Yale Courant and The Yale Literary Magazine. After graduating with a BA in 1895 and a master's in 1897, he began his career in journalism, working for various newspapers, including the New Haven Morning News and The New York Evening Post. His transition to muckraking journalism at McClure's Magazine marked a turning point, with notable works like 'The Story of Life-Insurance' exposing societal issues of the time. Hendrick's literary legacy is particularly marked by his Pulitzer Prize-winning biographies. He won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1921 for 'The Victory at Sea,' co-authored with William Sowden Sims, and received the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography twice, first in 1923 for 'The Life and Letters of Walter H. Page' and again in 1929 for 'The Training of an American.' His work often combined individual biographies to explore broader themes, as seen in 'The Age of Big Business,' which examined the rise of corporations in America. Despite a notable gap in his later works due to an unfinished biography of Andrew Mellon, Hendrick's contributions to American literature and history remain significant, reflecting the complexities of American identity and enterprise during his time.