George T. Bye
Encyclopedia
George Thurman Bye was the Literary agent
of Frank Buck
and Eleanor Roosevelt
. A prominent figure in the literary world before World War II
, Bye rose to fame as the agent of people in the news and amateur authors with something timely or sensational to say, so called “stunt books”.
, later becoming the paper's drama critic. In 1912, he joined the staff of the Chicago Tribune
. While in Chicago
he edited the magazine Motor Age and promoted automobile races. In 1916, after a brief period in government service
in Washington, D.C.
, Bye went to London
as correspondent for The Kansas City Star and other papers. He was a reporter for the Stars and Stripes
during World War I
.
Returning to the United States in 1921, Bye joined the New York World
. In 1922 he accompanied Walter Hinton
, aviator, on a "friendship flight" to Rio de Janeiro
. Their plane was wrecked in Cuba
, but they found another plane at Pensacola, Florida
, and reached the Brazil
ian capital on February 8, 1923, six months after their departure. On his return to New York, Bye set up his literary agency at 535 Fifth Avenue.
, Eleanor Roosevelt
, Charles A. Lindbergh, Alexander Woollcott
, Rebecca West
, Westbrook Pegler
, John Erskine
, Rose Wilder Lane
, Laura Ingalls Wilder
, Richard and Frances Lockridge
(the Mr. and Mrs. North
of mystery fiction), Alfred E. Smith, Franklin P. Adams, Frederick Hazlitt Brennan
, Wilbur Daniel Steele
, Heywood Broun
, Deems Taylor
and General of the Armies John J. Pershing
.
Bye liked to describe himself as "guide, philosopher and wet nurse." On one occasion, he commented: "We arrange marriages and divorces for them and rush obstetricians to their doorsteps when they're having babies. The only time I ever failed was when a client came to me with a valuable dog who refused to have pups. I couldn't do a thing.”
Bye had a particular fondness for newspaper reporters, having been one himself. "The newspaper lads are all old cronies," he once remarked. He was also close to President Franklin D. Roosevelt
and encouraged Eleanor Roosevelt
to write a syndicated column, My Day
.
Bye ranked the Abbe children among his most amusing clients. Patience, 12 years old; Richard, 10, and Johnny, 8, were the children of Jim Abbe
, an itinerant photographer, and his wife, the former Polly Platt, once a Ziegfeld girl
. Prodded by their mother, the children dictated their memoirs, which Bye sold as Around the World in Eleven Years. The book was a surprise hit. In 1954, Bye arranged the sale to Hollywood of Lindbergh's best-selling autobiography, The Spirit of St. Louis
, for more than $1,000,000. But Bye initially turned away Laura Ingalls Wilder
, commenting that her story, Little House on the Prairie
, lacked drama. Wilder's daughter, Rose Wilder Lane
, herself a client of Bye's, convinced him to reconsider the manuscript after she added the pacing and dramatic structure that was lacking to make it a commercial success.
Another agency, James Brown Associates, took over George T. Bye & Co in 1949.
Literary agent
A literary agent is an agent who represents writers and their written works to publishers, theatrical producers and film producers and assists in the sale and deal negotiation of the same. Literary agents most often represent novelists, screenwriters and major non-fiction writers...
of Frank Buck
Frank Buck (animal collector)
Frank Howard Buck was a hunter and "collector of wild animals," as well as a movie actor, director, writer and producer...
and Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
. A prominent figure in the literary world before 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...
, Bye rose to fame as the agent of people in the news and amateur authors with something timely or sensational to say, so called “stunt books”.
Early life and career
Bye was educated in public schools. He went to work as a reporter on The Kansas City StarThe Kansas City Star
The Kansas City Star is a McClatchy newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes...
, later becoming the paper's drama critic. In 1912, he joined the staff of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
. While 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 edited the magazine Motor Age and promoted automobile races. In 1916, after a brief period in government service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
in 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....
, Bye went to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as correspondent for The Kansas City Star and other papers. He was a reporter for the Stars and Stripes
Stars and Stripes (newspaper)
Stars and Stripes is a news source that operates from inside the United States Department of Defense but is editorially separate from it. The First Amendment protection which Stars and Stripes enjoys is safeguarded by Congress to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests,...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Returning to the United States in 1921, Bye joined the New York World
New York World
The New York World was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers...
. In 1922 he accompanied Walter Hinton
Walter Hinton
Walter Hinton was a United States aviator.Hinton was born in a farming family in Van Wert, Ohio. Seeing a poster urging young men to "Join the Navy and See The World", he joined the United States Navy...
, aviator, on a "friendship flight" to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. Their plane was wrecked in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, but they found another plane at Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, and reached the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian capital on February 8, 1923, six months after their departure. On his return to New York, Bye set up his literary agency at 535 Fifth Avenue.
Agent
Bye’s writers included Frank BuckFrank Buck (animal collector)
Frank Howard Buck was a hunter and "collector of wild animals," as well as a movie actor, director, writer and producer...
, Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
, Charles A. Lindbergh, Alexander Woollcott
Alexander Woollcott
Alexander Humphreys Woollcott was an American critic and commentator for The New Yorker magazine and a member of the Algonquin Round Table....
, Rebecca West
Rebecca West
Cicely Isabel Fairfield , known by her pen name Rebecca West, or Dame Rebecca West, DBE was an English author, journalist, literary critic and travel writer. A prolific, protean author who wrote in many genres, West was committed to feminist and liberal principles and was one of the foremost public...
, Westbrook Pegler
Westbrook Pegler
Francis James Westbrook Pegler was an American journalist and writer. He was a popular columnist in the 1930s and 1940s famed for his opposition to the New Deal and labor unions. Pegler criticized every president from Herbert Hoover to FDR to Harry Truman to John F. Kennedy...
, John Erskine
John Erskine
John Erskine may refer to:*John Erskine of Cardross , Scottish soldier and politician*John Erskine of Carnock , Scottish jurist...
, Rose Wilder Lane
Rose Wilder Lane
Rose Wilder Lane was an American journalist, travel writer, novelist, and political theorist...
, Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family...
, Richard and Frances Lockridge
Richard Lockridge
Richard Orson Lockridge was an American writer of detective fiction. Richard Lockridge with his wife Frances created one of the most famous American mystery series, Mr. and Mrs. North....
(the Mr. and Mrs. North
Mr. and Mrs. North
Mr. and Mrs. North are fictional American amateur detectives. Created by Frances and Richard Lockridge, the couple were featured in a series of 26 Mr. and Mrs. North novels, a Broadway play, a motion picture and several radio and television series....
of mystery fiction), Alfred E. Smith, Franklin P. Adams, Frederick Hazlitt Brennan
Frederick Hazlitt Brennan
Frederick Hazlitt Brennan was an American screenwriter. He wrote for over 30 films between 1929 and 1953 and was the creator of the Wyatt Earp television show....
, Wilbur Daniel Steele
Wilbur Daniel Steele
Wilbur Daniel Steele was a U.S. author and playwright. He has been called "America's recognised master of the popular short story" between World War I and the Great Depression....
, Heywood Broun
Heywood Broun
Heywood Campbell Broun, Jr. was an American journalist. He worked as a sportswriter, newspaper columnist, and editor in New York City. He founded the American Newspaper Guild, now known as The Newspaper Guild. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he is best remembered for his writing on social issues and...
, Deems Taylor
Deems Taylor
Joseph Deems Taylor was a U.S. composer, music critic, and promoter of classical music.-Career:Taylor initially planned to become an architect; however, despite minimal musical training he soon took to music composition. The result was a series of works for orchestra and/or voices...
and General of the Armies John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
.
Bye liked to describe himself as "guide, philosopher and wet nurse." On one occasion, he commented: "We arrange marriages and divorces for them and rush obstetricians to their doorsteps when they're having babies. The only time I ever failed was when a client came to me with a valuable dog who refused to have pups. I couldn't do a thing.”
Bye had a particular fondness for newspaper reporters, having been one himself. "The newspaper lads are all old cronies," he once remarked. He was also close to President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
and encouraged Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
to write a syndicated column, My Day
My Day
My Day was a newspaper column that was written by first lady Eleanor Roosevelt six days a week from 1935 to 1962. In her column, she discussed issues such as race, women, and key events . This column allowed Mrs. Roosevelt to spread her ideas and thoughts to millions of Americans and give them a...
.
Bye ranked the Abbe children among his most amusing clients. Patience, 12 years old; Richard, 10, and Johnny, 8, were the children of Jim Abbe
James Abbe
James Abbe was an American photographer.-Background:James Abbe was born in 1883 in Alfred, Maine. He traveled throughout Europe as a young photojournalist recording the unstable power struggles of the early 20th century...
, an itinerant photographer, and his wife, the former Polly Platt, once a Ziegfeld girl
Ziegfeld girl
Ziegfeld Girls were the chorus girls from Florenz Ziegfeld's theatrical spectaculars known as the Ziegfeld Follies , which were based on the Folies Bergère of Paris....
. Prodded by their mother, the children dictated their memoirs, which Bye sold as Around the World in Eleven Years. The book was a surprise hit. In 1954, Bye arranged the sale to Hollywood of Lindbergh's best-selling autobiography, The Spirit of St. Louis
The Spirit of St. Louis (book)
The Spirit of St. Louis is an autobiographical account by Charles Lindbergh about the events leading up to and including his 1927 solo trans-Atlantic flight in the Spirit of St. Louis, a custom-built, single engine, single-seat monoplane...
, for more than $1,000,000. But Bye initially turned away Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family...
, commenting that her story, Little House on the Prairie
Little House on the Prairie
Little House is a series of children's books by Laura Ingalls Wilder that was published originally between 1932 and 1943, with four additional books published posthumously, in 1962, 1971, 1974 and 2006.-History:...
, lacked drama. Wilder's daughter, Rose Wilder Lane
Rose Wilder Lane
Rose Wilder Lane was an American journalist, travel writer, novelist, and political theorist...
, herself a client of Bye's, convinced him to reconsider the manuscript after she added the pacing and dramatic structure that was lacking to make it a commercial success.
Another agency, James Brown Associates, took over George T. Bye & Co in 1949.