Background
William Andrew Johnston was born on January 26, 1871 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of William Andrew and Agnes (Parry) Johnston.
William Andrew Johnston was born on January 26, 1871 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of William Andrew and Agnes (Parry) Johnston.
Johnston graduated as bachelor of arts from the Western University of Pennsylvania (now the University of Pittsburgh) in 1891.
After two years of reporting on local newspapers, William Johnston tried his hand at publishing, conducting in 1893-94 the Wilkinsburg (Pennsylvania) Independent; but being neither successful nor happy in this role, he went to New York, where from 1894 to 1897 he served as a reporter on the Morning Journal and the New York Press.
He then spent three years on the editorial staff of the New York Herald. In 1900 he became associated with the New York World and remained with that paper for twenty-seven years. His first book, History Up to Date, appeared in 1899.
Drawing upon his experiences as a reporter, he wrote a number of mystery and "detective" novels. Among them were The Innocent Murderers (1910); The Yellow Letter (1911); The House of Whispers (1918); The Apartment Next Door (1919); The Mystery in the Ritsmore (1920); The Tragedy at the Beach Club (1922); The Waddington Cipher (1923).
Johnston created much laughter with his monograph on The Fun of Being a Fat Man, published in 1922. In collaboration with H. T. Webster, the cartoonist, he produced Webster's Bridge in 1924. This was a humorous book, but he was really considered an authority on bridge, and for several years was associate editor of the Auction Bridge Magazine.
His written series entitled variously, "If I Were a Clergyman, " "If I Were a Doctor, " "If I Were a Lawyer, " "If I Were a Rich Man, " "If I Were Out of a Job, " etc. , running in Collier's, in 1925-26, contained much pungent yet kindly philosophy.
In 1927 he quit the newspaper business to take over the direction of publicity for the Dalberg enterprises and was made director and vice-president of the Celotex Company and vice-president of the Southern Sugar Company.
In 1927 he moved to Chicago, where he died.
(Excerpt from The Fun of Being a Fat Man Consider, too, h...)
(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
(Socialite, war hero, and bon vivant James Waddington Hurd...)
(This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of th...)
Politically, Johnston claimed to be a Socialist, but he was by no means a malcontent.
A big-bodied, jovial man, Johnston was noted for his kindliness and keen sense of humor.
Quotes from others about the person
Ray Long, editor of the Cosmopolitan Magazine, once wrote him up in that journal as "the happiest man I know. "
William Andrew Johnston was married, first, February 22, 1896, to Hazel Minnette Williams of Hampshire, England; and second, April 12, 1910, to Hattie Belle McCollum of Lockport, New York.
