William Strunk Jr.

William Strunk Jr. (July 1, 1869 - September 26, 1946) was an American editor, author, and English professor. Strunk is famous for his English style guide The Elements of Style, written for his students while he was a professor of English at Cornell University. Former student E.B. White, a magazine editor and author, would revise Elements of Style in 1959. This revision popularized the style guide and authors Strunk and White as authorities on English grammar and usage.

Contents 1 Life & Work 1.1 Strunk on The Elements of Style 2 Publications 3 References

Life & Work

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Strunk would go on to earn Bachelor's and Doctorate degrees. Strunk was an English professor at Cornell University for 46 years. He is best known for writing The Elements of Style. The Elements of Style was originally published privately in 1918 for use in his classes. The manual was considered a classic on the Cornell campus and was often referred to as "the little book."

In 1935, The Elements of Style was revised by Strunk & Edward A. Tenney and renamed; The Elements and Practice of Composition. In 1957, E.B. White, a former student of Strunk and an editor at The New Yorker, was commissioned to revise The Elements of Style for the college market and the general public. Over time, The Elements of Style become a classic nationwide, a necessity for students and writers alike, selling over ten million copies.

Strunk only wrote one other book, English Metres, which was published locally in 1922. However, he was an Editor for collections of works by William Shakespeare, John Dryden, and James Fenimore Cooper. He also served as the literary consultant for the 1936 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film production of Romeo and Juliet.

Strunk completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Cincinnati in 1890 and his Ph.D. at Cornell University in 1896. He was married to Olivia Emile Locke in 1900; they had two sons and a daughter. [1] Strunk died in Ithica, New York, at age 77.

Strunk on The Elements of Style

"It aims to lighten the task of instructor and student by concentrating attention ... on a few essentials, the rules of usage and principles of composition most commonly violated." [2]

Publications

• Macaulay's and Carlyle's essays on Samuel Johnson; ed. with introduction and notes by William Strunk, jr. (1896)(editor)
• Essays on the drama; ed. with an introduction and notes by William Strunk, jr. (1898)(editor)
• Last of the Mohicans; a narrative of 1757 (1900)(editor)
• Juliana (1904)(editor)
• Studies in language and literature in celebration of the seventieth birthday of James Morgan Hart, November 2, 1909. (1910)(editor)
• Elements of style (1918)

● Elements and practice of composition (1st revision with Edward A. Tenney)(1935)

● Elements of style. With revisions, an introduction, and a new chapter on writing (2nd revision by E.B. White)(1959)

• English metres(1920)

References

Photograph of William Strunk[3]
LibraryofCongress.gov catalog[4]
Goodreads.com[5]