Valedictorian and last surviving member of the Monmouth College class of 1863.
Listed in Monmouth census records as a playwright through 1880, his obituary mentioned he resided in Monmouth until 30 years before his death (circa 1890), but always considered it his home. He later moved with his family to Manhattan, New York, where he was listed as an author, while spending his summers in New Hampshire. Survived by his wife, 2 children, and a brother, the distinguished Dr. Henry "Harry" Byrd Young of Burlington, Iowa.
Just prior to his death, he had completed writing a historical play, asking that his daughter Nina transcribe it and get it ready for publication after his passing. His first play, "Jonquil" opened at Booth's Theatre in New York in 1871. His first play to receive significant attention was "Pendragon" in 1881. His 1883 comedy, "The Rajah", played for 256 shows in New York before going on the road. Some of his other works included "Wishmaker's Town", a book of poems from 1885; "Ganelon", which opened on Broadway in 1889; "Joan of Arc", an 1890 adaptation of "Jeanne D'Arc" penned by the French Jules Barbier; "If I Were You" in 1892; and "A Chinese Nightingale" in 1903, adapted from the 1900 novel of Winnifred Eaton. He was best known though for his stage adaptation of the 1899 novel, "Ben-Hur: a tale of the Christ" by Lew Wallace, which had an estimated 6,000 performances seen by over 2 million people in it's 21 year run on stage.
Listed in Monmouth census records as a playwright through 1880, his obituary mentioned he resided in Monmouth until 30 years before his death (circa 1890), but always considered it his home. He later moved with his family to Manhattan, New York, where he was listed as an author, while spending his summers in New Hampshire. Survived by his wife, 2 children, and a brother, the distinguished Dr. Henry "Harry" Byrd Young of Burlington, Iowa.
Just prior to his death, he had completed writing a historical play, asking that his daughter Nina transcribe it and get it ready for publication after his passing. His first play, "Jonquil" opened at Booth's Theatre in New York in 1871. His first play to receive significant attention was "Pendragon" in 1881. His 1883 comedy, "The Rajah", played for 256 shows in New York before going on the road. Some of his other works included "Wishmaker's Town", a book of poems from 1885; "Ganelon", which opened on Broadway in 1889; "Joan of Arc", an 1890 adaptation of "Jeanne D'Arc" penned by the French Jules Barbier; "If I Were You" in 1892; and "A Chinese Nightingale" in 1903, adapted from the 1900 novel of Winnifred Eaton. He was best known though for his stage adaptation of the 1899 novel, "Ben-Hur: a tale of the Christ" by Lew Wallace, which had an estimated 6,000 performances seen by over 2 million people in it's 21 year run on stage.
Valedictorian and last surviving member of the Monmouth College class of 1863.
Listed in Monmouth census records as a playwright through 1880, his obituary mentioned he resided in Monmouth until 30 years before his death (circa 1890), but always considered it his home. He later moved with his family to Manhattan, New York, where he was listed as an author, while spending his summers in New Hampshire. Survived by his wife, 2 children, and a brother, the distinguished Dr. Henry "Harry" Byrd Young of Burlington, Iowa.
Just prior to his death, he had completed writing a historical play, asking that his daughter Nina transcribe it and get it ready for publication after his passing. His first play, "Jonquil" opened at Booth's Theatre in New York in 1871. His first play to receive significant attention was "Pendragon" in 1881. His 1883 comedy, "The Rajah", played for 256 shows in New York before going on the road. Some of his other works included "Wishmaker's Town", a book of poems from 1885; "Ganelon", which opened on Broadway in 1889; "Joan of Arc", an 1890 adaptation of "Jeanne D'Arc" penned by the French Jules Barbier; "If I Were You" in 1892; and "A Chinese Nightingale" in 1903, adapted from the 1900 novel of Winnifred Eaton. He was best known though for his stage adaptation of the 1899 novel, "Ben-Hur: a tale of the Christ" by Lew Wallace, which had an estimated 6,000 performances seen by over 2 million people in it's 21 year run on stage.
Listed in Monmouth census records as a playwright through 1880, his obituary mentioned he resided in Monmouth until 30 years before his death (circa 1890), but always considered it his home. He later moved with his family to Manhattan, New York, where he was listed as an author, while spending his summers in New Hampshire. Survived by his wife, 2 children, and a brother, the distinguished Dr. Henry "Harry" Byrd Young of Burlington, Iowa.
Just prior to his death, he had completed writing a historical play, asking that his daughter Nina transcribe it and get it ready for publication after his passing. His first play, "Jonquil" opened at Booth's Theatre in New York in 1871. His first play to receive significant attention was "Pendragon" in 1881. His 1883 comedy, "The Rajah", played for 256 shows in New York before going on the road. Some of his other works included "Wishmaker's Town", a book of poems from 1885; "Ganelon", which opened on Broadway in 1889; "Joan of Arc", an 1890 adaptation of "Jeanne D'Arc" penned by the French Jules Barbier; "If I Were You" in 1892; and "A Chinese Nightingale" in 1903, adapted from the 1900 novel of Winnifred Eaton. He was best known though for his stage adaptation of the 1899 novel, "Ben-Hur: a tale of the Christ" by Lew Wallace, which had an estimated 6,000 performances seen by over 2 million people in it's 21 year run on stage.
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