Edward C. Aswell was born in Nashville, TN on October 9, 1900. He attended Harvard University, graduating in 1926. While at Harvard he edited the Crimson, the student newspaper. After graduation he joined the staff of the Forum and in 1930 he became the assistant editor of The Atlantic Monthly. In 1935 Aswell moved to Harper Brothers as an assistant editor of general books. He later became Editor-in-Chief of Harper's.

While he was an assistant editor, Aswell persuaded Thomas Wolfe, who was looking for a new publisher, to sign with Harper's. But Wolfe died before he could comlplete another book. Before Wolfe left on his trip through the Western United States - during which he acquired the illness that ultimately led to his death - he turned over to Aswell a large amount of manuscript material. After Wolfe's death in September, 1938, Aswell was assigned the task of editing the material Wolfe had left behind. The result of this work was two posthumous novels - The Web and the Rock and You Can't Go Home Again and one volume of short stories - The Hills Beyond.

Aswell moved from Harper's to the trade-book department of McGraw-Hill and then to Doubleday and Company, where he was senior editor. He succeeded Maxwell Perkins as Administrator of the Thomas Wolfe Estate in 1947. Aswell died on November 5, 1958.

Edward C. Aswell was born in Nashville, TN on October 9, 1900. He attended Harvard University, graduating in 1926. While at Harvard he edited the Crimson, the student newspaper. After graduation he joined the staff of the Forum and in 1930 he became the assistant editor of The Atlantic Monthly. In 1935 Aswell moved to Harper Brothers as an assistant editor of general books. He later became Editor-in-Chief of Harper's.

While he was an assistant editor, Aswell persuaded Thomas Wolfe, who was looking for a new publisher, to sign with Harper's. But Wolfe died before he could comlplete another book. Before Wolfe left on his trip through the Western United States - during which he acquired the illness that ultimately led to his death - he turned over to Aswell a large amount of manuscript material. After Wolfe's death in September, 1938, Aswell was assigned the task of editing the material Wolfe had left behind. The result of this work was two posthumous novels - The Web and the Rock and You Can't Go Home Again and one volume of short stories - The Hills Beyond.

Aswell moved from Harper's to the trade-book department of McGraw-Hill and then to Doubleday and Company, where he was senior editor. He succeeded Maxwell Perkins as Administrator of the Thomas Wolfe Estate in 1947. Aswell died on November 5, 1958.