Wilbur D. Nesbit

Last updated
Wilbur D. Nesbit
Wilbur D. Nesbit of Md., 12-4-25 LCCN2016841481 (cropped).jpg
Nesbit in 1925
Born(1871-09-16)September 16, 1871
Xenia, Ohio
DiedAugust 20, 1927(1927-08-20) (aged 55)
Chicago, Illinois
Pen nameJosh Wink
OccupationPoet and humorist
NationalityAmerican
Notable worksYour Flag and My Flag

Wilbur Dick Nesbit (1871-1927), also known by the pen name Josh Wink, was an American poet and humorist. He is most known for his poem, Your Flag and My Flag, which was popular during World War I. Throughout his career, he contributed his humor writing to many publications, including the Chicago Inter Ocean , Chicago Evening Post , Chicago Tribune , and Baltimore News-American . [1]

Contents

Personal life

Nesbit was born on September 16, 1871 [2] in Xenia, Ohio to John Harvey and Isabel (née Fichthrone) Nesbit. [3] His father was an American Civil War veteran and worked as a court bailiff. Nesbit spent most of his early life in Cedarville, Ohio. [4]

He associated with freemasonry for much of his life. [2]

Nesbit died on August 20, 1927 [2] [4] in Iroquois Hospital after collapsing on Chicago streets. [1]

Career

Nesbit's first writings appeared in the Cedarville Herald. [4] He started out as a printer before becoming a reporter, [5] and moving to Anderson, Indiana in 1889. Here, Nesbit was an editor for the Anderson Times. He continued to move around to various cities, including Muncie, Indianapolis, and Baltimore. In Indianapolis, he worked in store advertising for a clothing merchant, and was on the ad staff [4] for the Indianapolis Journal . [3] During his time in Baltimore, Nesbit was a featured writer for the Baltimore News-American [4] under the pen name, Josh Wink. [6]

In 1902, Nesbit moved to Chicago. [3] He wrote for the Chicago Tribune, where his column was titled, "A Line O' Type or Two." Besides writing for the Tribune, he was also on the staff for the Chicago Evening Post. [4]

The Wilbur D. Nesbit House in the Evanston Northeast Historic District (1913). It is a local landmark. Wilbur D. Nesbit House (8116448154).jpg
The Wilbur D. Nesbit House in the Evanston Northeast Historic District (1913). It is a local landmark.

In Chicago, Nesbit worked at the Mahin (also spelled Makin [4] ) Advertising Company. After some time, Nesbit, along with William H. Rankin and other associates, bought out the company. It was renamed William H. Rankin Company. Nesbit was vice president of the company and the director of the copy staff. [3]

Nesbit collaborated with cartoonist Clare Briggs. [4] With Otto Harbach he co-authored the book to the 1911 Broadway musical The Girl of My Dreams . [7]

His most well-known work is the poem, Your Flag and My Flag. It appeared in the Baltimore American in 1902, and became popular during World War I. [1] It was often recited in school classrooms. [4]

Much of his work was published by Chicago publishers P. F. Volland Company [8] and Frank K. Root & Co. [9]

He was the commencement speaker at the 1923 commencement ceremony at Cedarville University. [10]

Selected works

Page from Nesbit's Alphabet of History; Illustrated by Ellsworth Young Ellsworth Young12.jpg
Page from Nesbit's Alphabet of History; Illustrated by Ellsworth Young

Books

Song

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Wilbur</span> American poet (1921–2017)

Richard Purdy Wilbur was an American poet and literary translator. One of the foremost poets of his generation, Wilbur's work, often employing rhyme, and composed primarily in traditional forms, was marked by its wit, charm, and gentlemanly elegance. He was appointed the second Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1987 and received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry twice, in 1957 and 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">E. Nesbit</span> English author and poet (1858–1924)

Edith Nesbit was an English writer and poet, who published her books for children as E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on more than 60 such books. She was also a political activist and co-founder of the Fabian Society, a socialist organisation later affiliated to the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrie Jacobs-Bond</span> American singer, pianist, and songwriter

Carrie Minetta Jacobs-Bond was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter who composed some 175 pieces of popular music from the 1890s through the early 1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick the Bruiser</span> American football player professional wrestler (1929–1991)

William Fritz Afflis was an American professional wrestler, promoter, and NFL player, better known by his ring name, Dick the Bruiser. During his NFL days he played four seasons with the Green Bay Packers. In addition to that he was also hugely successful in professional wrestling being a fifteen-time world champion, having held the AWA World Heavyweight Championship once, the WWA World Heavyweight Championship thirteen times and the WWA World Heavyweight Championship once. He also excelled at Tag-Team wrestling having won 20 Tag Team championships, having held the AWA tag team championship five times and the WWA tag team championship a record 15 times in his career. 11 of these championships were won alongside his long-time Tag-Team partner Crusher Lisowski. He was one of the most hated as well as well known heels from the mid 50s till the early 80s. He was famous for his feuds with the likes of such stalwarts such as Lou Thesz, Bobo Brazil, Angelo Poffo and "Classie" Freddie Blassie. For his achievements he would be inducted into the WWE hall of fame class of 2021. He was also inducted into the 2005 International Wrestling Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helen Hooven Santmyer</span> American writer (1895–1986)

Helen Hooven Santmyer was an American writer, educator, and librarian. She is primarily known for her best-selling epic "...And Ladies of the Club", published when she was in her 80s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad</span> Railroad in the United States (1917–1956)

The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, commonly called the Pan Handle Route, was a railroad that was part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system. Its common name came from its main line, which began at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, crossed the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, and continued west to Bradford, Ohio, where it split into a northern line to Chicago and a southern one through Indianapolis, Indiana, to East St. Louis, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madison Cawein</span> American poet (1865–1914)

Madison Julius Cawein was a poet from Louisville, Kentucky.

Thomas Babbit Lamb (1896–1988) was an American industrial designer. He is best known for his innovative handle designs closely modeled on the mechanics of the human hand.

Holling Clancy Holling was an American writer and illustrator, best known for the book Paddle-to-the-Sea, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1942. Paddle to the Sea won the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1962. In 1966, Bill Mason directed the Oscar-nominated short film Paddle to the Sea, based on Holling's book, for the National Film Board of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren W. Wiersbe</span> American pastor and writer (1929–2019)

Warren Wendall Wiersbe was an American Christian clergyman, Bible teacher, conference speaker and a prolific writer of Christian literature and theological works. Wiersbe is perhaps best known for his series of 50 books in the "BE" series: Be Real, Be Rich, Be Obedient, Be Mature, Be Joyful, etc., and other theological works. He pastored the Moody Church in Chicago (1971–1978) and succeeded Theodore Epp as director of the Back to the Bible radio ministry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chick Jagade</span> American football player (1926–1968)

Harry Charles "Chick" Jagade Jr. was an American football fullback and linebacker who played collegiately for the University of Indiana Hoosiers. He broke into professional football in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1949 playing for the Baltimore Colts before embarking on a five year career in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Volland</span> German footballer

Kevin Volland is a German professional footballer who plays as a striker or a winger for Bundesliga club Union Berlin and the Germany national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dixie Willson</span> American screenwriter

Dixie Lucile Reiniger Willson was an American screenwriter, as well as an author of children's books, novels, and short stories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonard Swain</span>

Leonard Swain was a Congregational clergyman, and the first minister of Central Congregational Church in Providence, Rhode Island, from 1852 to 1869. He was a respected preacher, scholar, and author of multiple hymns.

P. F. Volland Company of Chicago, Illinois published poetry books, greeting cards, music, children's books, calendars, cookbooks, and children's occupational games, between 1908 and 1959. The press was noted for using new printing processes, including off-set printing techniques, and color illustrations. The P. F. Volland Company is also known for the many significant artists and writers whose work it published.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let's Keep the Glow in Old Glory (And the Free in Freedom Too)</span> 1918 song

Let's Keep the Glow in Old Glory (And the Free in Freedom Too) is a World War I era song released in 1918. Wilbur D. Nesbit wrote the lyrics. Robert Speroy composed the music. The song was published by Frank K. Root & Co. of Chicago, Illinois. On the cover is a woman holding a child. Both are wrapped in the American flag. Below the two are soldiers from different branches of service, holding rifles. The song was written for both voice and piano. The tone of the song is patriotic, as evidenced in the chorus:

Elizabeth O. Hiller was a prominent early twentieth-century American author of cookbooks and a professor of culinary arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary R. Bassett</span>

Mary Robertson Bassett was a late 19th and early 20th century illustrator of magazines and children's books.

Carmen L. Browne was an early twentieth century author and illustrator, particularly of children's books.

Ve Elizabeth Cadie was an early twentieth century American illustrator of children's books and magazines, a stylist, and a designer.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Call for '30' Poet". Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. 23 August 1927. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Wilbur D. Nesbit". Masonic Dictionary. 2008. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Dunn, Jacob Piatt (1919). "Indiana and Indianans: a history of aboriginal and territorial Indiana and the century of statehood". Ancestry. American Historical Society. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Higgins, Ray (2 November 1972). "Cracker Barrel". Xenia Daily Gazette. Xenia, Ohio. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  5. "Famous Folk". Cambridge Jeffersonian. Cambridge, Ohio. 20 December 1906. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  6. Wink, Josh (25 April 1902). "Mary and the Meat Treast". Bedford Gazette. Bedford, Pennsylvania. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  7. Dietz, Dan (2021). "The Girl of My Dreams". The Complete Book of 1910s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 90-92. ISBN   9781538150283.
  8. "Nesbit Wilbur". AbeBooks. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  9. 1 2 "Let's Keep the Glow in Glory (And the Free in Freedom Too)". JScholarship. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  10. "Commencement Speakers". Cedarville University. 8 June 1923. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  11. Sermons in song. OCLC WorldCat. OCLC   289980 . Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  12. Sermons in song: poems of homely philosophy. OCLC WorldCat. OCLC   228693560 . Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  13. After dinner speeches and how to make them. OCLC WorldCat. OCLC   1476993 . Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  14. When a feller needs a friend. OCLC WorldCat. OCLC   2106009 . Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  15. A friend or two. OCLC WorldCat. OCLC   573879 . Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  16. An alphabet of history. OCLC WorldCat. OCLC   612996833 . Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  17. The trail to Boyland, and other poems. OCLC WorldCat. OCLC   3746568 . Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  18. "The trail to Boyland". Indiana University. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  19. Let's keep the glow in Old Glory and the free in freedom too. OCLC WorldCat. OCLC   17851703 . Retrieved 20 January 2016.