Wister, Owen

Owen (1860-), an American novelist. He was born in Philadelphia. Having been graduated from Harvard, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1889. He practiced his profession a short time only, preferring to devote his time to literature. His writings include The Modern Swiss Family Robinson, Lin McLean, The Virginian, and The Jimmy John Boss and Other Stories. Wister has produced successful work in the line of biography; Oliver Wendell Holmes was published in the "American Men of Letters" series, and Benjamin Franklin in "English Men of Letters" series. He wrote also a biography of U. S. Grant.