There’s more to Dr. Seuss than the Cat in the Hat

By T. Allan Smith

Theodor Seuss Geisel, who was to become a most beloved children’s writer and illustrator, was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. At the time, it was a thriving little city on the banks march 2024 florida antiquarian book fair of the Connecticut River. That was on March 2, 1904 – 120 years ago.

On Saturday, during the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair this year, we’ll celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday with a cake, singing Happy Birthday, and visits from The Cat in the Hat and his companions, Thing 1 and Thing 2. They’ll probably be up to goodnatured mischief. Fairgoers are welcome to have their pictures taken with the guest Seuss characters.

Many fans of Dr. Seuss may not realize that the genius who gave us The Cat in the Hat and The Grinch and produced more than 60 best selling children’s books that sold 600 million volumes around the world, was also an accomplished advertising cartoonist and a talented filmmaker. What follows is some of that fascinating story.

First edition, 1957

Theodor’s grandfather was a German immigrant who brought his family to America before 1870. The family was successful in the beer making business. Their brewery was named Kalmbach and Geisel. Eventually, it was nicknamed “Come back and guzzle” by local fans. Prohibition destroyed march 2024 the family’s livelihood but they recovered. Theodor’s father became the parks supervisor of Springfield.

During World War I, 14-year-old Theodor was a Boy Scout and sold war bonds to help raise money for the war effort. It was an important activity for the family because it clearly established the Geisels’ loyalty. His grandfather is said to have bought $1,000 worth of war bonds, making his grandson among the top sellers in Springfield. Ted and nine other lads were to receive personal awards from former march 2024 florida antiquarian book fair

President Theodore Roosevelt for their efforts. The 10 young scouts were on stage to receive their awards but someone gave the former president only nine medals. When he got to Theodor Geisel, the gruff Teddy Roosevelt barked, “What’s this little boy doing here?” The humiliated lad was quickly whisked off stage. The incident contributed to Geisel’s lifelong case of stage fright.

Ted, as he was called, enrolled in Dartmouth College in the class of 1925. Ted had drawn sketches from childhood but it wasn’t until he went to Dartmouth that he began to find his niche. He was attracted to the college humor magazine, the Dartmouth Jack-0-Lantern, and in time worked his way up to the editor position. And, of course, his humorous cartoons were published regularly in the magazine. Ted was quite happy with how things were going.

It was Prohibition, and drinking alcoholic beverages was illegal. Ted and several of his friends were caught drinking bootleg gin in his dormitory room.

As might be expected, that didn’t sit well with the school administration. As punishment, it was decided that he would lose all extracurricular activities, including his position on the magazine.

Undeterred, however, Ted decided to continue to contribute cartoons to the magazine. He could no longer use his name on them so he decided to use his middle name, Seuss, which was his mother’s maiden name. No Dr. yet. That would come later.

Either the administration didn’t realize what was going on or chose to ignore it. In any case, Ted wasn’t stopped from doing his cartoons.

In his senior year at Dartmouth, Ted wrote to his father, bragging that he was to receive a fellowship for postgraduate study at Oxford University in England. His proud dad happened to mention that development to the editor of the march 2024 florida antiquarian book fair Springfield newspaper. The editor put it in the paper, so everybody in town knew about Ted’s good fortune. Unfortunately, the fellowship didn’t materialize. To keep up appearances, Ted’s father paid for him to go to Oxford anyway.

He entered, planning to earn a Ph.D. in English literature. While he was at Oxford, Ted met Helen Palmer, who was from New York City, and was at Oxford after graduating from Wellesley College, and teaching for three years at a high school in Brooklyn.

Helen and Ted were married in 1927. She was a major influence on his future. Helen realized early in their relationship that Ted shouldn’t pursue an academic career. Instead, he should put his art talent to work. She noticed that his notebooks were filled with what she called “these fabulous animals.” Ted said in an interview later that what he knew about animals he had learned when his father supervised the city park in Springfield, which had a zoo.

Helen began the effort to influence him to try cartooning to earn a living. She couldn’t have children so they both pursued their careers, she as a children’s writer and he as a cartoonist.

They spent a little time in Europe and Ted developed an idea for a cartoon series about Eminent Europeans, which he offered to Life magazine but the editors decided to pass on it. Ted had another idea that rattled around in his brain on the voyage back to the States. It was the rhythm of the boat’s engine that got stuck in his head during the eight-day crossing. That led to the rhyming story of a little boy and his walk home from school along Mulberry Street. (There actually was a Mulberry Street in Ted’s hometown, not far from his childhood home.)

However, the remarkable tale that we know as And To Think That I saw It All On Mulberry Street didn’t interest march 2024 florida antiquarian book fair publishers immediately. It was a case of perseverance, Ted Geisel said in numerous accounts in interviews. He had to submit the idea to as many as 20 and perhaps up to more than 40 publishers (the number varied in different interviews) before he found one who would publish it. And even then, it was only chance that led to the opportunity. The story is told that Ted Geisel was walking down Madison Avenue, all out of sorts at the most recent rejection of Mulberry Street. He happened to encounter Mike McClintock, a friend from Dartmouth who had just been hired at Vanguard Press as an editor. Within hours they had a publishing agreement. After the success of the book, which was published in 1937, Ted Geisel would retell the story: “If I had been going down the other side of Madison Avenue, I’d be in the drycleaning business today,” he said. Another twist to the story: to show his gratitude, Ted named his character for his editor’s son, Marco. Ted contributed cartoons to a small humor magazine called Judge, and to other publications including Life magazine and the Saturday Evening Post. Judge offered him a job as a writer and editor. That was where, about six months after he started, that his first work credited as Dr. Seuss appeared. It was an inside joke about the degree he never earned at Oxford. march 2024 florida antiquarian book fair march 2024

First edition.

In one of the cartoons that appeared in Judge, the story goes, Ted had incorporated the bug spray Flit, which was in popular use at the time. The wife of an advertising executive who handled accounts for Standard Oil of New Jersey (maker of Flit) noticed the cartoon at her hairdresser and showed it to her husband. In 1928, Standard Oil put Ted on the payroll to draw posters and cartoons for its brands. He worked with the company for 13 years.

During his time with Standard Oil, Ted coined the phrase “Quick, Henry, the Flit.” It became a national catchphrase.

One of the brands was Esso, which had service stations in many states after the breakup of Standard Oil in 1911. There’s a Ted Geisel-designed Esso jigsaw puzzle on display at the book fair.

He also did advertising cartoons for Ford Motor Company, General Electric, Holly Sugar, and other brands.

Ted also did political cartoons for the left-leaning new York newspaper PM. The isolationist attitude of some prominent Americans as Hitler’s troops were marching across Europe disturbed Ted Geisel, who advocated a more active approach to foreign policy. He skewered the aviation hero Charles Lindbergh, who was an outspoken isolationist before the war started, though he changed his stance after the attack at Pearl Harbor and Germany’s declaration of war on the United States. Ted drew him as Lindberg the Ostrich. Many examples of Ted Geisel’s non-Dr. Seuss work can be found and are highly collectible.

Although it wasn’t published until 1958, Dr. Seuss’ Yertle the Turtle represented Adolph Hitler, Geisel has said in interviews. The story deals with Yertle, the king of the pond, who stands on the backs of the other turtles in the pond so he can see beyond his kingdom and expand it. The story has been interpreted as a reaction against fascism during World War II.

Ted Geisel coined the popular phrase, “Quick, Henry! The Flit” antiquarian book fair march 2024

This is an example of an Esso puzzle that will be on display at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair this year.

Dr. Seuss was quite critical of aviation hero Charles Lindbergh’s stance on the developing world war.

As the war raged, volunteer Army Capt. Theodor Geisel reported for duty in California. He was assigned to director Frank Capra’s Signal Corps unit. Capt. Geisel worked with top animators Chuck Jones and Fritz Freleng in creating a series starring Private Snafu, soldier who cuts corners and endangers his fellow soldiers. In 1944, Geisel was promoted to major and worked on propaganda documentaries designed to spur troops to victory. One film, Our Job In march 2024 florida antiquarian book fair Japan, was blocked by General Douglas MacArthur and was never shown.

Ted and Helen Geisel wrote the screenplay for this Academy-award winning documentary based on a film Ted made during World War II.

Ted Geisel and his wife Helen used the film to create their screenplay for the 1947 documentary Design for Death, which won an Oscar. After the war, Dr. Seuss really came into his own. In the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, he published many of the titles that are familiar to most. Among them, If I Ran the Zoo (1950), Horton Hears a Who! (1955), The Cat in the Hat (1957), How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957), Green Eggs and Ham (1960), One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (1960), The Sneetches and Other Stories (1961), The Lorax (1971). Then came The Butter Battle Book (1984) and Oh, The Places You’ll Go (1990).

Adolph Hitler inspired the main character, according to Dr. Seuss.

And, of course, there have been the television specials, the television series, the feature films, and a Broadway musical.

All from the genius of a man who thought he wanted to earn a Ph.D. in English literature.

By now the tall red and white striped hat, and the red bow tie are ubiquitous in American culture, as are the mischievous, blue-haired Thing 1 and Thing 2. But there was so much more to the story, and now we know some of it. march 2024