Theodor Seuss Geisel Biography

He was born on 2 March 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts, and his father and grandfather were brewmasters in the city. His mother Henrietta often soothed her children to sleep by 'chanting' rhymes from her youth and Seuss later credited this for his ability and desire to create the rhymes for which he became well-known.

Despite WWI and prohibition, the German immigrant family managed to prosper meaning Seuss could enjoy an education. His childhood in Springfield inspired some of his work, such as Horton the Elephant walking along streams in the Jungle of Nool, which mirror the waterways of the town.

Seuss graduated from Dartmouth College in 1925 after having been the editor of the humorous 'Jack O'Lantern' signing his work Seuss for the first time, and, uncertain of what to do next, he moved to Oxford University in England to work on a doctorate in literature.

Bored in lectures, Seuss would doodle across his notes. His drawings attracted the attention of fellow American, Helen Palmer. She suggested he become an artist, not a professor and, relieved by the idea, Seuss married Helen and returned to America, to work as a cartoonist, in 1927.

Seuss began illustrating for Judge magazine. Then he submitted drawings to Life, Vanity Fair and Liberty. Some of his cartoons featured Flit, a new insecticide, manufactured by Standard Oil. Standard liked the drawings and gave Seuss a contract to draw comic adverts for the product.

In 1936, on board a ship bound for Europe, Seuss wrote 'And to think I Saw it on Mulberry Street', a dear book about a child's imagination. Twenty seven publishers took no interest, then Seuss found an old college friend willing to print the story.

An article in Life entitled 'Why Johnny Can't Read' gave the publisher an idea. The article suggested many children were illiterate because kid's books were so boring. Seuss's publisher prompted the cartoonist to write a book using very small vocabulary, with lots of lively characters and drawings.

During WWII, Seuss drew over 400 political cartoons in two years as the editor of daily newspaper 'PM', often denouncing Hitler and Mussolini. In 1942, he directed his efforts towards supporting the war effort by drawing posters for the Treasury Department and the War Production Board. Form 1943, he worked as a captain in the army and was commander of the First Motion Picture Unit Of the United States Armed Forces where he wrote propaganda films.

After the war, he returned to writing children's books and wrote one that would cement his reputation as a children's book author and illustrator.

Using only 220 words, Seuss wrote 'The Cat in the Hat' (1957). Schools were hesitant to adopt such an unorthodox way of teaching, but children and parents scrambled to the shelves for each new story.

In 1967, his wife died and Seuss married old family friend Audrey Stone in 1968 who influenced his later books and now works as the president of the Dr Seuss Enterprises protecting his legacy.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984, as well as three Academy Awards, Seuss was the author and illustrator of 44 children's books.

Seuss died of throat cancer on 24 September 1991. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered. The Dr Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden was opened in Springfield in 2002.

Over 200-million copies of his books have now been sold worldwide, and they've also been turned into Hollywood blockbusters - Jim Carrey's 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' and the 2003 release of 'The Cat in the Hat', starring Mike Myers.