On on the AAHL FB group on May 29, 2021 Jim W posted an image? of a 1921 column written by Dr. Frank Crane which was the basis for the classic, "Just for Today" which has circulated far and wide without credit to Dr. Crane.
Today I wanted to share that information in a group so I did a little googling to try to find out more about Dr. Crane.
I didn't dream that he was a prolific author with a newspaper readership of 5 million people.? He published numerous books including a 10 volume set with an essay for every day of the year.
When he died in 1928 he merited a page 25 New York Times obituary.
I wonder if other nuggets of Dr. Crane's approach to life anonymously made it into the rooms one way or another.
Here is the text of the obituary.
DR. FRANK CRANE, NOTED WRITER, DIES
[Published: November 7, 1928 Copyright ? The New York Times]
The End Comes Suddenly at Nice, France, on a Trip Around the World."
CLERGYMAN FOR 25 YEARS
Author of Many Books- His Articles Reached Several Millions of Readers
MALDEN, Massachusetts, Nov. 6, 1827 -The death of Dr. Frank Crane, writer, in Nice, France, was announced in a cablegram received here today by his nephew. Dr. Henry H. Crane of this city. Death came suddenly last night.
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Dr. Henry Crane said the body would be cremated and the ashes brought to this country on a ship scheduled to arrive on Nov. 14.
Ordained to the Methodist Episcopal ministry in 1882, Dr. Crane turned to journalism in 1909 and reached through magazines and newspaper a vast audience through out the country. His message always was one of uprightness of living, sincerity of thinking and “sweet reasonableness.”
Among the churches he served during a more than twenty-five years in the ministry were Trinity and Hyde Park Methodist Episcopal in Chicago, He was there from 1896 to 1903. He served the the Union Congregational Church In Worcester, Mass from 1904 to 1909
A Liberal In Religion
Dr. Crane in his later years believed himself to be as thorough a Christian as any one, even though he considered the dogmas and creeds of the churches to be of little or no consequence. If you should ask me," he wrote, "whether I am a Trinitarian or a Unitarian, a Catholic or Protestant, Fundamentalist. or Modernist, Methodist or Baptist you might as well and if I am Guelph or a Ghibelline.
He was born at Urbana, Ill., on May 12, 1861, the son of James L and Elizabeth Mayo Crane. His early early education, was in the schools of that city. After he bad served in the ministry for several years he attended Illinois Wesleyan University receiving the degrees of Bachelor of of Philosophy in 1892. Nebraska Wesleyan conferred upon him in 1894 the degree of Doctor of Divinity.
In 1910, when Dr. Crane was associated with The New York Globe, Mauice Maeterlinck, the Belgian poet and philosopher said of him: “The essays of Dr. Crane must have accomplished an immense good. I wish that they might be translated into all languages and circulated everywhere.” It has been said that Dr. Crane’s little “sermons” have been printed and widely circulated in eighteen countries and that he had 5,000,000 daily readers.
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In 1888 Dr. Crane married Miss Ellie C. Stickle of Hillsboro, Ill. He had a son James L. Crane, former husband of Alice Brady, the actress and a daughter, Mrs. Alfred E. Drake of 39 East Seventy-ninth Street of this city. In recent years he had a home in Hollywood, Cal. He has resided n several places in this country and in France and England during his may years of writing.
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Books He Wrote.
He had been the editor of Current Opinion and was the author of may books, one of which, “The Ten Commandments which has just been published.His other works were "The Religion of Tomorrow” “Vision." "The Song of the Infinite” “Human Confession” "God and Democracy”, Lame and Lovely" “Footnotes to Life,” “War and World Government”,"Adventures In Common Sense," "Four Hundred Essays" (in 10 volumes) The Crane Classics" and Everyday Wisdom." "Why I am a Christian," he said, was his only autobiographical work, a philosophical discussion of his own experience in life.
Dr. Crane war a member of the New York Athletic, the Lambs and the Author clubs. He had been suffering for a long time from diabetes, and just before he sailed a tour of the world on Sept. 1 he was injured in an elevator in Los Angeles. He had expected in return to this country about April 1, and was about to leave France, for the Orient for his homeward trip when he was fatally stricken.
Dr. Crane's years sat lightly upon him, despite his illness. He was able to handle a great volume of correspondence which came from all parts of the country, including letters from persons seeking advice and encouragement. He had an unusual knowledge of human nature, and was the confidant of a host of persons.
"I was try to write constructively,” he said, "to write about the things I like in a book I have read or a play I have seen. I like to write about the good things that appeal to me, not to dwell on and criticize the bad. I am essentially an optimist and I like to think of my work as being the business of appreciating people. There is good in everyone and it will come to the surface.
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Published: November 7, 1928 Copyright ? The New York Times
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