Paul Blanshard
| Paul Blanshard | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 27, 1892 Fredericksburg, Ohio |
| Died | January 27, 1980 (aged 87) Florida |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Occupation | Author, lawyer |
Paul Beecher Blanshard (August 27, 1892 – January 27, 1980) was an American author, assistant editor of The Nation magazine, lawyer, socialist, secular humanist, and from 1949 an outspoken critic of Catholicism.
Paul and his twin brother Brand were born in Fredericksburg, Ohio, where their father, Francis, was a Congregational minister. Rev. Blanshard and his wife, Emily Coulter Blanshard were Canadian. They met in high school while living in Weston, Ontario, immediately north of Toronto. When the twins were 12 months, their mother fell down stairs holding a lighted oil lamp. Her clothing caught fire, and she died a day later of severe burns.
The Rev. Blanshard brought his sons to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for maternal care by his mother, Orminda Adams Blanshard, widow of Methodist clergyman Shem Blanshard. Francis left them in her care, briefly to pastor a church in Helena, Montana. In 1899 the four moved south to Edinburg, Ohio. Upon being diagnosed with tuberculosis, Francis was advised to seek the drier climate of the American West. In 1902, Rev. Blanshard bade his mother and sons goodbye. They moved northwest to Bay View, Michigan, and he moved alone to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where, in 1904, he died, alone in a tent.
Orminda Blanshard raised her grandsons on an annual pension of $250 from the Methodist church while the boys washed dishes at a restaurant. Realizing their need for good education, the family relocated to Detroit in 1908 so the boys could graduate from the well-known Central High School. Soon both were at the top of their class, joined the debating team, and Brand was made class Poet. In 1910 the Blanshard brothers entered the University of Michigan, whose annual tuition was only $30 for state residents.
...
Wikipedia