Thomas A. Dorgan
| Thomas Aloysius Dorgan | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
April 29, 1877 San Francisco, California |
| Died | May 2, 1929 (aged 52) Great Neck, New York |
| Other names | Tad Dorgan |
| Occupation | Journalist, Cartoonist, Sportswriter |
| Notable credit(s) | San Francisco Bulletin, San Francisco Chronicle, New York Journal |
| Spouse(s) | Izola M. Dorgan |
| Family |
Thomas J. Dorgan Mother |
Thomas J. Dorgan
Father
Thomas Aloysius Dorgan (April 29, 1877 – May 2, 1929), also known as Tad Dorgan, was an American cartoonist who signed his drawings as Tad. He is known for his cartoon panel Indoor Sports and the many words and expressions he added to the language.
Dorgan was born in San Francisco on April 29, 1877. He was one of at least 11 children—six sons and five daughters – of Thomas J. and Anna Dorgan. His brother John L. "Ike" Dorgan (born April 1879) was publicity manager for the Madison Square Garden, and his brother Richard W. "Dick" Dorgan (born September 1892) was an illustrator and cartoonist.
Polytechnic High School teachers Rosey Murdoch and Maria Van Vieck recognized and encouraged Tad's talent as an artist. When he was 13 years old, he lost the last three fingers of his right hand in an accident with a factory machine. He took up drawing for therapy. A year later at the age of 14 he joined the art staff of the San Francisco Bulletin.
He created his first comic strip, Johnny Wise, for the San Francisco Chronicle in 1902. By 1905 he was working in New York City at the New York Journal as a sports writer and cartoonist.Jack Dempsey described him as "the greatest authority on boxing."
In addition to his work as a sports journalist, Dorgan did a humor feature, "Daffydills". His dog cartoons, including Judge Rummy, evolved into the strip Silk Hat Harry's Divorce Suit. This was accompanied by a one-panel gag series called Indoor Sports which became his main feature, along with an occasional Outdoor Sports.
Dorgan is generally credited with either creating or popularizing such words and expressions as "" (a stupid person); "" (an exclamation of astonishment); "" and "" (as superlatives); "" (nonsense); "" (eyeglasses); "skimmer" (a hat); "hard-boiled" (tough and unsentimental); "" (loafers or ladies' men); "" (a miser); "as busy as a one-armed paperhanger" (overworked); and "Yes, we have no bananas," which was turned into a popular song.
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