Berton Roueché facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Berton Roueché
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CDC portrait of Berton Roueché
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| Born | Clarence Berton Roueché April 16, 1910 Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Died | April 28, 1994 (aged 84) Amagansett, New York, United States |
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| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | Bachelor of Journalism degree from the Missouri School of Journalism |
| Alma mater | University of Missouri |
| Period | 1944–1991 |
| Genre | non-fiction, detective, mystery, suspense |
| Subject | Medical writing, epidemiology, public health, infectious diseases |
| Notable works | Eleven Blue Men (1954) The Incurable Wound (1958) Feral (1974) The Medical Detectives (1980) |
| Notable awards | Raven Award – Best Book in a Mystery Field – Mystery Writers of America 1954 Eleven Blue Men Academy Award – Literature – The American Academy of Arts and Letters 1982 |
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Berton Roueché (born April 16, 1910 – died April 28, 1994) was an amazing American writer. He was known for his special way of writing about medical mysteries. For almost 50 years, he wrote for The New Yorker magazine.
He wrote 20 books, including famous ones like Eleven Blue Men (1954) and The Medical Detectives (1980). One of his articles became the 1956 movie Bigger Than Life. You might also know his work because it inspired many medical puzzles on the TV show House!
Meet Berton Roueché: A Life of Writing
Berton Roueché was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 16, 1910. His father, Clarence Berton Roueché Sr., was a tailor. Berton's family had roots in France. He grew up and went to Southwest High School in Kansas City. He even became part of their Hall of Fame!
After high school, he studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He earned his degree in 1933. Before becoming a famous magazine writer, he worked as a reporter. He wrote for newspapers like The Kansas City Star and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Family Life and The New Yorker
In 1936, Berton Roueché married Katherine Eisenhower. She was the niece of Dwight D. Eisenhower, who later became a U.S. President. Katherine was his wife until he passed away. They had one son, Arthur Bradford Roueché, born in 1942.
In 1944, Berton started working for The New Yorker magazine. This was a big step in his career. Two years later, the magazine created a special section just for him. It was called "The Annals of Medicine." This section featured his stories about solving medical puzzles and fighting diseases.
One of his articles, "Ten Feet Tall," became a movie in 1956. It was called Bigger Than Life and starred James Mason. The story was about the unexpected effects of a medicine called cortisone. Berton Roueché kept writing for The New Yorker for about 50 years!
Medical Mysteries and TV Shows
Besides his magazine articles, Berton Roueché wrote 20 books. Most of these books were about medical topics. They often felt like detective stories, focusing on how diseases spread (this is called epidemiology). He also wrote suspense novels, like Feral (1974).
His writings, especially his book The Medical Detectives (1980), helped inspire the TV show House. This popular show started in 2004. Many of the medical cases you see on House were based on real-life cases from Roueché's book!
Berton Roueché received many awards for his work. His 1954 book Eleven Blue Men won a Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America. In 1982, he received an Academy Award for literature. He also got awards from important medical groups, like the American Medical Association.
Berton Roueché passed away at his home in Amagansett, New York, in 1994. He was 84 years old. His amazing stories continue to teach and entertain readers today.
