Caspar Whitney facts for kids
Caspar William Whitney (born September 2, 1864 – died January 18, 1929) was an American writer, editor, explorer, and reporter. He loved the outdoors and reported on wars. He is famous for creating the idea of the All-American team in college football in 1889. He came up with this idea while working for Harper's Magazine.
Caspar Whitney's Life and Adventures
Caspar Whitney was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He went to Saint Mathew's College in California.
During the Spanish-American War, Caspar was a reporter in Cuba. He sent back stories from the front lines. He even went with soldiers during the Battle of Las Guasimas. His map of this battle was considered the most accurate at the time. He drew parts of the map from what he saw himself. For other parts, he talked to soldiers after the battle.
From 1900, he owned and edited Outing magazine. This magazine was all about outdoor adventures and sports. It also featured exciting stories by writers like Jack London. Caspar Whitney was also a founding member of The Explorers Club in 1904. He helped start this club after exploring many places in North and South America. Later, he edited another magazine called Outdoor America.
As a sports journalist, he believed that sports should be played for fun, not for money. He was part of the International Olympic Committee from 1900 to 1905. He also led the American Olympic Committee from 1906 to 1910. He wrote about many sports, including hunting, college football, baseball, and the Olympic Games. In the early 1900s, he edited "The American Sportsman's Library," a series of 16 books about sports.
During World War I, Caspar Whitney helped with relief efforts in Belgium in 1915. Then, from 1917 to 1918, he was a war reporter for the New York Tribune newspaper.
Caspar Whitney was married three times. His last wife, Florence Canfield, was the daughter of a famous miner. She helped start the League of Women Voters and was active in politics until she died in 1941.
Books by Caspar Whitney
- Sporting Pilgrimage (1894)
- On Snow-Shoes to the Barren Grounds (1896)
- What's the Matter with Mexico? (1916)
- Gott mit Uns - the Boche Delusion (1918)
- Hunt Clubs and Country Clubs in America (1928)
- Charles Adelbert Canfield (1930)
