Cleveland Amory facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cleveland Amory
Cleveland Amory in 1974
Born	September 2, 1917 Nahant, Massachusetts
Died	October 14, 1998(1998-10-14) (aged 81) Manhattan, New York
Resting place	Black Beauty Ranch, Murchison, Texas
Occupation	Author, commentator, reporter, and animal rights activist
Citizenship	United States
Alma mater	Harvard University
Notable works	The Proper Bostonians (1947) The Cat Who Came for Christmas (1987)
Spouse	(1) Cora Fields Craddock (m. 1941–1947, divorced) (2) Martha Hodge (m. Dec. 31, 1954–1977, divorced)

Cleveland Amory (September 2, 1917 – October 14, 1998) was an American author, reporter, and animal rights activist. He was known for his books that gently made fun of society's fancy customs. His first famous book was The Proper Bostonians in 1947.

From the 1950s to the 1990s, he worked as a writer for national magazines. He also commented on TV and radio. Later in his life, he became very famous for his bestselling books about his adopted cat, Polar Bear. The first of these was The Cat Who Came for Christmas (1987).

Amory spent much of his life helping animals. He especially worked to protect them from hunting and animal testing. The head of the Humane Society of the United States called him "the founding father of the modern animal protection movement."

Early Life and Animal Love

Cleveland Amory was born on September 2, 1917. His family was well-known in Boston. As a child, he loved his aunt Lucy. She took in many stray animals. She also helped him get his first puppy. Amory remembered this as the best moment of his childhood, even seventy years later.

When he was 18, Amory tutored a 13-year-old boy named William Zinsser. Zinsser later became a famous writer. They often talked about journalism, which was not a common job for rich young men back then. Amory went to Milton Academy and then Harvard. At Harvard, he was the president of the student newspaper, The Harvard Crimson.

Cleveland Amory's Career Journey

Starting Out as a Writer

After finishing Harvard in 1939, Amory became the youngest editor at The Saturday Evening Post. He worked there until 1941. Then, he joined the United States Army during the Second World War. He worked in military intelligence from 1941 to 1943.

After the war, he wrote for many different magazines. Around 1945, Amory saw a bullfight in Nogales, Mexico. This event deeply influenced him. It made him want to become an animal rights activist.

Books About Society

In the late 1940s, Amory became famous for his social history books. These books gently made fun of the upper-class society. He grew up in Boston, so he often wrote about people there. His popular books included The Proper Bostonians (1947), The Last Resorts (1952), and Who Killed Society? (1960).

In 1952, he started writing a regular column for Saturday Review magazine. He wrote this column for 20 years. He also wrote articles for many other publications.

TV Commentator on Today Show

In 1952, Amory joined the NBC morning show Today. This was a new type of TV show at the time. He gave comments every few weeks. His comments were usually funny and lighthearted. The network did not check his comments beforehand. He was a popular commentator for eleven years, until 1963.

In 1963, Amory learned about a "bunny bop" rabbit killing contest. It was planned by the American Legion in Harmony, North Carolina. Wild rabbits were often seen as pests or animals for hunting. Amory went to Harmony to debate the contest organizers.

When he returned, he talked about the contest on Today. He suggested forming a club to hunt human hunters. He argued that killing hunters would be humane due to their large numbers. Viewers were very upset. NBC quickly told him off. A few months later, Amory spoke again about animal rights. He talked about the problems with vivisection, which is using animals in lab experiments. He believed many animals were treated badly without need. Scientists disagreed with him. He was then fired from the Today show without warning.

Later Writing and Cat Books

Over time, Amory's writing focused more on animal rights. From 1963 to 1976, he was a TV critic for TV Guide. He often criticized hunting shows, which made hunters angry. His book Man Kind? Our Incredible War on Wildlife (1974) showed how inhumane hunting practices were. This led to an article in The New York Times and a CBS documentary about hunting.

Amory also had a daily radio show called "Curmudgeon at Large." Later, he wrote a newspaper column called "Animail." He was also a senior editor for Parade magazine from 1980 to 1998.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Amory wrote a series of bestselling books. These books were about Polar Bear, a stray white cat he rescued. He found Polar Bear on a Manhattan street on Christmas Eve 1977. The Cat Who Came for Christmas (1987) was a #1 bestseller for twelve weeks. Its follow-up books, The Cat and the Curmudgeon (1990) and The Best Cat Ever (1993), were also bestsellers.

In 1988, Amory appeared in one movie, Mr. North. He played a character named "Mr. Danforth."

Cleveland Amory's Animal Rights Work

Leading Animal Organizations

Starting in the early 1960s, Amory spent more and more time on animal rights. He joined the board of directors for the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) in 1962. He stayed there until 1970. He also served as president of the New England Anti-Vivisection Society (NEAVS) from 1987 until he passed away in 1998.

The Fund for Animals

In 1967, Amory started the Fund for Animals. Its main goal was to protect animals from hunters and create safe places for them. The Fund became well-known in 1979. They rescued 580 Grand Canyon burros that were going to be killed. Amory also fought to save goats on San Clemente Island from being killed.

By the time Amory died in 1998, the Fund had grown a lot. It had many members and three animal sanctuaries. It also led several big animal rescues. For example, they helped protect baby harp seals in Canada. In 2005, the Fund for Animals joined with the HSUS.

Black Beauty Ranch: A Safe Haven

Amory was inspired by Anna Sewell's book Black Beauty. He created the Black Beauty Ranch, a large sanctuary for abused animals. This ranch in Murchison, Texas, was home to over 600 animals. These included chimpanzees, burros, and elephants. Amory wanted to create a place where animals could live freely.

The words on the ranch's gate come from Black Beauty: "I have nothing to fear, / and my story ends. / My troubles are all over, / and I am at home." The ranch was first made to house the many burros rescued by the Fund for Animals. One famous resident was Nim Chimpsky, a chimpanzee. Nim had been used in language experiments.

Creating the ranch was a dream for Amory. He wrote in his 1997 book Ranch of Dreams: "I dreamed that one day I would have a place which would embody everything Black Beauty loved about his final home." He wanted a place where horses would run free and never be ridden. Today, the Black Beauty Ranch is run by HSUS.

Supporting Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

In 1978, Amory bought the first large ship for Captain Paul Watson. Watson founded the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Watson used this boat to fight against whaling. Amory took part in many campaigns against whaling and sealing.

Influencing Celebrities

Amory knew many famous people. He used his connections to get celebrities to support animal rights. He encouraged stars like Henry Fonda, Andy Williams, and Grace Kelly to help. He also got Doris Day, Angie Dickinson, and Mary Tyler Moore to join his campaigns against fur clothing.

Personal Life

Cleveland Amory was married twice. He enjoyed playing chess. He was also a member of the New York Athletic Club.

Death and Legacy

Cleveland Amory passed away in 1998. He was cremated. His ashes were spread across Black Beauty Ranch by his favorite burro, Friendly.

Today, there is a stone monument to Amory at Black Beauty Ranch. It stands next to the monument and burial site of his beloved cat, Polar Bear.

Awards and Honors

In 2000, Amory was added to the U.S. Animal Rights Hall of Fame. This was for his dedicated work helping animals.

Cleveland Amory's Books

Written Books

All these books are non-fiction, unless noted.

• The Proper Bostonians (1947)
• Home Town (1947) (a novel)
• The Last Resorts (1952)
• Who Killed Society? (1960)
• Man Kind? Our Incredible War on Wildlife (1974)
• Animail (1976) (a collection of his newspaper columns)
• The Trouble With Nowadays: A Curmudgeon Strikes Back (1979) (a fictional satire)
• The Cat Who Came for Christmas (1987)
• The Cat and the Curmudgeon (1990)
• The Best Cat Ever (1993)
• Cleveland Amory's Compleat Cat (1995) (all three "Cat" books together)
• Ranch of Dreams (1997)

Edited Books

• Vanity Fair, A Cavalcade of the 1920s and 1930s (1960) (edited with Frederic Bradlee)
• A Treasury of Great Recipes: Famous Specialties of the World's Foremost Restaurants Adapted for the American Kitchen (1974) (edited with Vincent Price, Mary Price, and Martha Amory)

See also

• List of animal rights advocates