Kent Curtis facts for kids

Marvin Kent Curtis (born October 10, 1890 – died December 24, 1957) was an American writer, artist, musician, sailor, and teacher. He was a pilot in World War I for the Royal Air Force. His plane was shot down, and he was thought to be dead. But he survived and was a prisoner of war until the war ended.

His experiences in the war inspired his novel, The Tired Captains, which was about World War I pilots. He was part of a group called the "Lost Generation". These were Americans born in the 1890s who grew up during World War I. He lived in Paris sometimes during the 1920s. Curtis mostly wrote adventure stories for boys. These stories were often set in places he knew well. These places included the North Woods of Minnesota and the islands off the Florida coast.

Early Life and Education

Kent Curtis was born in Wichita, Kansas. His parents were Charles E. Curtis and Grace Emily Kent. He was named after his famous great-grandfather, Marvin Kent. The town of Kent, Ohio was named after his great-grandfather.

Curtis finished high school in 1909 at Lake View High School (Chicago, Illinois). After high school, he went to Tome School for Boys in Port Deposit, Maryland. This school helped him get ready for college.

In 1910, Curtis started college at Amherst College. He wrote for student publications there. He left college without finishing his degree.

World War I Pilot

When the United States joined World War I, Curtis joined the Royal Air Force. In 1918, his plane, a Sopwith Camel, was shot down over France. It crashed behind enemy lines. His family was told that he had died in the war. However, he had survived the crash. He lived for almost 40 more years.

Kent joined the Army's Aviation Section on June 7, 1917. He trained at the School of Military Aeronautics at the University of Illinois. Then he went to Oxford, England, for more flight training. This was with the British Royal Flying Corps.

He became a 1st Lieutenant on May 30, 1918. He was sent to the American 148th Aero Squadron in France on July 4, 1918. Curtis flew his first attack mission on August 22, 1918. He dropped bombs and fired at enemy targets. The next day, he flew a similar mission over Bapaume, France. He dropped more bombs and returned safely.

On August 24, 1918, Curtis flew with his squadron leader, Elliott White Springs. Curtis took off in his Sopwith Camel plane for another bombing mission. He did not return from this flight. Official papers said he was missing.

His family was told he had been killed in action. Newspapers in Cleveland also reported his death. But Curtis's plane was shot down, and he was captured by the Germans. He stayed in German prison camps until December 1, 1918. This was almost a month after the war ended on November 11.

Writing and Connections

Kent Curtis started his writing career in 1920. He sold a short story called "Second-String Atrocities" to The Home Sector Magazine. This was his first story that was published.

In 1922, Curtis won second place in a national writing contest. He won $1,000 for his story idea, "The Quinn Millions for Millions of Quinns." At the time, he was teaching French, Spanish, and history to boys on Captiva Island, Florida.

Curtis went on to publish many adventure stories for boys. Three of his stories were about a young boy named Alexander Brassgat. These stories were The Blushing Camel, Drumbeaters Island, and The Cameleers. They were later published together as Cruises in the Sun. He also wrote a historical novel about pilots in World War I.

Curtis was related to the American poet Hart Crane. They became stepbrothers when Curtis's father married Crane's mother. He was also related to the author and artist Rockwell Kent.

Curtis traveled across the Atlantic Ocean 25 times and the Pacific Ocean once. When he was in Paris in the 1920s, he knew many other artists and writers. These included F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sinclair Lewis, and Archibald MacLeish.

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said that Curtis's book, The Blushing Camel, was one of the best boys' books he had ever read. He even compared it to books by famous authors like Hemingway and Twain.

Outdoorsman and Camp Director

Kent Curtis spent more than 30 summers at Camp Mishawaka in Minnesota. This was a boys' camp near Grand Rapids. He helped run the camp, was a counselor, and planned entertainment for the boys.

People who knew him said he was very unique and talented. He was a writer, artist, musician, actor, woodsman, cook, and sailor. He was also an expert in canoeing. He was known for his great sense of humor. Many boys at the camp looked up to him. He was often in charge of the Saturday Night Shows at camp. He also led canoe trips into the Canadian wilderness. He knew the boundary waters so well that he didn't need a map. In 1937, he brought sailing to Camp Mishawaka. He was in charge of sailing for 20 years until he passed away.

Curtis loved sailing. He introduced sailing to the camp. He also led 31 big Canadian canoe trips through the Minnesota boundary waters. He often spent winters on Captiva Island, Florida. This island was the setting for his boys' adventure stories. He sailed the entire length of the Mississippi River. In 1932, he won the St. Petersburg to Havana race with his sailboat, the Marelen II.

Death

Kent Curtis had a heart attack on December 16, 1957. He passed away in a Fort Myers, Florida hospital on December 24. He was cremated, and his headstone is in the Kent family plot in Standing Rock Cemetery in Kent, Ohio.

Works

• The Story of a Flambeau Ramble (Outer's Book, June 1916)
• Second-String Atrocities (The Home Sector, March 13, 1920)
• Movies of Moose (Outers' Recreation, July 1921)
• The Quinn Millions for Millions of Quinns (Chicago Daily News, April 1922)
• No Mean City (The Cleveland Press, November 22, 1922)
• The Blushing Camel (New York: Appleton, 1927)
• Drumbeater’s Island (New York: Appleton, 1928)
• The Tired Captains (New York: Appleton, 1928)
• The Last Wanigan (New York: Coward-McCann, 1929)
• The Cameleers (American Boy Magazine, 1932)
• The Big Blow (Fort Myers News-Press, May 13, 1937)
• The Million Dollar Donax (American Boy, March–April, 1940)
• Cruises in the Sun (Chicago: Ralph Fletcher Seymour, 1950)

Source: Library of Congress Online Catalog