Will James (artist) facts for kids

Will James (born Joseph Ernest Nephtali Dufault; June 6, 1892 – September 3, 1942) was a famous French Canadian artist and writer. He is best known for his stories about cowboys and the American West.

James wrote many books for both adults and children. His most famous book is Smoky the Cowhorse. This book won the important Newbery Medal in 1927. His artwork often showed cowboys and rodeo scenes. Many of his drawings were used to illustrate his own books. In 1992, he was honored in the Hall of Great Westerners. This is part of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Will James's Early Life

Will James was born Joseph Ernest Nephtali Dufault in 1892. His birthplace was Saint-Nazaire-d'Acton, Quebec, Canada. Later in life, he sometimes told stories that he was born in Montana.

When he was very young, his parents passed away. He was then adopted by a French-Canadian fur trader. This man was called "old trapper Jean" Beaupré. James called him "Bopy." This helped explain his French accent.

Becoming a Cowboy

Around 1910, James moved to Val Marie in Saskatchewan, Canada. There, he learned how to be a real cowboy. A local cowboy named Pierre Beaupre taught him how to wrangle horses. They even built their own small homes near the Frenchman River.

Later, James moved to the United States. He started using the name William Roderick James. In 1914, he faced some legal trouble in Nevada. He spent time in a special facility. During this time, he focused on improving his drawing skills. People noticed his talent, saying he could do "first class work." He even used his art to help with his release. He drew a picture called "A Turning Point." He wrote that he wanted to follow his art career.

After His Time in the Facility

After this period, James worked as a stuntman in western movies. He also served in the U.S. Army from 1918 to 1919. After leaving the army, he seriously began his art career. He returned to Reno, Nevada, in 1919. He drew the cover for the First Annual Nevada Round-Up program. He also worked as a horse wrangler there.

In Reno, James worked with two friends, Fred Conradt and Elmer Freel. They put on shows where they rode wild horses. During one show, James fell from a horse. He hit his head hard and got a serious injury. He recovered at the Conradt family's home.

Will James's Art and Writing Journey

James first started drawing as a child. He would draw with a stick in the dirt or charcoal on wood. He did this to pass the time when his father was away. His first big period of drawing was while he was in the special facility. While recovering at the Conradt home, he decided to become an artist. Alice Conradt, Fred's sister, encouraged him.

Learning Art in San Francisco

In 1919, James moved to San Francisco to become an artist. He took evening classes at the California School of Fine Arts. During the day, he worked at a theater. In San Francisco, he met other artists like Maynard Dixon and Harold Von Schmidt. They would ride horses together and talk about art. By the end of the year, James sold some of his sketches. They were published in Sunset magazine.

James then returned to Reno and married Alice Conradt. She was 16 years old. They traveled to Kingman, Arizona, and then to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Ranchers near Santa Fe met James. They helped him get into Yale University. Alice followed him, but James did not like school very much.

The couple then went to New York City to sell his artwork. Life Magazine did not want his work. So, they returned to Reno. They soon moved to a cabin in Washoe Valley. It was there that James started writing stories.

Becoming a Published Author

In 1922, James wrote an article about horses that buck. This article caught the eye of Maxwell Perkins, an editor. Perkins thought James's writing was very real and American. He suggested the article be published in Scribner's Magazine. James was paid $300 for his first published story and its drawings. Perkins asked for more of his work. Over the next 20 years, Scribner's published 20 of James's books.

The success of his stories allowed James and Alice to buy a ranch. It was in Washoe Valley, Nevada. There, he wrote his most famous book, Smoky the Cowhorse. It was published in 1926. The book won the Newbery Medal in 1927. This award is for the best children's book.

Several movies were made from Smoky the Cowhorse. James even narrated the 1933 film. His book Lone Cowboy, published in 1930, was a bestseller. It told his life story, but with some made-up parts. His last book, The American Cowboy, was written in 1942. He wrote the line "The cowboy will never die" shortly before he passed away. In total, he wrote and illustrated 23 books. Five of his books were made into movies.

Later Life and Legacy

In his later years, Will James lived on his ranch in Pryor Creek, Montana. He also had a home in Billings, Montana. In the late 1930s, he lived in Apple Valley, California. He wrote at least one book, Flint Spears, there. He passed away in Hollywood, California, in 1942.

The largest collection of James's writings, art, and personal items is at the Yellowstone Art Museum in Billings, Montana.

In 1988, a movie about his life was made. It was called Alias Will James. It showed his art and stories. A folk singer named Ian Tyson wrote a song for the movie. It was called "The Man They Called Will James."

Will James was honored in the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame in 1991. In 1992, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners. This was on the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Will James's Books

• Cowboy Stories (1925)
• The Drifting Cowboy (1925)
• Smoky the Cowhorse (1926) (This book tells the story of Smoky, a mouse-colored horse. It follows him from his birth on the range to working on a ranch and in rodeos, and finally to his old age.)
• Cowboy in the Making (1927)
• Sand (1929)
• Lone Cowboy: My Life Story (1930)
• Big Enough (1931)
• All in a Day's Riding (1933)
• The Dark Horse (1933)
• Smoky the Cowhorse (1933) (short stories)
• Smoky the Cowhorse (1933) (novel)
• Smoky the Cowhorse (1933) (illustrated by the author)
• The Three Mustangeers (1933)
• Young Cowboy (1935)
• Smoky the Cowhorse (1935)
• Smoky the Cowhorse (1935) (juvenile edition)
• Smoky the Cowhorse (1935) (illustrated with drawings and photographs)
• Smoky the Cowhorse (1935) (illustrated by the author)
• Smoky the Cowhorse (1935) (collection of juvenile stories)
• Smoky the Cowhorse (1935) (juvenile novel)
• Smoky the Cowhorse (1935) (juvenile)
• Smoky the Cowhorse (1935) (juvenile picture book)
• Smoky the Cowhorse (1935) (historical novel)
• Smoky the Cowhorse (1935) (posthumous collection of stories)

Movies Based on Will James's Books

• Lone Cowboy (1933)
• Smoky (1933)
• Smoky (1946)
• Sand (1949)
• Smoky (1966)
• Shoot Out (1971)

Family Connections

Will James was the uncle of journalist Pierre Dufault. He was also the great-uncle of singer Luce Dufault.