William Bronk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Bronk
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| Born | 17 February 1918 Fort Edward, New York |
| Died | 22 February 1999 (aged 81) Hudson Falls, New York |
| Occupation | Poet |
| Nationality | American |
| Genre | Poetry, Essay |
| Notable awards | National Book Award 1982 |
William Bronk (born February 17, 1918 – died February 22, 1999) was an important American poet. He won a big award, the National Book Award for Poetry, for his book called Life Supports in 1981.
William Bronk also served in World War II and was a businessman. He taught for a short time at Union College. Later, he took over his family's business, Bronk Coal and Lumber. He managed this business for 30 years in Hudson Falls, New York.
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The Life of William Bronk
William Bronk was born in 1918 in Fort Edward, New York. He had an older brother, Sherman, who passed away young. He also had two older sisters, Jane and Betty.
His mother stayed home to care for the family. His father ran the family business, Bronk Coal and Lumber. All the children went to local public schools.
Education and Early Career
William Bronk was very smart and started Dartmouth College when he was only 16. After that, he took some extra classes at Harvard University. He later said he felt he had learned enough from formal schooling.
Serving in World War II
When the United States joined World War II, William Bronk was drafted into the Army. He started as a private soldier. Later, he went to OCS and became an officer. He left the Army with an honorable discharge in October 1945.
Business and Poetry
After the war, Bronk taught English at Union College in Schenectady, New York. He left teaching in June 1946 and went back to Hudson Falls.
In 1947, Bronk took over the family business. He had inherited it in 1941 after his father died suddenly. He planned for this to be a temporary job. However, he ended up running the Bronk Coal and Lumber Company for 30 years. He retired from the business in 1978.
Bronk often said that his poems would come to him while he was doing his daily business tasks. When a poem was ready in his mind, he would write it down. He preferred to write by hand. He rarely changed or rewrote a poem once he had put it on paper.
William Bronk passed away on February 22, 1999.
