Samuel Hopkins Adams
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Samuel Hopkins Adams (January 26, 1871 – November 16, 1958) was an American writer who was an
investigative journalist Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years rese ...
and muckraker.


Background

Adams was born in
Dunkirk, New York Dunkirk is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. It was settled around 1805 and incorporated in 1880. The population was 12,743 as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Dunkirk i ...
. Adams was a muckraker, known for exposing public-health injustices. He was the son of Myron Adams, Jr., a minister, and Hester Rose Hopkins. Adams attended Hamilton College in Clinton, New York from 1887 to 1891. He also attended a semester at Union College. In 1907, Adams divorced his wife, Elizabeth Ruffner Noyes, after having two daughters. Eight years later Adams married an actress,
Jane Peyton Jane Peyton (October 26, 1870 – September 8, 1946) was an American lead and supporting actress whose career did not commence until she was nearly 30. During her time on stage, she appeared in several long-running Broadway theatre, Broadway play ...
. Adams was a close friend of both the investigative reporter
Ray Stannard Baker Ray Stannard Baker (April 17, 1870 – July 12, 1946) (also known by his pen name David Grayson) was an American journalist, historian, biographer, and author. Biography Baker was born in Lansing, Michigan. After graduating from the Michigan ...
and District Attorney Benjamin Darrow.Kennedy, Samuel V.
Adams, Samuel Hopkins
(Kennedy); American National Biography Online Feb. 2000.


Career

From 1891 to 1900, he was a reporter for the ''New York Sun'' where his career began, and then joined ''McClure's Magazine'', where he gained a reputation as a muckraker for his articles on the conditions of public health in the United States. In 1904, Adams became an editorial staffer with ''McClure's Magazine'' working with
Lincoln Steffens Lincoln Austin Steffens (April 6, 1866 – August 9, 1936) was an American investigative journalist and one of the leading muckrakers of the Progressive Era in the early 20th century. He launched a series of articles in '' McClure's'', called " ...
,
Ida Tarbell Ida Minerva Tarbell (November 5, 1857January 6, 1944) was an American writer, Investigative journalism, investigative journalist, List of biographers, biographer and lecturer. She was one of the leading muckrakers of the Progressive Era of th ...
, and Ray Stannard Baker. Adams considered himself a freelance writer and used his writings to support himself. In 1905, Adams was hired by ''
Collier's ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened in 1905 to ''Collie ...
'' to prepare articles on
patent medicine A patent medicine, sometimes called a proprietary medicine, is an over-the-counter (nonprescription) medicine or medicinal preparation that is typically protected and advertised by a trademark and trade name (and sometimes a patent) and claimed ...
s. In a series of 11 articles he wrote for the magazine in 1905, "The Great American Fraud", Adams exposed many of the false claims made about patent medicines, pointing out that in some cases these medicines were damaging the health of the people using them. The series had a huge impact and led to the passage of the
Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, also known as Dr. Wiley's Law, was the first of a series of significant consumer protection laws which was enacted by Congress in the 20th century and led to the creation of the Food and Drug Administration ...
. In 1911, the Supreme Court ruled that the prohibition of falsifications referred only to the ingredients of the medicine. This meant that companies were again free to make false claims about their products. Adams returned to the attack, and in another series of articles in ''Collier's Weekly'', Adams exposed the misleading advertising that companies were using to sell their products. Linking his knowledge of newspapers with patent medicines, he wrote ''The Clarion'' (1914), which was critical of newspaper advertising practices and led to a series of consumer-protection articles in the ''New York Tribune''. His service during World War I for the Committee on Public Information led to ''Common Cause'' (1919), a novel on a newspaper's battle against pro-Germans in Wisconsin.


Literary works

Adams was a prolific writer, who wrote fiction as well. "Night Bus" (1933), one of Adams's many magazine stories, became the basis for the 1934 film ''
It Happened One Night ''It Happened One Night'' is a 1934 pre-Code American romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy directed and co-produced by Frank Capra, in collaboration with Harry Cohn, in which a pampered socialite (Claudette Colbert) tries ...
''. Adams's first solo novel was in 1908, ''Flying Death'', which added to his mystery collection. His best-known novel, ''Revelry'' (1926), based on the scandals of the Harding administration, was later followed by ''Incredible Era'' (1939), a biography of Harding. Among his other works are ''The Great American Fraud'' in ''
Collier's ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened in 1905 to ''Collie ...
'' (1905–06), ''The Mystery'' (1907), with S. E. White, ''Average Jones'' (1911), ''The Secret of Lonesome Cove'' (1912), ''The Health Master'' (1913), ''The Clarion'' (1914), ''The Unspeakable Perk'' (1916), ''Our Square and the People in It'' (1917), ''Success'' (1921), ''Siege'' (1924), ''The Gorgeous Hussy'' (1934), ''Maiden Effort'' (1937), ''
The Harvey Girls ''The Harvey Girls'' is a 1946 Technicolor American musical film produced by Arthur Freed for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is based on the 1942 The Harvey Girls (novel), novel of the same name by Samuel Hopkins Adams, about Fred Harvey (entrepreneur ...
'' (1942; adapted into the 1946 movie musical starring
Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...
), ''Canal Town'' (1944), ''Plunder'' (1948), '' Grandfather Stories'' (1955), and m. ''Average Jones'' is a series of stories about a detective investigating fraudulent or unusual advertisements. In addition to his many books, Adams also wrote 415 short stories and articles. ''Tenderloin'' described the battle between Charles H. Parkhurst and
Tammany Hall Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York City political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society. It became the main loc ...
. ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' reviewer H. I. Brock called the book an "outstanding period piece" and "a finale to a long and varied writing career". ''Tenderloin'' was adapted into a 1960 musical with book by
George Abbott George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades. Early years Abbott was born in Forestville, New Yo ...
and
Jerome Weidman Jerome Weidman (April 4, 1913, New York City – October 6, 1998, New York City) was an American playwright and novelist. He collaborated with George Abbott on the book for the musical ''Fiorello!'' with music by Jerry Bock, and lyrics by Sheldo ...
and songs by
Jerry Bock Jerrold Lewis Bock (November 23, 1928November 3, 2010) was an American musical theater composer. He received the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama with Sheldon Harnick for their 1959 musical ''Fiorello!'' and the Tony A ...
and
Sheldon Harnick Sheldon Mayer Harnick (born April 30, 1924) is an American lyricist and songwriter best known for his collaborations with composer Jerry Bock on musicals such as ''Fiorello!'' and ''Fiddler on the Roof''. Early life Sheldon Mayer Harnick was bo ...
, the team that had created ''
Fiorello! ''Fiorello!'' is a musical about New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia, a reform Republican, which debuted on Broadway in 1959, and tells the story of how La Guardia took on the Tammany Hall political machine. The book is by Jerome Weidman and ...
'' ''Tenderloin'' ran for 216 performances. New critic
Howard Taubman Hyman Howard Taubman (July 4, 1907 – January 8, 1996) was an American music critic, theater critic, and author. Biography Born in Manhattan, Taubman attended DeWitt Clinton High School and then won a four-year scholarship to Cornell University, ...
praised the songs, but complained about a "dragging book" and said, "The wages of virtue, alas, are largely dullness." Adams also published a biography of
Alexander Woollcott Alexander Humphreys Woollcott (January 19, 1887 – January 23, 1943) was an American drama critic and commentator for ''The New Yorker'' magazine, a member of the Algonquin Round Table, an occasional actor and playwright, and a prominent radio ...
(1945) and three books for the Landmark Series, ''The Pony Express'' (1950), ''The Santa Fe Trail'' (1952), and ''The Erie Canal'' (1953). The printing of his 1947 novel ''Banner by the Wayside'' was the subject of an ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' documentary on the manufacture of hardback books (see external links). Adams last book, ''Tenderloin'' (1959), was published after his death and was later adapted into a Broadway musical.


Risqué novels

In the 1920s and 1930s, Adams, under the pseudonym of Warner Fabian, wrote several novels that at the time were considered highly risqué. These titillating works, which mainly featured young women
flappers Flappers were a subculture of young Western women in the 1920s who wore short skirts (knee height was considered short during that period), bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptab ...
and their trials and tribulations of early adulthood, often became best-sellers avidly read by Jazz Age youth. '' Flaming Youth,'' Adams' first novel of this sort, dealt with the sexual urges of young women and had a sexual frankness that was shocking for its time. Because of the nature of the novels, Adams utilized the Fabian pseudonym so that his more standard works would not be tainted by any scandal accruing to these novels. Most of these novels were later brought to the screen, including '' Flaming Youth'' starring
Colleen Moore Colleen Moore (born Kathleen Morrison; August 19, 1899 – January 25, 1988) was an American film actress who began her career during the silent film era. Moore became one of the most fashionable (and highly-paid) stars of the era and helped po ...
; ''
Sailors' Wives ''Sailor's Wives'' is a lost 1928 silent film romantic-comedy directed by Joseph Henabery and starring Mary Astor. It was produced and distributed by First National Pictures. Cast *Mary Astor as Carol Trent * Lloyd Hughes as Don Manning * Earl ...
,'' with
Mary Astor Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American actress. Although her career spanned several decades, she may be best remembered for her performance as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in '' The Maltese ...
in the lead; and '' The Wild Party'' featuring
Clara Bow Clara Gordon Bow (; July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to "talkies" in 1929. Her appearance as a plucky shopgirl in the ...
. Novels published under the pseudonym "Warner Fabian" include: * ''Flaming Youth'' (New York: The Macaulay Company, 1924) * ''Sailors' Wives'' (New York: Boni & Liveright, 1924) * ''Summer Bachelors'' (New York: Boni & Liveright, 1926; The Macaulay Company, 1927) * ''Unforbidden Fruit'' (New York: Boni & Liveright, 1928; Cleveland & New York: International Fiction Library, 1928) * ''The Men in Her Life'' (New York: Sears Publishing Co., 1930; Grosset & Dunlap, 1930) * ''Week-End Girl'' (New York: The Macaulay Company, 1932) * ''Widow's Oats'' (New York: The Macaulay Company, 1935)


Later life and death

Adams had a winter residence in
Beaufort, South Carolina Beaufort ( , a different pronunciation from that used by the city with the same name in North Carolina) is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South ...
. He died in Beaufort on November 16, 1958, at the age of 87. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at his home at
Owasco Lake Owasco Lake is the sixth largest and third easternmost of the Finger Lakes of New York in the United States. It is part of the traditional territory of the Cayuga nation. History Owasco Lake's name may have been derived from the Iroquois word ...
in
New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
.Resting Places: The Burial Sites of 14000 Famous Persons, by Scott Wilson Adams's papers are archived in academic libraries, including Syracuse University, Hamilton College, and Harvard University. A significant portion of his collections are located at the
American Antiquarian Society The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in ...
in Worcester, Massachusetts.


Selected publications


''The Great American Fraud''
(1912)
''The wealth master''


Selected filmography

* '' Wandering Fires'' (1925) * '' Summer Bachelors'' (1926) * '' The Wild Party'' (1929) ased on the novel ''Unforbidden Fruit''* ''
What Men Want ''What Men Want'' is a 2019 American romantic comedy film directed by Adam Shankman and starring Taraji P. Henson, Aldis Hodge, Josh Brener, Erykah Badu, Richard Roundtree and Tracy Morgan. The film is a loose remake of the 2000 film ''What Wome ...
'' (1930) * ''
Men in Her Life ''Men in Her Life'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by William Beaudine and starring Lois Moran, Charles Bickford and Victor Varconi. It was based on a 1930 novel by Warner Fabian (Samuel Hopkins Adams)."AT THE PALACE 'Men in ...
'' (1931) * ''
Week Ends Only ''Week Ends Only'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film directed by Alan Crosland and starring Joan Bennett, Ben Lyon and John Halliday. It was made by Fox Film Corporation. The screenplay was written by William M. Conselman and Samuel Hopkins Adam ...
'' (1932) * ''
It Happened One Night ''It Happened One Night'' is a 1934 pre-Code American romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy directed and co-produced by Frank Capra, in collaboration with Harry Cohn, in which a pampered socialite (Claudette Colbert) tries ...
'' (1934) ased on the short story ''Night Bus''* ''
The Gorgeous Hussy ''The Gorgeous Hussy'' is a 1936 American period film directed by Clarence Brown, and starring Joan Crawford and Robert Taylor. The screenplay was written by Stephen Morehouse Avery and Ainsworth Morgan, which was based on a 1934 novel by Samuel ...
'' (1936) ased on Adams' novel of the same title* ''
The Harvey Girls ''The Harvey Girls'' is a 1946 Technicolor American musical film produced by Arthur Freed for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is based on the 1942 The Harvey Girls (novel), novel of the same name by Samuel Hopkins Adams, about Fred Harvey (entrepreneur ...
'' (1946) ased on Adams' novel of the same title


References


External links

* * *
Samuel Hopkins Adams Collection
(Syracuse University Library) * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Samuel Hopkins 1871 births 1958 deaths 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American male writers American investigative journalists American male novelists Critics of alternative medicine Journalists from Upstate New York Hamilton College (New York) alumni People from Dunkirk, New York Progressive Era in the United States American male short story writers 20th-century American short story writers Novelists from New York (state) 20th-century American non-fiction writers American male non-fiction writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers