Frederick Julius Pohl (August 18, 1889 – February 21, 1991) was a prolific playwright, literary critic, editor and book author. He is best known for his books espousing speculative and controversial historical theories of

pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact Pre-Columbian transoceanic contact theories, many of which are speculative, propose that visits to the Americas, interactions with the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, or both, were made by people from elsewhere prior to Christopher Columb ...

by Europeans, including the

Vikings Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

and others.

Biography

Pohl was the husband of playwright/author Josephine McIlvain Pollitt (October 15, 1890 - August 1978; married Frederick in May 1926) and later Loretta M. Baker (née Champagne, 1906 - April 27, 2002; married Frederick in 1980). He graduated from

Amherst College Amherst College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zepha ...

in 1911 and from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

in 1914 with a Master of Arts.

Pohl's claims for Norse voyages to America

In a review of Pohl's ''The Viking Settlements of North America''

Einar Haugen Einar Ingvald Haugen (; April 19, 1906 – June 20, 1994) was an American linguist and writer known for his influential work in American sociolinguistics and Norwegian-American studies, including Old Norse studies. Haugen was a professor at ...

points out that Pohl's interpretation of the Vinland Map, now proven to be a hoax, "puts the Vikings in Cuba and the Gulf of Mexico. Haugen says that "On every page the author asserts that some notion has been "proved" beyond doubt or confirmed by "unquestionable evidence" when in fact the proof is achieved bt neglecting counterevidence or by sheer fiat."

Other works

''Amerigo Vespucci: Pilot Major''
(New York: Octagon Books, 1966). * ''Like to the Lark: The Early Years of Shakespeare'' (New York: Clarkson N. Potter, 1972). * ''William Shakespeare: A Biography'' (

Rochester, NY Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...

: Dupont Books, 1983). * ''The New Columbus'' (Rochester, NY: Dupont Books, 1986).

References

External links

Frederick J. Pohl (AC 1911) Papers
at the Amherst College Archives & Special Collections American book editors 1889 births 1991 deaths Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact American literary critics 20th-century American historians 20th-century American male writers Amherst College alumni Columbia University alumni 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights American men centenarians American male non-fiction writers {{US-playwright-stub