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Richard Pike Bissell (June 27, 1913 – May 4, 1977) was an American author of short stories and novels. His third book, and second novel, '' 7½ Cents'', was adapted into the
Broadway musical Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), many of the extant or closed Broadway venues use or used the spelling ''Theatr ...
''
The Pajama Game ''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel '' 7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Dances were staged by Bob Fosse in his chor ...
''. This won him (along with co-author
George Abbott George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades. He received numerous honors including six Tony Awards, the ...
) the 1955
Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
for Best Musical. He wrote a book about the experience called ''Say, Darling'', which chronicled the ins and outs of a Broadway musical production and featured characters based on those (such as
Harold Prince Harold Smith Prince (born Harold Smith; January 30, 1928 – July 31, 2019), commonly known as Hal Prince, was an American theatre director and producer known for his work in musical theatre. One of the foremost figures in 20th-century theat ...
) he worked with; this book was ''also'' turned into a musical, also called '' Say, Darling'', in 1958.


Early life

Bissell was born, in
Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 59,667 at the 2020 United States census. The city lies along the Mississippi River at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a region ...
, the second son of Frederick Ezekiel Bissell and Edith Mary Pike Bissell, in
Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 59,667 at the 2020 United States census. The city lies along the Mississippi River at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a region ...
. He graduated from
Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...
in 1932, and graduated from
Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...
in 1936, with a B.A. in anthropology.


Career

After college, Bissell worked tor Polaroid, and worked in the Venezuelan oil fields, later signing on as a seaman on an American Export Lines freighter. In 1938, he married Marian Van Patten Grilk, returning to Dubuque, and living on a Mississippi River houseboat, then worked for the family clothing manufacturer business, H. B. Glover Company. After being rejected by the Navy for enlistment during World War II because of poor eyesight, Bissell worked river towboats in the
Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...
, rising from a deckhand to a river pilot. After the war, he returned to Dubuque and resumed his work for the garment factory founded by his great-grandfather in 1845. He published articles on his war experiences in ''
Atlantic Monthly ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 ...
'', ''
Collier's } ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter F. Collier, Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened i ...
'', and ''
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...
''. The Bissell family moved to the East coast so he could turn his book, ''7½ Cents'', into a Broadway musical, which later became a motion picture. This inspired his novel ''Say, Darling'', which also became a Broadway musical. Bissell wrote works about his experiences on the Mississippi River, including, novels: ''A Stretch on the River'', ''High Water'', ''Goodbye Ava'', ''The Monongahela'', and the non-fiction: ''My Life on the Mississippi or Why I am Not Mark Twain'', that had some critics comparing him to
Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Fau ...
. Bissell's ''7½ Cents'' was based on his experiences in the garment industry, written while he was the vice-president of his family's Dubuque pajama factory. He wrote a memoir of his experiences at Harvard, ''You Can Always Tell a Harvard Man'' (
McGraw Hill McGraw Hill is an American education science company that provides educational content, software, and services for students and educators across various levels—from K-12 to higher education and professional settings. They produce textbooks, ...
, 1965). He worked on a freighter on the American Export Business Lines and
riverboats A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury u ...
, served as vice president at a Dubuque clothing manufacturer which had been bought by his great-grandfather (who worked his way from the bottom to the top of the company).


Personal life

On February 15, 1938, he married Marian Van Patten Grilk, an editor, who he met at
Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...
, raising a daughter, Anastasia, and three sons, Thomas, Nathaniel, and Samuel, and living in a 1909 Fairfield, Connecticut, home designed by
Stanford White Stanford White (November 9, 1853 – June 25, 1906) was an American architect and a partner in the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White, one of the most significant Beaux-Arts firms at the turn of the 20th century. White designed many houses ...
. Bissell belonged to 11 historical societies, spent his summers in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, collected antique cars to saloon pianos, and a majestic 11-foot mirror from Mark Twain's New York home. A 2017 biographical article in ''The Iowan Magazine'' noted that "his gravestone in the Linwood Cemetery contains an etching of the upper Mississippi, much like the one he had to draw to get his pilot’s license, cutting straight through, from corner to corner." He lived for several years in
Rowayton, Connecticut Rowayton is a coastal neighborhood in the city of Norwalk, Connecticut, roughly from New York City. The community is governed by the Sixth Taxing District of Norwalk and has a number of active local associations, including the Civic Associati ...
. Bissell was a member of
The Lambs The Lambs, Inc. (also known as The Lambs Club) is a New York City social club that nurtures those active in the arts, as well as those who are supporters of the arts, by providing activities and a clubhouse for its members. It is America's old ...
from 1956.


Death

In 1975, Bissell moved back to
Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 59,667 at the 2020 United States census. The city lies along the Mississippi River at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a region ...
to live in the house his grandfather built. He died in a Dubuque hospital on May 4, 1977, of a brain tumor.


Works

* ''A Stretch on the River'' (1950) * ''The Monongahela'',
Rivers of America Series The Rivers of America Series is a landmark series of books on American rivers, for the most part written by literary figures rather than historians. The series spanned three publishers and thirty-seven years. History The Rivers of America Series ...
, (1952) * '' 7½ Cents'' (1953) * ''High Water: A Novel of Adventure on a Mississippi River Towboat'' (1954) * ''Say, Darling'' (1959) * ''Good Bye, Ava'' (1960) * ''You Can Always Tell a Harvard Man'' (1962) * ''Still Circling Moose Jaw'' (1965) * ''How Many Miles to Galena; or, Baked, Hashed Brown, or French Fried?'' (1968) * ''Julia Harrington, Winnebago, Iowa, 1913'' (1969) * ''My Life on the Mississippi, or Why I Am Not Mark Twain'' (1973) * ''New Light on 1776 and All That'' (1975)


Influence

In 2008,
Elmore Leonard Elmore John Leonard Jr. (October 11, 1925August 20, 2013) was an American novelist, short story author and screenwriter. He was, according to British journalist Anthony Lane, "hailed as one of the best crime writers in the land". His earliest no ...
cited Richard Bissell as a major influence in formation of his style because he felt Bissell could be naturally funny:


Awards

*
Tony Award for Best Musical The Tony Award for Best Musical is given annually to the best new Broadway musical, as determined by Tony Award voters. The award is one of the ceremony's longest-standing awards, having been presented each year since 1949. The award goes to the ...
(Book), 1955: ''
The Pajama Game ''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel '' 7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Dances were staged by Bob Fosse in his chor ...
'',
George Abbott George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades. He received numerous honors including six Tony Awards, the ...
& Richard Pike Bissell


References


External links

* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bissell, Richard Pike 1913 births 1977 deaths 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American male writers Harvard College alumni Writers from Dubuque, Iowa American male novelists American male short story writers 20th-century American short story writers Novelists from Iowa Tony Award winners