1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Tarkington, Booth

TARKINGTON, [NEWTON] BOOTH (1869-), American writer, was born in Indianapolis, Ind., July 29 1869. After studying at Phillips Academy, Exeter, Mass., he entered Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind., but two years later transferred to Princeton, where he graduated in 1893. At first he intended to follow a business career, but after a few years devoted his time to writing. He was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives for the term 1902-3. In 1918 he received the degree of Litt.D. from Princeton. In 1920 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The same year he was engaged as a writer of photo-plays by the Goldwyn Pictures Corporation. His first story, The Gentleman from Indiana, was published in 1899, having appeared already as a serial in McClure's Magazine. In 1900 his reputation was established by Monsieur Beaucaire, which he successfully dramatized (with E. G. Sutherland) in 1901. In 1919 he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize by Columbia University for his novel, The Magnificent Ambersons (1918).