Burns Mantle(1873-1948)

American drama critic and essayist Burns Mantle was born Robert Burns Mantle in 1873 in Watertown, NY. He grew up in the Watertown area, but after finishing his education he struck out for the West. In 1892 he returned east again, intending to attend the Chicago World's Fair, but while he was in Denver he was offered a job as drama critic with the Denver Times, a position he held from 1898-1900. He then went to work in the same field for the Denver Republican, from 1900 to 1901. In that year he left for Chicago, and went to work for The Interocean, where he stayed until 1907. He stayed there for a year, then went over to the Chicago Tribune, where he was the dramatic editor and Sunday editor from 1908-1911. He left Chicago for New York, where he got a job as dramatic editor of the Evening Mail until 1922. That year he was hired as the dramatic critic and drama editor of the New York News, and stayed there. He has written several books on American plays and playwrights, and

He was considered the dean of New York drama critics, and in 1947 he was awarded a special Tony Award for his annual publication of the "Ten Best Plays". He died in 1948 in Forest Hills, NY.