James Grover Thurber was born December 8, 1894 in a small home on Parsons Avenue on Columbus' working-class south side (a home torn down to make way for I-70). James, or Jamie as he was known to his family, was son to Charles Thurber, who worked as a clerk in the office of Ohio Governor Asa Bushnell. Jamie had an older brother William and a younger brother Robert. Their mother was a housewife who had dreamed of being a comic actress but had parents who saw to it she never entered that "improper profession." By all accounts, her love of humor and theater made the Thurber home a fun and exciting place.
Her comic style appears to have had a significant influence on Thurber's life and writing--most of his books and other works have a comic flair and often reflect upon his own family and family life. An early eye injury suffered while playing "William Tell" with his brother would also influence his work, as it sidelined him throughout his life and eventually caused him to go blind.
Thurber's writing ability was first recognized when he was in junior high. Asked to write a story about his classmates, he created an original tale involving rocket ships and space travel (remember, this was in 1910!) He went on to write and draw and become class president at East High School.
Thurber attended OSU from 1913-1917 while his family rented the house at 77 Jefferson Av., now the Thurber House literary center and museum. Thurber never graduated from OSU due to failing to complete a required ROTC course but received a posthumous degree.
Thurber's writing career began with working as a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch in 1920. He began with the New Yorker as an editor in 1927 but quickly became a writer. Though hampered by his eye injury, Thurber wrote well over 30 books, including essay collections, short stories, fables, and children's books. He won the Caldecott Honor Award for his children's book Many Moons and is often known for the book My Life and Hard Times.
James Thurber died on November 2, 1961 from pneumonia. Thurber is buried in Greenlawn Cemetery in Columbus.
