George Horace Lorimer


George Horace Lorimer was an American journalist, author and publisher. He is best known as the editor of The Saturday Evening Post, which he led from 1899 to 1936. During his editorial reign, the Post rose from a circulation of several thousand to more than one million. He is also credited with promoting or discovering a large number of American writers, such as Jack London, whose stories were published in the Post. In addition, Lorimer served as vice president, president, and chairman of the Curtis Publishing Company, which published several magazines and numerous books.

Life

Lorimer was born in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of the Rev. George C. Lorimer and Belle Lorimer. He attended Moseley High School in Chicago, Colby College, and Yale University.
After working as a journalist, in 1899 he became editor-in-chief of The Saturday Evening Post, published in Philadelphia. He remained in charge until the last day of 1936, about a year before his death from throat cancer. He served also as vice president, president, and chairman of Curtis Publishing Company, which publishes the Post.
He died on October 22, 1937 in Wyncote, Pennsylvania and was interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.

Books

In the early 1900s Lorimer also published several books, including
and
The Letters from a Self-Made Merchant was a quite well known book in the early 20th century, and was the basis for the 1922 film A Self-made Man starring William Russell.
In her novel, Whose Body?, Dorothy Sayers notes that a copy of the book, in a Morocco binding, is kept at the bedside of a self-made British financier.

Estate

Lorimer had a large estate in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, just outside Philadelphia. Most of it is now used as the campus of Ancillae Assumpta Academy.
Most of Lorimer Park, a public park located in Abington Township, Pennsylvania, was a bequest from the Lorimer family to the citizens of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.