Burton Egbert Stevenson

Born in Chillicothe, Ohio, in 1872, Burton Egbert Stevenson was an American author, anthologist, and librarian. He studied at Princeton in the early 1890s, worked in journalism, and went on to write a large body of fiction that included mysteries, adventure stories, and books for younger readers.

He is especially remembered for reference and anthology works such as The Home Book of Verse and The Home Book of Quotations, books that helped generations of readers discover poems and memorable lines. Alongside his writing, he had a long connection to library work in Chillicothe and played an important role in the founding of the American Library in Paris during and after World War I.

Stevenson died in 1962, leaving behind a career that crossed several literary worlds at once: novelist, compiler, journalist, and librarian. That mix helps explain why his books can feel both entertaining and carefully informed.