Byron J. (Byron Johnson) Rees

Byron J. Rees, also listed as Byron Johnson Rees, was an American author and editor who lived from 1877 to 1920. Public-domain and library records connect him with The Heart-Cry of Jesus as well as edited collections including Modern American Prose Selections and Nineteenth Century Letters.

Those books point to the kind of work he is remembered for: shaping reading material for students and general readers, and selecting writing that balanced literary value with accessibility. Although detailed biographical information appears to be scarce in widely available sources, his published titles show a range that moved between religious reflection and literary anthology.

Because his life was relatively short, his reputation today rests mainly on the books he left behind and the library records that preserve them. For listeners interested in overlooked figures from American literary culture, Rees offers a small but intriguing window into the editorial world of the 1910s.