J. B. (Joseph Bowne) Elwell

Born in Cranford, New Jersey, Joseph Bowne Elwell became one of America's best-known bridge authorities in the years when bridge and auction bridge were taking shape. Before devoting himself to cards, he studied at Phillips Academy and worked as an insurance agent while learning the game that would define his career.

Elwell built a reputation as a player, tutor, and writer, publishing books such as Bridge: Its Principles and Rules of Play, Bridge Lessons, Practical Bridge, and Advanced Bridge. His writing helped explain the strategy and laws of the game to ordinary players as well as serious enthusiasts, which is a big reason his name still appears in bridge history.

Today, he is remembered for two very different reasons: as an influential teacher of bridge and as the victim of a famous unsolved killing in New York City in June 1920. That mix of expertise, social fame, and mystery has kept interest in his life alive long after the original card tables disappeared.