Raymond MacDonald Alden

Born in New Hartford, New York, on March 30, 1873, Raymond Macdonald Alden was the son of writer Isabella Macdonald Alden and Reverend Gustavus Rossenberg Alden. He studied at Rollins College and the University of Pennsylvania, then continued postgraduate work at Penn and Harvard.

Alden became known both as a literary scholar and as an educator. He taught English at the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and the University of Illinois, and later returned to Stanford as a professor and department chair. Alongside his academic work, he wrote and edited books on English literature and criticism.

Many readers know him today for Why the Chimes Rang, a Christmas story that has remained his best-known piece of imaginative writing. He died in Philadelphia on September 27, 1924, leaving behind a career shaped by teaching, scholarship, and a lasting affection for classic storytelling.