Robert Deane Pharr
Robert Deane Pharr was an American author born on July 5, 1916, in Richmond, Virginia. Raised in a modest household—his father was a minister, and his mother was a teacher—Pharr developed a strong passion for literature from an early age. He pursued his education at several institutions, including St. Paul's College and Virginia Union University, where he earned his B.A. in 1939. Pharr's literary career began to take shape while he worked as a waiter, sharing his writings with professors for feedback and guidance. His first novel, *The Book of Numbers*, published in 1969, explores the struggles faced by African Americans in achieving the American dream amid systemic barriers. This work was notable for its realistic portrayal of characters from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Pharr continued to write impactful stories with themes of survival and resilience, as seen in his sequel, *S.R.O.*, and his final novel, *Giveadamn Brown*. Throughout his career, he received several grants and recognition for his work, culminating in a legacy that highlights the strength and complexity of the human experience. Pharr passed away on April 1, 1992, during surgery for an aneurysm.
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Subject Terms
Robert Deane Pharr
- Born: July 5, 1916
- Birthplace: Richmond, Virginia
- Died: April 1, 1992
- Place of death: Syracuse, New York
Biography
Robert Pharr was born July 5, 1916, in Richmond, Virginia. His Father, John Benjamin Pharr, was a minister, and his mother, Lucie (Deane) Pharr, was a teacher. Pharr experienced a modest upbringing, excelling in his studies and love of literature.
Pharr attended St. Paul’s Normal and Industrial School (now St. Paul’s College), in Lawrenceville, Virginia, in 1933. He studied at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania in 1934. He received his B.A. from Virginia Union University in 1939, and continued his graduate studies at Fisk University. On February 14, 1937, Pharr married Nellie Ellis, and the two had one daughter, Lorelle.
While working as a waiter at the Columbia Faculty Club, Pharr repeatedly gave his manuscript to professors for constructive criticism and in the hopes of publication. His plan worked and his first novel, The Book of Numbers, was published in 1969 with great success. The novel examines and debates the problems surrounding African Americans during the twentieth century: How could honest, ambitious, hard-working African Americans obtain the American dream when the conventional doors to that opportunity were shut around them? Pharr’s novel follows protagonist David Greene, who runs numbers for a living, showing that to make a living, African Americans sometimes had to turn to illegal employment options. The book was praised for its realistic account of everyday characters and their settings, as well as Pharr’s accurate depiction of African Americans from all socioeconomic levels of society.
The sequel, S.R.O., is the semiautobiographical story of drug addicts, prostitutes, and those who live on the edge of society, trying to make their way through life on whatever road is left to them. The novel takes place entirely within a single hotel room in Harlem and follows alcoholic Jerry Bryant as he searches for stability in a world full of frustration and failure. The book also portrays Sid Bailey’s relationship with recovering addict Gloria Bascomb and his ultimate savior, his writing. Pharr received critical acclaim for his ability to handle difficult subject matter with humor, while not making light of the issues.
His final novel, Giveadamn Brown, once again offered a glimpse into Harlem life through the underground narcotics trade. Filled with engaging yet jarring dialogue and fast-paced action, the novel shows how terrified characters caught in the drug trade against their will not only survive their circumstances, but also thrive within them. The novel on the whole is a testament to the human spirit and its ability to physically and psychologically triumph over life’s challenges.
Robert Pharr died during an operation to correct an aneurysm on April 1, 1992, in Syracuse, New York.
Pharr received grants from the Rockefeller Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, and other foundations and agencies throughout his career. The Book of Numbers was made into a motion picture by the same name in 1973.
Pharr’s ability to highlight individual strength and courage through well-defined, honest, and realistic characters is his greatest literary achievement.