Frederick Dilley Glidden
Frederick Dilley Glidden was an influential American author born on November 19, 1908, in Kewaunee, Illinois. He developed a passion for Western literature and local history, which he pursued after graduating from Kewanee High School and earning a journalism degree from the University of Missouri in 1930. Despite initial struggles in the journalism industry, including frequent job terminations, Glidden found success in writing Western tales inspired by his experiences trapping in Canada. He adopted the pen name Luke Short with the encouragement of his agent, Marguerite E. Harper, which helped launch his career in pulp magazines and mainstream publications.
Glidden authored approximately fifty-one books, becoming one of the genre's best-known writers. His narratives were characterized by suspenseful plots and well-drawn characters, earning him acclaim for his realistic dialogue and engaging storytelling. In addition to his writing, Glidden was involved in local governance in Aspen, Colorado, and contributed to film and television scripts, including adaptations of his work. His contributions to Western literature were recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Levi Strauss Golden Saddleman Award in 1969. By the time of his passing on August 18, 1975, Glidden's books had sold an estimated thirty-five million copies, marking him as a significant figure in the establishment and popularization of Western fiction.
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Frederick Dilley Glidden
Author
- Born: November 19, 1908
- Birthplace: Kewaunee, Illinois
- Died: August 18, 1975
- Place of death: Aspen, Colorado
Biography
Frederick Dilley Glidden was born on November 19, 1908, at Kewaunee, Illinois, to Wallace Dilley Glidden and Fannie Mae Hurff Glidden. He read Westerns, becoming familiar with that genre’s characteristics, and was fascinated by local history relevant to Western expansion, events, and notable people. Glidden graduated from Kewanee High School in 1926. He studied at the University of Illinois for three years and then enrolled at the University of Missouri at Columbia, where he completed the requirements for a journalism degree in 1930.
Glidden reported for several newspapers in the Midwest but was frustrated when editors fired him. He sought income by trapping in Alberta, Canada. Glidden traveled in the U.S., seeking work. While visiting a friend at Greeley, Colorado, he married Florence Elder on June 18, 1934. He had two sons and one daughter.
Hoping to earn money for his family, Glidden wrote Western tales about his trapping experiences. Editors were uninterested in Glidden’s work until he met agent Marguerite E. Harper. She secured publication for his early work, urging him to use the pseudonym Luke Short. Glidden wrote initially for pulp magazines and later for mainstream periodicals. Several novels were initially serialized in Adventure, Collier’s, and the Saturday Evening Post.
From 1941 to 1943, Glidden visited Hollywood to secure movie deals. Unable to serve in World War II because of weak vision, Glidden went to Washington, D.C., where he was employed by the Office of Strategic Services from 1943 through 1944. By 1947, Glidden had moved to Aspen, Colorado, where he served on the city council and wrote scripts for two films and for television, including material aired by Zane Grey Theater. Glidden supplemented his writing income by establishing a Colorado thorium mine in 1955. Wintering in Wickenburg, Arizona, he wrote the popular Primrose books during the 1960’s and 1970’s. Glidden died on August 18, 1975.
Glidden thrived as a versatile writer of Westerns; he produced approximately fifty-one books. Peers, readers, and critics recognized him as one of that genre’s best authors and credited him with contributing to the establishment of Western writing as an important fictional form and with setting the groundwork for future Western authors. Glidden created appealing tales with suspenseful, action-oriented plots and vivid characters. Critics admired his narrative style, realistic dialogue, and plots. Although his early stories were usually similar in style and content, Glidden improved his techniques and provided readers with satisfying reads. He depicted Western characters from differing eras, effectively creating settings and plots to match situations. Reviewers noted his depiction of violence by both heroic and villainous characters.
In the 1940’s and 1950’s, several Hollywood studios adapted Glidden’s Westerns for movies. Glidden received several honors, including the 1958 Maggie Award and Medallion of Merit for his novel The Whip (1956). In 1969 the Western Writers of America presented Glidden with the Levi Strauss Golden Saddleman Award. Five years later, Glidden accepted the Western Heritage Wrangler Award from the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center. By 1975, consumers had purchased an estimated thirty-five million copies of Glidden’s books.