John R. Tunis
John R. Tunis was an influential American author and journalist, born in Boston on December 7, 1889, and educated at Harvard University. He is best known for his critical stance on the commercialization and professionalization of sports, advocating for amateurism and sportsmanship throughout his career. Tunis wrote both nonfiction for adults and young-adult fiction, addressing the moral and ethical dimensions of athletics. His notable works include the nonfiction book $port$: Heroics and Hysterics and several novels such as All-American, which confronts racial prejudice in sports, and Iron Duke, which examines the conflicts between sportsmanship and commercial pressures.
Tunis served as a soldier in World War I and later became a freelance journalist, contributing to various publications, including the New York Evening Post. His later works, including Silence over Dunkerque and His Enemy, His Friend, tackle the impact of war and morality, further establishing him as a social critic. Tunis consistently emphasized character-building and educational values in sports, believing that the essence of athletics lies in personal growth rather than mere competition. His legacy is marked by a commitment to equality and ethical conduct in sports, resonating with audiences who seek deeper meanings in athletic pursuits.
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John R. Tunis
- Born: December 7, 1889
- Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
- Died: 1975
Biography
John R. Tunis was a lifelong critic of the professionalization and commercialization of sports in the United States. He wrote both adult nonfiction and young-adult fiction based on the themes of amateurism and sportsmanship. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 7, 1889, Tunis graduated from Harvard University in 1911. He played tennis and ran track while in college. After serving in France during World War I, he married Lucy Rogers. He began a career as a freelance journalist, covering sports for the New York Evening Post and a wide variety of magazines.
Tunis’s first book, $port$: Heroics and Hysterics (1928), presented themes that would reappear in a series of nonfiction books for adults and sports novels for young adults over a long career. He was always an advocate of democracy and equality in sports, and was outraged by the “win at any cost” attitude of many coaches and players. He was concerned about the role of athletics in the American university as well.
Iron Duke (1938) and The Duke Decides (1939) follow the career of a Harvard track star as he wrestles with decisions about the conflict between sportsmanship and commerce. Typical of Tunis’s sports novels, the emphasis is on values rather than winning. Also, Tunis wrote novels emphasizing the need for racial equality and democracy in sports, which appeared in the next few years. All-American (1942), Keystone Kids (1943) and Yea! Wildcats! (1944) are notable. All-American speaks out against racial prejudice on sports teams, Keystone Kids emphasizes difficult moral decisions, and Yea! Wildcats! is a statement about how the desire to win can become principal for parents and townspeople. Tunis continued to write challenging novels for young adults about a wide variety of sports until 1973.
Two books about World War II appeared late in his career. Silence over Dunkerque (1962) follows the experiences of a soldier who is left in Dunkerque after the British troops have withdrawn. The book realistically presents the effect of war on the lives of soldiers and civilians. His Enemy, His Friend (1967) is considered by some critics Tunis’s best book. A championship soccer game brings together a German and a French player who have a connection through a war crime committed by the German. In a complex and moving story, sports, war, and human decency are explored. Both Silence Over Dunkerque and His Enemy, His Friend could be considered antiwar novels, affirming Tunis’s role as a social critic.
In The American Way in Sport (1958) and again in his autobiography A Measure of Independence (1964), Tunis continued his criticism of the excesses of sport in America, supported by his long experience. He felt that more emphasis should be placed on education, and that the emphasis in sport should be on character-building rather than entertainment.
In a long career as a journalist, nonfiction writer, and writer of fine sports fiction, Tunis was a dedicated supporter of amateurism and the development of sportsmanship and values as the primary role of sports. His sports novels were popular with readers, though occasionally they were criticized as didactic, emphasizing morals over winning. Tunis stated at one time, “ My heroes have been the losers.”