Will James
Will James, born Joseph Ernest Nephtali Dufault on June 6, 1892, in Quebec, Canada, was a noted author and illustrator recognized for his works inspired by the American West. Initially claiming ties to a Texan cowboy lineage, he actually spent his early years in Montreal, where he was educated in a Catholic school. After pursuing a brief career as a cowboy in Canada and the U.S., James faced legal troubles and served time in prison for livestock theft. Following his release, he transitioned to Hollywood, working as a stunt performer and later as an illustrator. In the 1920s, he began his writing career, gaining acclaim for his cowboy-themed novels and stories, particularly "Smoky, the Cowhorse," which won the Newbery Medal in 1927. Despite struggles with personal issues, including alcoholism and the eventual dissolution of his marriage, James remained a prolific creator until his death on September 3, 1942. His legacy endures through ongoing celebrations by the Will James Society, which honors both his literary and artistic contributions to American culture.
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Will James
Author
- Born: June 6, 1892
- Birthplace: St. Nazaire-d'Acton, Quebec, Canada
- Died: September 3, 1942
- Place of death: Hollywood, California
Biography
Will James was the pseudonym of Joseph Ernest Nephtali Dufault, who was born on June 6, 1892, at St. Nazaire-d’Acton in Quebec, Canada, the son of Jean and Josephine Dufault. James later claimed he had been born near Great Falls, Montana, to Texas cowboy William James and his Californian wife, Bonnie Rodriguez James; he also claimed that Jean Beaupré, a trapper, adopted him after his father died.
James actually grew up in Montreal, Quebec, where his father operated a hotel. He, his younger brother, and two older sisters studied at a local Catholic school. In 1907, James left Montreal and took a job as a cowboy, working in Alberta and Saskatchewan through 1910. During that time, James began using the alias C. W. Jackson, then W.R. James, and finally Will R. James.
By 1911, James was living in Idaho, catching mustangs to earn money. The next year he went to Nevada, where he was arrested and convicted for stealing livestock and incarcerated in the Nevada State Prison during 1915 and 1916. After he was released, James moved to Los Angeles, California, to perform stunts for Western films. In 1918, he enlisted in the army, serving for one year.
Moving to San Francisco in 1919, James enrolled at the California School of Fine Arts. Disliking formal training, he left school and focused on selling his work, and by January, 1920, he sold his illustrations to Sunset Magazine. James resumed cowboy work in Nevada, where he married Alice Conradt in July, 1920, and later moved to New Mexico and Arizona for ranch jobs.
James began his writing career in the early 1920’s. He wrote stories and articles, selling them to Scribner’s Magazine, Saturday Evening Post, and other periodicals. James also produced illustrations for calendars and pulp publications. Guided by Scribner’s editor, Maxwell Perkins, James wrote his first book, Cowboys North and South, published in 1924, followed quickly by other cowboy-themed novels and nonfiction. Earning significant royalties, James bought property first at Frankton, Nevada, and then at Pryor, Montana, where he built the vast Rocking R Ranch. James summered at his ranch, staying in Hollywood and San Francisco during the other seasons.
James prolifically wrote and illustrated books for children and adults to meet consumer demand. He falsified many details in his autobiography, Lone Cowboy: My Life Story. He continued to produce books but suffered doubts about earning sufficient income to retain his ranch and worried that his lies would be discovered. By 1934, James was admitted to a sanitarium in La Crescenta, California. His wife filed for a legal separation, and his ranch eventually was sold to pay his expenses. While hospitalized for alcoholism, James died on September 3, 1942, in Hollywood.
Although reviewers praised James’s drawings, many critics disliked his use of vernacular and ungrammatical language. Readers enjoyed James’s storytelling and depictions of the American. West. In 1927, the American Library Association honored James’s novel, Smoky, the Cowhorse, with its Newbery Medal. Movie studios adapted Smoky, the Cowhorse and Lone Cowboy for several films. Members of the Will James Society continue to celebrate James’s creations, both literary and artistic, at annual roundups.