Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-27
GEORGE H. PUTNAM
DIES IN new YORK
Noted Publisher Fought Pr
rates of Literature to Pro-
teCt Authors Rights.
BY the Associated Press.

| BY the Associated Press.
! NEW YORK, February 27.-George
Haven Putnam, president Of c. P. Put
MANS Sons, publishers, died today of
pernicious anemia at his residence, No.
Sutton place. He was IS years old
and had been i'll for two weeks.
Mr.. Putnam was Civil War veteran,
having risen from the rank of private
to that of major in the l76th New York
Volunteers.
Fought Literary Pirates.
Fighting the pirates Of literature was
| Mr.. Putnams great work.
Battling, sometimes single handed.
| against selfish interests OF publishers
| ne gave the United States its interna-
tional copyright system.
Taught by his father the evils of the
paraSitical practices which ignored row.
| atty rights Of literary men outside their
own countries, Mr.. Putnam in 1886 re-
vived the American Publishers Copy
right League. AS its secretary he prop
agandized for an international COPY
right law, wrestled with Congress to
put over legislation, and when a law
was enacted in 1891, was rewarded by
France with the cross of the Legion Of
| Honor.
The father, George Palmer Putnam,
| had been instrumental in acquainting
England and the continent with the lit
tie known literature of the then young
United States, a work carried on by his
son. The latter saw that English lit
erature was borrowed at random in
America-an unfair practice in the
1 0nininTl n a VNaII nd
requiring stringent regulation.
Time and again this enthusiast was
| blocked by lawyers and congressional
red tape, but persistence and a deep
seated belief in his ideal carried him to
success over the strenuous protests of
interests who found foreign literature
toothsome food for their moneymak-
| ing schemes.
Putnam was born in London, April
2, 1914, while his family was in Lon
don. While abroad for treatment to
his eyes he attended the Sorbonne,
Paris, and the University of Berlin, and
enrolled later at Gottingen University,
Prussia, to study forestry. The war in
| terrupted his schooling, and he returned
/ to America to join the Union forces.
In 1869 he married Rebecca Shepard
of Boston, who died in 1895. His Sec
ond wife was Emily James Smith, sIl-
thor and educator, and one time dean
Of Barnard College, whom he married
| in 1899.
He was one of the founders of the
Knickerbocker Press.
FIouted Tammany.
Dabbling in politics as an avocation
he was allied as an independent with
the civil service reformers. flouted Tam
many and the political bosses, and
worked to obstruct the denomination of
Gen. Grant for third term as Presi-
dent in 1880.
He successfully directed the business
of G. P. Putnam's Sons, he took hand
in public affairs, without holding office,
and made friendships with many of the
leading public figures Of the day.
Among his friends whom he told and
wrote about were Grover Cleveland,
Carl Schurz, Henry Willard. Andrew
Carnegie, Joseph H. Choate and Theo-
dore Roosevelt. Roosevelt at one time
became interested in publishing as a
career and entered Putnam's as an Of
fetal.
Putnam was a Democrat in senti-
ment, and an ardent free trade advo-
cate. His theory was, though, that the
tariff on books should not be lowered
without an accompanying reduction In
the duty on publishers supplies, and
this idea subsequently was incorporated
in the Underwood tariff.
Worked to Name Wilson.
An independent in politics. he helped
found the New York City Club and the
the Citizens Union, two organizations
devoted to civic welfare. He worked
with a group of Democrats to bring
about the nomination of Woodrow Will
son at the Democratic convention in
Baltimore, 1912, and fought Tammany
in its choice of Champ Clark.
The work of George Haven Putnam
as a publicist was recognized later in
life. Bowdoin College made him an
honorary master of arts in 1894 and de-
grees of honorary doctor of letters were
bestowed on him by the University of
Pittsburgh, 1899, and Columbia Uni
verSity, 1912.
Mr.. Putnam wrote several books on
history and photographed works and
was a contributor to the Encyclopedia
Britannica.