Imperial Valley press., 1930-01-09
|LLptSS
IS FATAL
I 0 bO K
Death Claims Noted Edi
tor And PhilanthrOpist
At Florida Home.
BORN IN HOLLAND
Long Career In Public
Affairs Marked BY No
table Achievements.

Edward w. Box, widely known ed
itor and philnnthropist of Merton,
Pa, died at his winter home here at
4:25 n. III. today after weeks i'll
ness of heart trouble.
Funeral services will be held to-
morrow, with burial at the Lake
Wales Sanctuary, members of the
family announced.
Mrs. BOX and their sons were at
the bedside when the end came, but
Cyrus II. X. Curtis, Philadelphia
publisher and Mrs. Bok's father, as
well as physicians who were request
cd to come from Philadelphia when
Bok's condition became critical, had
not arrived.
BOX was stricken with heart at
tack soon after his arrival at his
winter home last Sunday.
Specialists and his sons and bus
mess associate, Cyrus II. X. Curtis,
We're called to his bedside last night,
friends here said.
The philanthropist was &c years
old. He came to America from
Holland and at the age of six and
accumulated great fortune, much
of which he devoted to benevolcncc.
For % years lie was editor of The
Ladies Home journal.
Edward William Box, editor, au
thor and philanthropist, was an ex.
ample Of brilliant success achieved
from a humble start in America as
an immigrant hoy.
Born at lIelder, Holland, October
Q, 1861, he was brought TO this eoun-
try at the age of six and was edu.
Gated in the public schools Of Brook.
lyn. y. Y.
His first Job was that of n West.
crn Union messenger boy. Forced to
leave day school, he continued his
Jtudies ut public night schools,
which We're then 4 comparatively
new institution in the United States.
In 1852, Box entered the employ
Of Henry Holt & Co., publishers, and
later became associated with Serb
nor's Sons, for whom he became
alvertising manager.
Four years later, he founded the
l'ok Syndicate Press, with such sue
cess that he was offered cditorship
in the Ladies' Home journal, in
1889. After 30 years as editor Of
shat magazine, he retired
In 1920 he wrote "Thc American.
ization of Edward Box" which won
the Pulitzer prize for the out stand
ing biographical work OF the year
and the gold medal of the Academy
of Political and Social Science.
In 1923 he founded the American
peace award, offering 100000 for
the most practicable plan to estab.
lish and preserve the peace of the
world one half of which was TO be
paid by the foundation under aecep-
tance of the plan by a jury. the
other half to be paid upon accep.
tance of the plan by the United
States senate.
A plan submitted by DR.. Charles
ii. Levcrmore of the New York
Peace society won the award.
World Interested
The contest, and DR.. Lcvermore s
plan aroused the attention not only
of the United States, where il was
widely discussed officially and un-
OlIlclNilN, Dut tHiouSiout 'ht h'iiu'
More than 100000 citizens wrote
the Box commission asking for the
conditions under which plans might
y be submitted.
Two years ago Box established and
dedicated to the nation n bird sanct-
uary near his Florida home. On 1T
he erected great "Singer Tower Z"
fitted with n fine carillion imported
from Europe. President Coolidge and
many other notables attended the
dedication of the sanctuary, which
was to be not only refuge for wild
birds to live, but place where men
too could find hours of peace and
quiet.
Box came of sturdy and distin.
Cuished Dutch stock. His great
grandfather was admiral of the
Dutch navy, and his grandfather was
chief justice of the supreme court
Of Holland. II.s father, Willlm j,
ii. Box, was at one time minister tC
the court of King William III.
Among his early friends, linking
him wan the literary past, was
Henry Ward Beeehcr, who assisted
him materially when, with brother,
he launched his syndicate.
In October, 1896, he married Mary
Louis Curtis, daughter of the founder
OF the house with which he was so
many years identified.
TIT ON cOMNrTccrcN