Franklin Pierce Adams

Franklin Pierce Adams (1881–1960), known as F.P.A., was a prominent American columnist celebrated for his humor and wit. He gained fame through his newspaper column "The Conning Tower" and as a panelist on the radio program, Information Please. Born in Chicago to German Jewish immigrants, Adams initially trained in insurance and graduated from Armour Scientific Academy. His journalism career began in 1903 with the Chicago Daily Journal, followed by a role at the New York Evening Mail, where he created his popular humor column and wrote the well-known poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon."

In 1914, he brought his column to the New-York Tribune, where it was renamed "The Conning Tower," recognized for its sharp verbal wit. During World War I, he served in the U.S. Army’s military intelligence and contributed to the Stars and Stripes. After the war, he returned to the Tribune and later worked for the New York World until 1931, before rejoining the Tribune, now the New York Herald Tribune, until 1937. His career concluded with a tenure at the New York Evening Post that ended in September 1941. Adams was also a member of the Algonquin Round Table, contributing significantly to American literary and comedic culture during the 1920s and 30s.

During its publication history, "The Conning Tower" showcased contributions from notable writers such as Robert Benchley, Edna Ferber, Moss Hart, George S. Kaufman, Edna St. Vincent Millay, John O'Hara, Dorothy Parker, and Deems Taylor. Notably, having work featured in this column could significantly benefit a writer's career; both Dorothy Parker and James Thurber experienced career-defining success as a result. Parker humorously noted that the column "raised me from a couplet" and dedicated her poetry book, Not So Deep as a Well, to its editor, containing several poems initially published in "The Conning Tower."

The editor, Adams, is recognized for coining the term "aptronym," referring to last names that aptly describe one’s profession, with "aptonym" as a variant spelling. His reputation for a meticulous attention to grammar earned him the moniker "the comma-hunter of Park Row," a location known for housing numerous newspaper offices.

Besides his literary contributions, Adams was passionate about tennis, remaining an active member of the University Heights Tennis Club, which organized an annual open singles tournament. He reached the third round in tournaments during 1914 and 1919 and served as a line judge at the U.S. National Championships (US Open) in 1922 and again in 1924 during semifinal matches featuring prominent players such as Bill Johnston, Vincent Richards, and Bill Tilden.

Franklin P. Adams served as a panelist on the radio show Information Please (1938–48), where he was recognized for his expertise in poetry, old barroom songs, and Gilbert and Sullivan, often humorously referring to the duo as Sullivan and Gilbert. A notable aspect of his participation included a running joke where he would attribute unknown quotations to Shakespeare, showcasing his wit during the show. During his audition, Adams humorously responded to a question about The Merchant of Venice by identifying Antonio instead of the more commonly cited Shylock. The established Shakespeare expert on the panel was John Kieran, who could quote Shakespeare extensively. Beyond his radio work, Adams was also a translator of Horace and collaborated with O. Henry on the musical comedy Lo. 

After his death in Manhattan, he was cremated, and his ashes were interred at Ferncliff Cemetery without a marker.