Edgar Rice Burroughs

Introduction

Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American writer who is best known for creating the iconic characters of Tarzan and John Carter.

Early Life

Burroughs was born on September 1, 1875, in Chicago, Illinois, to a wealthy family. He was the fourth son of Major George Tyler Burroughs, a businessman and Civil War veteran, and his wife, Mary Evaline (Zieger) Burroughs.

Education and Military Service

Burroughs attended several schools including Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and Michigan Military Academy, but did not excel academically. He graduated in 1895 but failed the entrance exam for the United States Military Academy at West Point, so instead, he enlisted with the 7th U.S. Cavalry in Fort Grant, Arizona Territory.

Writing Career

Burroughs began writing fiction as a hobby in 1911 when he was working as a pencil sharpener wholesaler. His first published story was “Under the Moons of Mars,” which introduced the character of John Carter, a Civil War veteran who is mysteriously transported to the planet Mars.
The story was serialized in the pulp magazine The All-Story in 1912 and was followed by several sequels.

Creation of Tarzan

Burroughs also created the character of Tarzan, a man raised by apes in the African jungle, who first appeared in the novel Tarzan of the Apes in 1912.
The novel was a huge success and spawned numerous sequels, adaptations, and merchandise.

Business Ventures

Burroughs was an innovative businessman who founded his own publishing company, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., in 1923, to have more control over his works. He also bought a large ranch in California, which he named Tarzana, and later developed into a town.

Personal Life

Burroughs married his childhood sweetheart, Emma Hulbert, in 1900. The couple had three children together but later divorced in 1934.

In 1935, he married the former actress Florence Gilbert Dearholt, who was the former wife of his friend. Burroughs adopted Florence’s two children. The marriage later ended in divorce in 1942.

Death

Burroughs died of a heart attack in 1950 at the age of 74.