With 2013 being the 80th anniversary of the first appearance of Doc Savage Magazine, I thought it fitting that we also remember the character’s primary author, Lester Dent. He died 54 years ago today, at age 54. Far too young.
I hope he would have been pleased to see the popularity of the Man of Bronze going strong so many years after the first stories.
To mark Dent’s passing, here is his obituary from the day after he died:
Lester Dent, 54, Died Wednesday
Thursday, March 12, 1959 — Lester Dent, 54, well known La Plata (Mo.) author and dairy farmer, died in a Kirksville hospital Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. after an illness of three weeks.
Mr. Dent suffered a series of heart attacks three weeks ago and was taken to the Grim-Smith hospital, where he had been a patient until his death.
Funeral services will be held on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Dent was best known for his authorship of over 200 book-length Doc Savage novels in the magazine of the same name during the period from 1932 to 1950. He wrote under the pseudonym of Kenneth Robeson and Tim Ryan.
He was born Oct. 12, 1904, at La Plata, the son of Bernard and Allie Norfolk Dent. He attended the La Plata schools and spent seven childhood years in Gillette, Wyo.
He was employed for four years on the Tulsa World and with the Associated Press, also serving that organization on the Kansas City Star for one year. He spent parts of 10 years living in New York City, also having made trips to the Caribbean Islands and to Europe.
Mr. Dent was very active in the “ham” radio field for many years and was in charge of the Amateur Radio Civil Defense network in this area. He also was well known for his interest in flying and photography, having combined those hobbies into a “mystery farm” newspaper feature business for some time.
He was also very active in La Plata civic affairs, having served the Commerce club as its president and working with many other town and community projects. He served with the rural fire department for many years and was a Boy School committeeman.
Mr. Dent and Norma Gerling were married Aug. 9, 1925. Mrs. Dent survives her husband.
The obituary should also mention among his survivors, the legions fans of Doc Savage and his other stories.
