13 Facts About Scofield Thayer

Scofield Thayer was a wealthy American poet and publisher, best known for his art collection, now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and as a publisher and editor of the literary magazine The Dial during the 1920s.

Scofield's uncle Ernest Thayer was the author of the well-known poem "Casey at the Bat".

Scofield Thayer commissioned his friend Cummings to write his poem "Epithalamion" as a wedding present.

The marriage did not last long and Scofield Thayer moved to his own place.

Dr Watson became the magazine's president while Scofield Thayer took up the post of editor.

Scofield Thayer was assisted by another fellow Harvard alumni, Merrill Rogers, who along with Scofield Thayer was responsible for a complete restructuring of the magazine's finances and staff.

Scofield Thayer settled in Vienna, and, although he would remain there for more than two years, he continued to direct the operations of The Dial.

Scofield Thayer solicited financial backing from European investors and sent layout and content instructions back to the magazine's offices in New York regularly.

Scofield Thayer resigned as editor of The Dial in June 1926, and spent the remainder of his life in the care of relatives and various institutions and sanatoria.

Scofield Thayer was certified insane in 1937, the year after his mother died.

Scofield Thayer thenceforth lived the secluded life of a rich man, surrounded by servants, and moving among homes in Bermuda, Florida, Boston, and his family home on Martha's Vineyard.

Scofield Thayer died on July 9,1982 at the age of 93, leaving a bequest of 400 items from his art collection to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Scofield Thayer left his Aubrey Beardsley collection of drawings to the Fogg Art Museum.