Edward Noyes Westcott - Icon Profile | Alexandria
Edward Noyes Westcott (1846-1898) was an American banker and author whose single novel, "David Harum: A Story of American Life," became one of the most remarkable posthumous publishing successes of the late 19th century. Despite spending most of his life as a Syracuse banker, Westcott's literary legacy emerged from his deathbed creation, which captured the essence of rural American life and folk wisdom in ways that would influence generations of writers.
Born in Syracuse, New York, during a period of rapid industrialization and social change, Westcott worked primarily in the banking sector while harboring literary aspirations. His career in finance provided him with intimate knowledge of both the economic mechanisms of his time and the character of rural American society—insights that would later prove invaluable to his writing. It wasn't until 1896, when tuberculosis forced him to abandon his banking career, that Westcott began writing his masterwork.
"David Harum," published in 1898 shortly after Westcott's death, emerged as an unexpected cultural phenomenon, selling more than 1,000,000 copies during a time when such numbers were virtually unprecedented for American fiction. The novel's protagonist, a horse-trading country banker, became a widely recognized archetype of American folk wisdom and shrewd business sense. The book's success spawned numerous adaptations, including a 1900 Broadway play starring William H. Crane and a 1915 silent film, demonstrating its broad cultural appeal and lasting influence on American popular culture.
Westcott's legacy extends beyond mere commercial success; his work represented a significant contribution to American regional literature, capturing the dialect, customs, and values of upstate New York during a crucial period of national transformation. The author's unique position as both banker and writer allowed him to create a narrative that bridged the gap between rural traditions and modernizing forces in American society. Today, while "David Harum" may not command the readership it once did, Westcott's singular achievement—crafting a bestselling novel while facing mortality—remains a compelling testament to literary perseverance and the enduring appeal of authentically rendered American characters.