Albert Hodges Morehead

Infobox Person
name = Albert Hodges Morehead, Jr.


image_size = 250px
caption = Morehead circa 1940-1950
birth_date = birth date|1909|8|7|mf=y
birth_place = Taylor County, Georgia
death_date = death date and age|1966|10|5|1909|8|7|mf=y
death_place = Manhattan
occupation = Writer
spouse = Loy Claudon (1910-1970)
relatives = Loveman Noa, uncle
parents = Albert Hodges Morehead I (1854-1922)
Bianca Noa (1874-1945)
children = Philip David Morehead (b. 1942)
Andrew Turner Morehead (b. 1940)

Albert Hodges Morehead, Jr. (August 7, 1909 – October 5, 1966) was a writer for the "The New York Times", a bridge player, a lexicographer, and an author and editor of reference works. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Albert Hodges Morehead |url=http://www.acbl.org/about/hall-of-fame/biography.php?id=51 |quote=Albert Morehead of New York City, League official, bridge author, writer and editor in general fields. Officer and director United States Bridge Association when that organization amalgamated with the American Bridge League 1937. A governor of the ACBL 1937, president 1943, chairman of the Board 1943-45, Honorary . Was in charge of production of the International Laws of Contract Bridge in 1943 and subsequent years. Was only 25 when he played on Culbertson team that defeated the British (1934) in the 2nd international match for the Schwab Cup. Won or placed high in several national and regional tournaments. Ely Culbertson hired him in 1932 because of his outstanding ability as a player and analyst. He was made technical editor of The Bridge World 1933. He proved so invaluable that in 1934 he was made general manager of all Culbertson enterprises. He relinquished tournament play in order to handle additional duties. Did editing (and in the case of the Red Book on Play, much of the writing) of Culbertson books, the Bridge Encyclopedia, 1935. Also did endorsements, the management details of Crockford’s Clubs both in New York and Chicago and the executive direction of Kem Playing Cards, Inc. Sold Kem Cards within 4 years for a profit of more than half a million dollars. |publisher=American Contract Bridge League |date= |accessdate=2007-08-21 ] cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Current Biography |year=1954 |publisher=H.W. Wilson Company |quote=Albert Hodges Morehead was born on August 7, 1909 in Flintstone, Georgia, theson of Albert Hodges and Bianca (Noa) Hodges. His father, a choral conductor ... | url=http://books.google.com/books?id=XYgYAAAAIAAJ&dq |isbn= ]

Early years

Morehead was born in Flintstone, Taylor County, Georgia on August 7, 1909 to Albert Hodges Morehead I (1854-1922) and Bianca Noa (1874-1945). Albert senior was a choral conductor. Bianca's brother was Loveman Noa, the Naval hero. Albert's siblings were: Kerenhappuch Turner Morehead (1905-1907) who died as an infant; and James Turner Morehead (1906-1988). His parents lived in Lexington, Kentucky but were spending their summer in Georgia at the time of his birth. The family moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee after the death of Albert's father in 1922 in Baylor County, Texas. He attended the Baylor School and later Harvard University. In 1939, Albert Morehead married Loy Claudon (1910-1970) of Illinois, and the couple had two children: Philip David Morehead (b. 1942) and Andrew Turner Morehead (b. 1940). He was a noted bridge partner of Gen. Eisenhower.cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=A Tribute to Albert H. Morehead 1909-1966; Games expert and Lexicographer. |url=http://www.patphil.com/ahm.html |quote=Albert Morehead, the six-foot-four, erudite panelist of CBS-TV's new audience participation series, "I'll Buy That," is one of those many-sided geniuses in cosmopolitan New York whose list of vocations and avocations is literally a yard long. He is a book editor, magazine writer, games authority, author, tunesmith, newspaper columnist, 1exicographer, businessman, translator, amateur criminologist and a half dozen other lesser things besides. |publisher=Philip David Morehead |date= |accessdate=2007-08-21 ]

Journalism

Through high school and college, Morehead worked on the "Lexington Herald" (now the "Herald-Leader"), the "Chattanooga Times", the "Chicago Daily News", the "Cleveland Plain Dealer", and the "Town Crier" of Newton, Massachusetts. He later worked for "The New York Times". In 1944 he published 36 articles, under four pseudonyms, in "Redbook" magazine, and in 1951 published 29 articles in "Cosmopolitan"' magazine. From 1945 to 1947, he was the puzzle and quiz editor for "Coronet" magazine and was the consulting editor for games in "Esquire magazine". Starting in 1946 he was a consultant to the United States Playing Card Company, and he was vice president and general manager of Kem Plastic Playing Cards, Inc. for three years. He was author, co-author or editor of over 60 books, including books on games and puzzles, and a number of reference works, some of which are still in print. He edited W. Somerset Maugham's "The Ten Best Novels of the World" and Fulton Oursler's "The Greatest Story Ever Told." Finally, he served as vice president of the John C. Winston Company, a book publisher, for three years.

Bridge

Bridge was a life-long pursuit for Morehead. From 1927 on, he played in bridge tournaments, and in 1932, during the depression he was hired as a writer for Ely Culbertson's magazine, "The Bridge World". In 1928 he was made editor, and in 1929 he became the general manager of all of Culbertson's bridge publications. In 1934, he won the Charles M. Schwab Trophy, and served as both president and chairman of the board of the American Contract Bridge League. He later wrote The New York Times bridge column for more than 25 years.

Honors

* ACBL Hall of Fame (Blackwood Award) 1996
* ACBL Honorary Member of the Year 1946

Awards

* IBPA Bridge Book of the Year 1966

Wins

* Schwab Cup (1) 1934

Runner-ups

* North American Bridge Championships (1)
** Chicago (now Reisinger) (1) 1935

Death

Morehead died of cancer in 1966 in Manhattan, and his remains were cremated and the ashed scattered.cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Albert H. Morehead, 56, Dead; Ex-Bridge Editor of The Times; Championship Player Was Also Lexicographer and Encyclopedia Compiler |url= |quote=Albert H. Morehead, the contract bridge expert, encyclopedist and former bridge editor of The New York Times, died of cancer in Presbyterian Hospital yesterday. He was 56 years old and lived at 444 East 52d Street. |publisher=New York Times |date=October 6, 1966, Thursday |accessdate=2007-07-21 ]

External links

* [http://www.patphil.com/ahm.html Homepage]
* [http://www.acbl.org/about/hall-of-fame/biography.php?id=51 Albert Hodges Morehead] at ACBL
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=13791889 Albert Hodges Morehead] at Findagrave

References

Persondata
NAME=Morehead, Albert Hodges
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Editor, columnist, bridge player
DATE OF BIRTH=August 7, 1909
PLACE OF BIRTH=Taylor County, Georgia
DATE OF DEATH=October 5, 1966
PLACE OF DEATH=Manhattan, New York City, New York