Jump to content

Robert L. May

From Alfawiki
Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Robert L. May, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 9 August 202539 sources
Robert L. May
Born
Robert Lewis May

July 27, 1905
Arverne, New York, United States
DiedAugust 11, 1976(1976-08-11) (aged 71)
Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Known forCreating Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Spouses
Evelyn Ruth Heymann
​
​
(m. 1927; died 1939)​
Virginia Newton May
​
​
(m. 1941; died 1971)​
Claire Newton Sims
​
(m. 1972)​
Children6

Template:Use mdy dates Robert Lewis May (July 27, 1905 – August 11, 1976) was an American retail professional, renowned for inventing the character Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Early life

Born in Arverne, Long Island, New York,[1] Robert Lewis May was raised in a relatively prosperous secular Jewish household located in New Rochelle, New York.[2]Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name His family participated in the Ethical Culture Society, which emphasizes ethics independently from religious doctrine.[3] Consequently, May was brought up without adhering to any specific religious tradition.[4] He had one brother and two sisters; one sister, Evelyn May, was the grandmother of economist Steven D. Levitt, author of Freakonomics.[5] Another sister, Margaret, married songwriter Johnny Marks in 1947.[6]

May completed his education at Mayflower Elementary School in New Rochelle in 1917. He then attended Riverside Country Day School in Greenwich, Connecticut for a single year before graduating from New Rochelle High School in 1922. He earned his A.B. degree magna cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1926 where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.[1] While at Dartmouth, he majored in psychology and was influenced by the theories of Alfred Adler, who proposed that humans are primarily motivated by a drive to achieve perfection and assert themselves as a way to overcome feelings of inferiority. This influence is evident in several children's stories authored by May featuring protagonists overcoming physical challenges that caused deep-seated insecurities.

After college graduation, May began his career as a copywriter with the New York City department store R.H. Macy & Co. (now Macy's). In 1927, he relocated to Omaha, Nebraska to serve as advertising manager for J. L. Brandeis & Co., another department store. During this period he married Evelyn Ruth Heymann from New York City; she graduated from the Ethical Culture School in 1923 and Radcliffe College in 1927.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Their wedding took place on November 29, 1928, in Chicago. The couple moved to Atlanta the following year where May worked as advertising manager at Rich's department store for one year. By 1930, they returned to New York City and May became assistant sales manager at Butterick Company. However, the economic downturn caused by the Great Depression led to his dismissal in the summer of 1932. The Depression also severely impacted his family’s finances; his father Milton’s business, May Lumber Co., was forced to close resulting in significant financial losses.[7][6]

Following a period of employment challenges, May secured a position in 1933 as advertising manager and copywriter at the Gimbel Brothers department store in New York City.[8] In late 1934, his wife Evelyn gave birth to their daughter Barbara. Early in 1936, May left Gimbel’s to accept a lower-paying role as an internal advertising copywriter for Montgomery Ward in Chicago—a company where he would remain employed for nearly twenty-four years.[1] Throughout this time frame, Evelyn maintained full-time work as a social worker while pursuing studies at Columbia University's New York School of Social Work and teaching part-time at Northwestern University.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name

The origin of Rudolph

In early 1939, Robert May’s supervisor at Montgomery Ward requested that he create a "joyful children's book" aimed at Christmas customers, recommending it be an animal tale featuring a character similar to Ferdinand the Bull, which had recently been adapted into a short film by Walt Disney. Prior to this, Montgomery Ward had been purchasing coloring books to distribute during the holidays, but the company decided that producing an original book would be more cost-effective and serve as a goodwill gesture. This assignment came during a challenging period for May, as his wife Evelyn was battling cancer and he was struggling financially on a $5,000 annual salary (Template:Inflation) to cover medical expenses and support their family. May later reflected, "At 35, deeply in debt and still writing catalogue copy instead of the great American novel I dreamed of, I was describing men's white shirts."

For the Christmas giveaway story, May chose a reindeer as the protagonist because of its strong association with Christmas. He envisioned an underdog character with warmth and determination to win over Santa Claus. Drawing inspiration from his own shy childhood experiences, May crafted Rudolph’s persona. To better visualize the character, May visited Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo with his then four-year-old daughter Barbara and Montgomery Ward artist Denver Gillen. He completed the poem over approximately 50 hours working both at home and during breaks at work, frequently sharing each section with Barbara as he progressed. After Evelyn passed away on July 28, 1939, May’s supervisor offered to reassign the project to someone else, but May chose to complete it himself by late August. Upon finishing, he gathered Barbara and her grandparents to read the story aloud, seeing in their reactions that it had achieved its intended effect.

Montgomery Ward first distributed this softcover Rudolph poem booklet during the 1939 holiday season. It was met with great enthusiasm from shoppers, resulting in 2.4 million copies being handed out. Due to wartime paper rationing, no reprints were made until 1946, when Montgomery Ward distributed an additional 3.6 million copies.

On May 29, 1941, May married Virginia Newton, who worked as a secretary at Montgomery Ward. Virginia had attended Mundelein College in Chicago for one year before leaving due to the Depression. She was also a skilled artist who studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. Together, Robert and Virginia raised five children: Joanna, Christopher, Virginia, Martha, and Elizabeth.

In 1946, RCA Victor expressed interest in producing a spoken-word recording of May’s poem. However, since Montgomery Ward owned the rights at that time, May could not authorize it. Encouraged by Wilbur H. Norton, a company vice-president, Montgomery Ward’s president Sewell Avery transferred full copyright ownership of the poem to May effective January 1, 1947. This arrangement allowed Montgomery Ward to continue distributing the booklet as their 1946 Christmas giveaway.

Finding a publisher for his now independently owned Rudolph poem proved difficult for May because millions of copies had already been circulated. Eventually, Harry Elbaum of Maxton Publishers—a small New York firm established in 1945—agreed to publish it commercially. Maxton released the first hardcover edition just before Christmas 1947 with an initial print run of 100,000 copies priced at 50 cents each; it enjoyed significant success. RCA Victor also issued a popular 45-rpm spoken-word version narrated by Paul Wing with music composed by George Kleinsinger. That same year saw various Rudolph-themed merchandise enter the market including stuffed toys shaped like reindeer, picture puzzle books for children, and slippers featuring Rudolph designs.

Rudolph gains widespread acclaim

In 1948, May convinced his brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, to compose the lyrics and melody for a musical version of Rudolph. Although initially rejected by prominent singers such as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore, the song was ultimately recorded in 1949 by Gene Autry, encouraged by his wife to perform it.[9][10][6] The track achieved remarkable popularity and was subsequently covered by numerous renowned performers including Mitch Miller,[11] Dean Martin,[12] and Perry Como[13]—with Crosby eventually recording it as well.[14] This song rose to become the second most beloved Christmas classic ever, only trailing "White Christmas".[15]

Rudolph rapidly embedded itself into American tradition. By late 1950, the Chicago Tribune declared: "There is no doubt that Rudolph has evolved into a legend—the first fresh and embraced Christmas legend since Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol,' and Clement Moore's 'A Visit from St. Nicholas.'"[16] A book published six years later on American Christmas customs observed: "The story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer represents a significant addition to the folk celebration of Christmas. It has gained popularity swiftly and indications suggest this once 'outcast' reindeer will be integrated with Santa Claus in holiday folklore."[17]

Throughout the 1950s, over one hundred different Rudolph-branded products were licensed and manufactured. In 1951, as managing Rudolph became increasingly demanding, May established his own enterprise named Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Enterprises and left Ward's. However, by 1958, sales of Rudolph merchandise had significantly dropped. Although May had accumulated a considerable income during Rudolph's early success, individual top federal tax rates in the 1950s ranged between 91% and 92%, while corporate rates reached up to 72%.[18] Consequently, less than seven years after leaving Ward's, May returned there as a copyeditor to remind them of company policies: "Ward's will take anything back!" He continued working at Ward's until his retirement in 1970.[19][20]

May authored two follow-up stories to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The first sequel, Rudolph's Second Christmas, was released as an RCA Victor phonograph album narrated by Paul Wing in 1951;[21] however, it did not appear in print until long after May’s passing in 1992.[22] The narrative is primarily prose except for Rudolph’s dialogue which is written in anapestic tetrameter. This story was later republished under the title Rudolph to the Rescue (2006).[23] The second sequel titled Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Shines Again, published in 1954, is fully composed in anapestic tetrameter like the original.[24] Additionally, a prose adaptation of the initial story was issued as a Little Golden Book in 1958.[25]

The character of Rudolph gained traction internationally across Europe, Australia, and Canada and found modest recognition in certain Latin American nations where Santa Claus traditions were less prevalent.[26] The story has been published in multiple foreign editions. Besides an English-language version released in Britain, a Danish translation appeared in Copenhagen in 1951 titled Rensydret Rudolf med den Røde Tud.[27] Several French editions were produced in Paris under the title Le Petit Renne au Nez Rouge. Due to Rudolph’s Germanic origin name, early French editions left the protagonist unnamed; however a version from 1975 named him Nicolas.[28][29] Furthermore, DC Comics released licensed comic book series featuring Rudolph annually from the period between 1950 to1962 and again from1972 through1980.[30]

Besides his contributions to Rudolph stories, May authored several other children’s books: Benny the Bunny Liked Beans (1940);[31] Winking Willie (1948);[32] and Sam the Scared-est Scarecrow (1972).[33] However none approached the widespread acclaim achieved by Rudolph.

Legacy of Rudolph

Numerous cinematic versions of Rudolph have been produced over the decades. The earliest was an eight-minute animated short created in 1948, directed by Max Fleischer and narrated by Paul Wing, originally commissioned as a promotional film for Montgomery Ward. This short was screened at Radio City Music Hall and numerous theaters nationwide. In 1964, Rankin/Bass Productions introduced a television special titled Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, utilizing their distinctive stop-motion animation technique known as "Animagic." This special achieved extraordinary popularity and holds the distinction of being the longest-running TV special in the United States. Following this, Rankin/Bass released a second animated television film, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, a fantasy feature that premiered in 1976. Later, in 1979, they produced Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July, a full-length animated movie.

Over time, additional feature films featuring Rudolph have been created. In 1998, GoodTimes Entertainment and Golden Books Family Entertainment brought out Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie. A sequel followed three years later, titled Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Toys, also produced by GoodTimes.

Marking significant milestones, on November 6, 2014—75 years after Rudolph's creation by May and half a century after the first Rankin/Bass adaptation—the United States Postal Service commemorated the character by releasing a set of four stamps showcasing figures from the Rankin/Bass production.

Personal life and death

May's final resting place at Saint Joseph Cemetery

May was a skilled bridge player and had a strong enthusiasm for sports. Between 1930 and 1934, he served as a ghostwriter for Milton C. Work, who was known nationally as a bridge columnist.[8] Beyond this, May enjoyed bowling, golf, and cultivating exceptionally tall tomato plants that grew up to 15 feet, reaching the second floor of his residence.[34] Some of these tomatoes weighed close to two pounds.[35] He was also engaged in community activities, contributing to the planning and writing for Chicago's Community Fund Campaign during the years 1941, 1942, and 1945. May belonged to the Optimist Club in Evanston and dedicated time as a volunteer with the Evanston Council of the Boy Scouts of America along with other local groups.[1][36]

Virginia, May's second wife and a committed Catholic, passed away on April 7, 1971. In the year following her death, he honored one of her wishes by embracing Catholicism himself. On July 25, 1972, he wed Claire (Newton) Sims, Virginia’s sister, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Robert Lewis May died on August 11, 1976, in Evanston, Illinois. His burial site is located at Saint Joseph Cemetery in River Grove, Illinois.[37][38][39]

See also

Lua error in mw.title.lua at line 359: bad argument #2 to 'title.new' (unrecognized namespace name 'Portal').

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :0
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named htif
  3. ↑ See Alfred Adler & Ethical movement.
  4. ↑ Robert May, Dartmouth College Matriculation Form, Sept. 18, 1922, Office of Alumni Records, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H.
  5. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named eds
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ReferenceA
  7. ↑ Phil Angelo (December 22, 2018). "The Illinois roots of Rudolph's hooves". Daily Journal. Kankakee, Illinois.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Robert Lewis May 1938
  9. ↑ "Columbia CL 6137 (33-1/3 rpm, 12". Library of Congress. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  10. ↑ Michelle Delgado (December 23, 1970). "The Magical Animation of 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved January 2, 2021. [hereinafter Delgado, "Magical Animation"]
  11. ↑ "Columbia CS 8501, 33-1/3 rpm". Library of Congress. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Capitol TT-2343". Library of Congress. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  13. ↑ "RCA Victor, 33-1/3 rpm, 12". Library of Congress. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Decca DL 34487, 33-1/3 rpm, 12". Library of Congress. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ReferenceB
  16. ↑ Bentley, "Rudolph," supra note 35.
  17. ↑ James H. Barnett (1954). The American Christmas: A Study in National Culture. N.Y.: Macmillan Co. pp. 108–109. Retrieved January 2, 2021 – via Library of Congress.
  18. ↑ The top federal income rate for married couples filing jointly was 91% in 1949-1951 and 1954-1963, and 92% in 1952-1953; the highest "effective rate" for these years was between 87% and 88%. See "Historical Federal Income Tax Information". Retrieved January 21, 2021.. For corporate entities in the 1950s, income over $25,000 was taxed at 42% or 52%, with an excess profits tax in the early 1950s that took the top rate to 72 percent, with a top "effective rate" of 62%. See Schroeder Boulton (1951). "The Excess Profits Tax of 1950". The Analysts Journal. 7 (2): 153–157. JSTOR 4467886. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  19. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ReferenceD
  20. ↑ Dartmouth Alumni Magazine. April 1977. pp. 79–80.
  21. ↑ "Rudolph's Second Christmas, as told by Paul Wing, RCA Victor - EYA 22 (vinyl, 45-rpm) (1951)". Discogs. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  22. ↑ Robert L. May (1992). Rudolph's Second Christmas. Bedford, Ma.: Applewood Books. ISBN 9781557091925. Retrieved January 2, 2021 – via Library of Congress.
  23. ↑ Robert L. May (2006). Rudolph to the Rescue. Grosset & Dunlap. Retrieved January 2, 2021 – via Library of Congress.
  24. ↑ Robert L. May (1954). Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Shines Again. New York, N.Y.: Maxton Books. Retrieved January 2, 2021 – via Library of Congress.
  25. ↑ Robert L. May (August 1996). Barbara Shook Hazen (ed.). Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. Simon & Schuster 1958. ISBN 0307020711. Retrieved January 2, 2021 – via Library of Congress.
  26. ↑ James H. Barnett (1954). The American Christmas: A Study in National Culture. N.Y.: Macmillan Co. p. 113. Retrieved January 2, 2021 – via Library of Congress.
  27. ↑ Robert L. May, Rensydret Rudolf med den Røde Tud (Grossman, Rube (København)) [no date of publication given but c. 1950].
  28. ↑ Robert L. May, Le Petit Renne au Nez Rouge (Agence Française de Presse, 1952)
  29. ↑ Robert L. May, Le Petit Renne au Nez Rouge (Les Éditions des Deux Coqs d'Or, Paris, 1972, 1975).
  30. ↑ Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (National Comics Pubs., New York, N.Y.) (1950-1962). National Periodical Publications. 1963. OCLC 34918936. Retrieved January_2,_2021 – via Library of Congress. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  31. ↑ Robert L. May (1940). Benny the Bunny Liked Beans. A.A. Knopf. Retrieved January_2,_2021 – via Library of Congress. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  32. ↑ Robert L. May (1948). Winking Willie. Maxton Publishers Inc. Retrieved January_2,_2021 – via Library of Congress. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  33. ↑ Robert L. May (1972). Sam the Scared-est Scarecrow. E.J. Brach & Sons.
  34. ↑ Richard Orr (September 30, 1958). "The Home Garden". Chicago Tribune., at pt. 2, p. A7 (featuring a photo of his five-year-old daughter Martha).
  35. ↑ "Sequel: Rudolph with Your Nose so Bright, Thanks from Bob May Every Night". People Magazine. No. December 1975. p. 47.
  36. ↑ 4 Who's Who in the Midwest 514 (A. N. Marquis Co., 1954).
  37. ↑ Los Angeles Times, Aug. 13, 1976, page 8.
  38. ↑ Newsweek Magazine, Aug. 23, 1976, page 59.
  39. ↑ Time Magazine, Aug. 23, 1976, page 42.

Template:Rudolph Lua error in mw.title.lua at line 359: bad argument #2 to 'title.new' (unrecognized namespace name 'Portal').

Related profiles

RRudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerKKatie CouricJJimmy BuffettJJoan Abelove
Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Robert_L._May&oldid=31769"