Franklin P. Adams

Franklin Pierce Adams, known also by his initials, F. P. A., grew up in Chicago around the turn of the century. In 1903, Adams began writing columns for the Chicago Journal, including a sports column and a humor column. From 1904 to 1913, Adams worked as a columnist for the New York Evening Mail. While working for the Evening Mail, Adams wrote his well-known poem “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon.” In 1914, Adams began writing the column “The Conning Tower” for the New-York Tribune. Eventually moved to the New York Post, this column enjoyed a very long run, ending in 1941. Adams also made regular radio appearances on the show Information Please.