Richard Armour

Richard Armour (1906–1989) was an American poet, humorist, and educator celebrated for witty light verse and satirical prose. He taught English for many years at Scripps College in Claremont, California, where his playful approach to literature informed his popular writing. Armour reached a wide audience with comic retellings that poked fun at history and the classics, including *It All Started With Columbus* and *Twisted Tales from Shakespeare*. His work is marked by puns, breezy rhyme, and an affectionate irreverence toward revered subjects, making him a distinctive voice in mid‑20th‑century American humor writing.