Rex Stout

The creation of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin in 1934 transformed the trajectory of American detective fiction. Over four decades, Rex Stout produced 72 distinct stories featuring this duo, establishing a standard for the genre that remained influential long after his death. His career spanned diverse professional roles, shifting from an early innovator of school banking systems to a dedicated literary craftsman.

Early Career and Diverse Pursuits

Born in Noblesville in 1886, Rex Todhunter Stout spent his formative years in Kansas, attending Topeka High School and the University of Kansas. Following his service in the U.S. Navy between 1906 and 1908, he held various positions in six states, including working as a cigar-store clerk. He began contributing poems to The Smart Set in 1910, eventually publishing over forty works in pulp magazines before 1918. During this period, he also developed a successful school banking system adopted by roughly 400 U.S. institutions, generating enough revenue to fund extensive travels across Europe throughout the 1920s.

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Transition to Detective Fiction

Stout returned to serious writing with his psychological novel How Like a God in 1929, published by the Vanguard Press, which he helped establish. Despite early successes, the Great Depression eroded his financial assets, prompting a strategic shift toward the detective genre. In 1933, he completed Fer-de-Lance, introducing the investigative partnership of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. Published by Farrar & Rinehart in 1934, the novel established a series that Stout maintained for the remainder of his life, producing at least one installment annually until 1966. While he introduced other protagonists such as Tecumseh Fox and Alphabet Hicks, the Nero Wolfe stories remained his definitive contribution to literature.

Public Life and Advocacy

Beyond his literary output, Stout engaged deeply in public and political affairs. He played a significant role in the American Civil Liberties Union and served as the chair of the Writers' War Board during World War II, where he coordinated volunteer efforts and became a notable radio personality. His later years were marked by advocacy for world federalism and leadership within the literary community. As a long-time president of the Authors Guild and president of the Mystery Writers of America in 1958, he lobbied for the improvement of authors' rights and copyright legislation. In 1959, he was honored with the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award.