Walter R. Brooks (January 9, 1886 - August 17,
1958) was an American writer best remembered for his short stories
and children's books, particularly those about Freddy the Pig and other
anthropomorphic animal inhabitants of the "Bean farm" in upstate New York.
Born in Rome, New York, Brooks attended college at the
University of Rochester and subsequently studied homeopathic
medicine in New York City. He dropped out after two years however,
and returned to Rochester where he married his first wife, Anne
Shepard, in 1909. Brooks found employment with an advertising agency
in Utica, then "retired" in 1911, evidently because he came into
a considerable inheritance. His retirement was not permanent:
in 1917 he went to work for the American Red Cross and later did
editorial work for several magazines, including The New Yorker. In 1940 Brooks turned to his own writing for his full time
occupation. Walter married his second wife, Dorothy Collins, following
the death of Anne in 1952.
The first works Brooks published were poems and short stories. His
short story "Ed Takes the Pledge" about a talking horse was the basis
for the 1960s television comedy series Mister Ed (credit for
creating the characters is given in each episode to "Walter Brooks").
His most enduring works, however, are doubtlessly the 26 books he
wrote about Freddy the Pig and his friends.
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