Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Mr.Linebarger of Milwaukee

Little-known fact.

"Cordwainer Smith" is the pen-name of a well-respected science-fiction author. (The Dead Lady of Clown Town, Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons, etc.)

His real name was Paul Linebarger, Ph.D., a Milwaukee native, godson of Sun Yat-sen, professor of Asiatic studies at Duke and Johns Hopkins, Colonel of the Army, spook, and author of Psychological Warfare, THE standard text on the topic, still used today at US military academies.

I have no idea whether Linebarger Terrace is named for him.

1 comment:

Alan C. Elms said...

Linebarger Terrace was named for the Linebarger family, by Paul M. A. Linebarger's (Cordwainer Smith's) father, Paul M. W. Linebarger, who had inherited a substantial chunk of Milwaukee and developed several blocks in the Linebarger Terrace area to help finance Sun Yat-sen's revolution.

--Alan Elms (biographer of both those Linebargers)