Lone Scout: W. D. Boyce and American Boy Scouting by Janice A. Petterchak

From the Publisher

This is the biography of a Progressive-era Chicago businessman and world-wide explorer. Paralleling Theodore Roosevelt in many activities, during his lifetime Boyce (1858-1929) attained international prominence--"a man with friends in almost every civilized country." His sustaining legacy, also a reflection of Roosevelt's interest in and concern for children, was bringing the concept of Boy Scouting to the United States and combining it with youth programs established by the YMCA and other organizations. This is the first authoritative biography of William D. Boyce, founder in 1910 of the Boy Scouts of America.

Born to a Pennsylvania farm family, Boyce's monetary successes were as a Chicago newspaper publisher. Between 1887 and the early 1930s, his periodicals were read by millions of subscribers in rural and small-town America.

A lifelong adventurer, Boyce made extensive trips to all parts of the world. During World War One, he traveled to Europe on the British luxury liner Lusitania (three months before it was torpedoed by a German submarine). He made two African safaris and spent nearly a year traversing South America. Sending detailed reports of those foreign experiences as articles for his newspapers, the stories were later reprinted in books published by Rand McNally & Company.

About the Author:

Janice A. Petterchak is a researcher and writer of biographies and business histories. She was the director of the Illinois State Historical Library from 1987 through 1995, and is a member of the Society of Midland Authors. Her publications include Jack Brickhouse: A Voice for All Seasons, Illinois History: An Annotated Bibliography, and Out to Sea Again: A Naval Armed Guard in World War II.

July 7, 2003 - Ottawa Daily Times

W. D. Boyce's place in American history is as the man who introduced the Boy Scout movement to the United States. But he is rarely remembered as more than a two-dimensional figure in history. While he lived, however, Boyce was larger than life. And the story of this amazing entrepreneur can now be read for the first time in a 190-page book 'W. D. Boyce and American Boy Scouting' written by author Janice Petterchak.

July-August 2003 - Illinois Heritage

Janice Petterchak serves up an engaging biography of Boyce .......sketches him head-on, balancing his shadowy compulsions with the compassions of an ardent social reformer...the portrait Petterchak gives us is compelling, honest and memorable.

Product Details

• ISBN: 0965319873
  
• ISBN-13: 9780965319874
• Format: Paperback, 183pp
• Publisher: Legacy Press IL
• Pub. Date: January 2003
• Sales Rank: 225,466