Theodore Hamilton (Waldo) Sturgeon (1918 - 1985)

Born 26 Feb 1918 in Staten Island, New York City, New York, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mary Mair — married 1949 (to about 1951) in New York City, New York, United States

Husband of Marion Theresa (McGahan) Sturgeon — married 1953 in New City, Rockland, New York, United States

Descendants

Died 8 May 1985 at age 67 in Eugene, Lane, Oregon, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Steven Mix [send private message] and Tandy Sturgeon [send private message]

Biography

Theodore (Waldo) Sturgeon is Notable.

Theodore Sturgeon (born Edward Hamilton Waldo, February 26, 1918 – May 8, 1985) was a popular, acclaimed and award-winning American writer, primarily of fantasy, science fiction and horror.

Sturgeon's science fiction novel More Than Human (1953) won the 1954 International Fantasy Award (for SF and fantasy) as the year's best novel.

Sturgeon was born Edward Hamilton Waldo in Staten Island, New York in 1918.

Sturgeon was a distant relative of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and through his Waldo, Hamilton Dicker and Dunn ancestors, a direct descendant of numerous influential Puritan, Presbyterian, and Anglican clergymen.

His father was Edward Molineaux Waldo, a paint and dye manufacturer. With his second wife, Anne, he had one daughter, Joan.

Theodore's mother was Christine Hamilton Dicker, a teacher, writer, watercolorist, and poet who later published journalism, poetry, and fiction under the name Felix Sturgeon.

At age eight, his mother divorced Waldo and remarried to William Dicky ("Argyll") Sturgeon. He was a mathematics teacher at a prep school and then Romance Languages Professor at Drexel Institute [later Drexel Institute of Technology] in Philadelphia.

On 30, November, 1928, Edward, Jr. was legally adopted by his stepfather, as son of "William D. Sturgeon and Christine H. Sturgeon." and his name became legally changed to Edward H. Sturgeon. As a child, he began using a first name "Theodore."

As a teenager during the Depression, Theodore began writing stories and poems while spending three years as a cadet and working as an engine room laborer on a freighter, the Pennsylvania State Nautical Schoolship, "Annapolis."

At age 20, he sold his first story in 1938 to the McClure Syndicate. He wrote numerous novels, novellas, and short stories during his career. In the 1940 US Census he notes his occupation as a freelance writer. ^[1] He wrote mysteries and westerns, but was primarily known for his work in science fiction. He wrote several screenplays for shows such as Star Trek, The Land of the Lost, and The Wild Wild West. Several of his short stories were adapted for television shows like The New Twilight Zone. He is credited with creating the Vulcan phrase "Live long and Prosper" for Spock in Star Trek, though Leonard Nimoy added the iconic hand gesture to the greeting. ^{[2] [3]} The two Star Trek episodes credited to Sturgeon are "Amok Time" and " Shore Leave."

During WWII Sturgeon worked in Puerto Rico at Ensenada Handa airfield, dry dock, and ship fitting yard (Possibly serving as a Merchant Marine since he had experience in that capacity). In 1945 he returned to the US via the USS Grant arriving in New Orleans. ^[4]

Sturgeon married three times.

His first wife was Dorothe Fillingame (married 1940, divorced 1945) with whom he had two daughters,

1. Patricia and
2. Cynthia.

His second wife was singer Mary Mair from 1949 until an annulment in 1951.

His third wife was Marion McGahan, m. 1953. They had children

1. Robin, a son b. 1952
2. Tandy, a daughter b. 1954
3. Noël, a daughter b. 1956, became Trustee of the Theodore Sturgeon Literary Trust
4. Timothy, a son b. 1960

In 1969, he began living with Wina Golden, a journalist, with whom he had a son,

1. Andros.

His last long-term committed relationship was with writer and educator Jayne Tannehill Engelhart. In 1976, Sturgeon met and began to live with Jayne Tannehill Englehart (now Williams), with whom he remained until his death.^[5][6]

Sturgeon lived for several years in Springfield, Oregon. He died on May 8, 1985 ^[7], of lung fibrosis, at Sacred Heart General Hospital in the neighboring city of Eugene.

He was survived by his seven children.

Honors and Awards

During his writing career, he won both the prestigiousHugo and Nebula Awards in 1971 for his 1970 Novella, "Slow Sculpture". The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted Sturgeon posthumously in 2000. Additionally ^[8]:

1947 Argosy Short Story Competition [Bianca's Hands] 1954 IFA - Novel [More Than Human] 1962 World Science Fiction Convention - Guest of Honour 1970/71 Nebula - Novelette [Slow Sculpture] 1970/71 Hugo - Short Story [Slow Sculpture] 1975 Inkpot Award [for influence of his story "It"] 1985 World Fantasy - Life Achievement Award 2000 inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame 2000 Gaylactic Network Spectrum Award [World Well Lost]

After his passing, the University of Kansas established the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award which continues to be awarded yearly for the best short science fiction story published in English in the preceding calendar year. ^[9] The award includes a symbol invented by Sturgeon that means "Ask the next question."

Papers of Theodore Sturgeon

Kenneth Spencer Research Library Archival Collections at the University of Kansas holds 60 boxes plus of the papers of Theodore Sturgeon. The home page of the collection discusses Sturgeon's influence on other artists and writers of his time mentioning the following correspondence ^{[10] [11]}:

The collection includes correspondence between Sturgeon and his publishers; other science fiction writers and creators including Isaac Asimov, Gene Roddenberry, Robert A. Heinlein, Kurt Vonnegut, Ray Bradbury, and Damon Knight; letters from fans; and correspondence between Sturgeon and his family. The collection also contains the now infamous letter from Robert Heinlein to Sturgeon with story ideas, some of which Sturgeon later used. A full index of correspondents in the collection is available in pdf form; see the "Other finding aids" section for that index.

Kilgore Trout, a Kurt Vonnegut character is thought to be a nod to Theodore Sturgeon. ^[12] Robert Heinlein's character "Waldo" and his robotic "Waldoes" thought to be also a nod.

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQSX-ZY1 : 10 February 2020), Theod Sturgeon, Assembly District 7, Manhattan, New York City, New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 31-624, sheet 5A, line 27, family 62, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 2638.
2. ↑ Theodore Sturgeon, Filmography-Writer, International Movie Database https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0836318
3. ↑ Leonard Nimoy discusses origin of Vulcan Greeting
4. ↑ "Louisiana, New Orleans Passenger Lists, 1820-1945," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZQL-M9W : 2 March 2021), Theodore H Sturgeon, 1945; citing Ship U S Grant, affiliate film #189, NARA microfilm publications M259 and T905 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 2,311,539.
5. ↑ https://www.theodoresturgeontrust.com/bio.html
6. ↑ http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/tannehill_jayne
7. ↑ "Oregon Death Index, 1971-2008", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:CD6R-VYN2 : 3 December 2021), Theodore Ham Sturgeon, 1985.
8. ↑ Theodore Sturgeon FAQ
9. ↑ List of Nominees for Theodore Sturgeon Award
10. ↑ Kansas University Collection
11. ↑ Index of Strugeon's Correspondences
12. ↑ New York Times Obituary

• Wikipedia article: Theodore Sturgeon

• "A Biography of Theodore Sturgeon", in More Than Human, 2013 edition, Open Road Integrated Media, Inc., New York ISBN 978-1-4532-9541-0

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7511468/theodore-sturgeon

• "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J6FH-ZZV : 2 March 2021), Edward H. Waldo, 1920. (Mother is noted on page 5, line 6)

• "United Kingdom, Outgoing Passenger Lists, 1890-1960", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68G5-8N9P : 27 October 2021), Master Edward H Waldo, 1920.

• "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVMX-WQZ : 2 February 2021), Edward Waldo in entry for Edward Waldo, 1920.

• Theodore Sturgeon interview with David Duncan