Biography

Alger was a writer of young adult novels, characterized by the "rags-to-riches" narrative, in which impoverished boys rise from their humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through good works. His writings had a formative effect on the United States during the Gilded Age, an era of rapid economic growth from the 1870s to about 1900.

Since 1947, the 'Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans', based in Alexandria, Virginia, has bestowed an annual award on outstanding individuals in American society who have succeeded in the face of adversity, and scholarships to encourage young people to pursue their dreams with determination and perseverance.

He died with little money at his sister's home in Natick, Massachusetts, and his death was barely noticed.
- IMDb mini biography by: rod-duncan