A mystery solved

Marilyn Greenwald reveals the secret writer behind the Hardy Boys

By Jeff Kallet

For nearly a century, millions of youngsters have been drawn into reading by the adventures of the Hardy Boys, the creation of author Franklin W. Dixon. The real mystery, though, is that Franklin W. Dixon doesn't exist.

He was the creation of Edward Stratemeyer, the savvy founder of a children’s book empire that also published the Tom Swift, Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew series. And for 20 years, the "real" Franklin W. Dixon was Leslie McFarlane, a Canadian newspaper reporter who hoped to become a serious novelist.

"The Secret of the Hardy Boys: Leslie McFarlane and the Stratemeyer Syndicate" – a new book from Ohio University Press by Professor of Journalism Marilyn Greenwald – recounts how McFarlane brought Joe and Frank Hardy to life.

Greenwald was drawn to the subject several years ago after reading a story in The Washington Post by a writer who wanted to find out what had happened to Franklin W. Dixon. The writer discovered that the first "Dixon" was, in fact, McFarlane.

"The story wasn’t too long, but it was interesting and led me to believe that there may be a bigger story here, particularly since the story mentioned that McFarlane kept diaries of his life for more then 20 years," says Greenwald, who contacted McFarlane’s daughter. She allowed Greenwald to read her father's correspondence and papers.

The result is a glimpse behind the birth and growth of one of the most beloved series in children's literature as well as a fascinating look at the workings of syndicated publishers and the life of a freelance writer in the early and mid-20th century.

McFarlane wrote 20 of the first 24 Hardy Boys books between 1927 and 1947. Although the work did not pay well – McFarlane earned about $100 per book and signed away all rights to the Stratemeyer Syndicate – it did help McFarlane pursue his dreams of becoming a "serious" writer. Readers and collectors alike prize McFarlane's books for their style, humor and pacing.

The Stratemeyer Syndicate insisted that its authors remain anonymous, and McFarlane complied: He didn't even tell his own children about his alter ego. Son Brian, a former Canadian hockey star and sports broadcaster, pried the truth out of him many years later.

In 1981 – nearly 75 years after its founding – the Stratemeyer Syndicate was sold to Simon and Schuster, which still publishes many of the syndicate's series, including the Hardy Boys. The author of the books remains Franklin W. Dixon, with new ghostwriters behind the pen name.

Greenwald is, like McFarlane, a former newspaper reporter. She is also the author of "A Woman of the Times: Journalism, Feminism, and the Career of Charlotte Curtis," which was named a New York Times Notable Book for 1999.

Jeff Kallet is marketing associate for Ohio University Press.