Burton E. Stevenson (1872-1962) was born in Chillicothe, Ohio. He attended Princeton University, 1890-93, and was a correspondent for United Press and the New York Tribune, as well as the Chillicothe Leader. He worked in Chillicothe until World War I, first as a newspaper editor and then as a librarian, a position he returned to after World War I. Stevenson married Elizabeth Shepard Butler in 1895.

In 1918, Stevenson founded the American Library in Paris, France, and later accepted a position to head a national campaign for library service for the armed services.

Stevenson was a prolific writer, probably best known for his anthologies, such as The Home Book of Proverbs, Maxims, and Familiar Phrases; The Home Book of Verse; The Home Book of Quotations; and The Standard Book of Shakespeare Quotations. One of his popular mystery novels, The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet, was adapted for a film with the title In the Next Room. Little Comrade was adapted for a film called On Dangerous Ground. Burton also wrote books for children. His series character was detective Jim Godfrey.

Bibliography

The Holladay Case - a Tale (1903)

The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet (1911)

The Gloved Hand (1912)

Little Comrade

The Marathon Mystery

The House Next Door