Willis Vernon Cole (1882 - 1939) was an American poet and author.The New York Times, March 10, 1939: "Willis Vernon Cole" He produced five volumes of poetry, and four historical fiction novels, two of which were award-winning.The New York Times, February 4, 1928: "Wins 1928 Prize of Writers Guild" He was noted for his anthology of World War I poems, as well.The Morning Herald, Maryland, January 8, 1926: "Writers Guild to Finance All-American Books, Plays Cole also gained notoriety for being tried in the Criminal Branch of the New York Supreme Court from 1911 to 1916 for practicing medicine without a license, being found guilty, and then winning his appeal.
Early life Willis Vernon Cole was born in Detroit, Michigan, on March 3, 1882, to Willis Herbert Cole and Mary Elizabeth Stinchfield. He grew up in Detroit and attended the Art Students League of New York in New York City, where he studied sculpture and fine art. In 1903, at 20 years old, his eyesight had been failing in one eye, and in the other he began having trouble when medical doctors gave up hope on his recovery. He later reported during trial that, “God did the healing”,The New York Times, January 27, 1911: “Science Healers to Fight Test Case” through Christian Science prayer treatment. Cole eventually became First Reader (conductor of services) in the Christian Science Church and then a practitioner himself, writing and producing four volumes of inspirational poetry, much of which was devoted to Christian Science.
In 1911, Cole married Agnes Young. The couple lived in Manhattan and Greenwich Village, where Cole continued his practice of Christian Science treatment and writing poetry. The Coles' circle of friends contained many notable persons of the day. Authors, playwrights, politicians, royalty, scientists, painters and military generals were among them. Cole was the official government anthologist of World War I songs and poetry, and produced and maintained his own anthology of poems about and for the Allied troops, and the battles of that war. This anthology, Songs of Armageddon, was included in his broader collection, Our Leader and the Complete Poetical Works.
Legal issues In the early part of the 20th century, the New York County Medical Society had been attempting to clarify its interpretation of the law regarding what constituted medical practice as opposed to the medical quackery of the time. Cole was working as a Christian Science practitioner from his office in New York City, and charged a small fee for his services, which according to the New York County Medical Society, put him in the category of unlicensed physician. He was arrested for practicing medicine without a license, tried, and fined $100.The Duluth Herald, Duluth, Minnesota, March 30, 1912: "Christian Science Healer is Fined: Willis Vernon Cole must pay $100 for practicing without license". His case gained more importance as it became a test case to determine whether practicing Christian Science was legal or not, and Cole was represented during the trials by Samuel Untermyer and Henry D. Estabrook.Beasley, Norman. (1956). The Continuing Spirit. New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce. pp 46-77. In total he stood for a total of four trials, lasting five years.The New York Times, New York NY, October 4, 1916: "Annuls Conviction of W.V. Cole, Healer" The trials were widely publicized, creating heated debate - and finally a permanent ruling - on what constitutes freedom of religious practice in the treatment of bodily ills.New York Commercial and Financial World, October 7, 1916: "Christian Science Vindicated" Cole won through a unanimous ruling by the New York Court of Appeals in 1916, setting the precedent which has since allowed Christian Science practice to be legal, separate and apart from medical practice.The New York Telegraph, October 5, 1916: “Reversed Conviction of Cole”Christian Science Pub. Society, Boston. c. 1918: "Christian Science healing not medical practice". pp 27-28. In the ruling, Chief Justice Willard Bartlett wrote: "I deny the power of the Legislature to make it a crime to treat disease by prayer."Noonan, John T., Jr. (2001). Religious freedom: history, cases, and other materials on the interaction of religion and government. New York: Foundation Press. pp. 555-556.
Later life in France By 1923, Cole was divorced and had begun writing historical fiction in Greenwich Village, New York. After winning an award for his first novel, The Star of the Alamo, in 1926,January 8, 1926, The Morning Herald, MD, “Writers Guild to Finance All-American Books, Plays” he retired to France and established himself in a historic Loire chateau, Château de Cinq-Mars, near Tours, where he began making his own wines from the chateau's vineyards and developed this pursuit into a prosperous wine business, "Vins de France".The Piqua Daily Call, Piqua, Ohio, February 6, 1936. "ExCow Puncher Boasts Link to Ole King Cole". He continued writing novels, winning a second award for Constanza,February 6, 1928, The Helena Independent, “Vernon-Cole Again Honored by America Writers’ Guild” and in 1927 married Maria Estella Jiminez of Pasadena, California. They had three children in France. During this time, Cole was elected President of the Writers Guild of America.The Anniston Star, March 10, 1939, "Poet Dies".
Willis Vernon Cole died on March 7, 1939, in Luynes, France, shortly before the German invasion, and is buried there. His death was reported on the AP throughout the United States two days following, his obituary stating that "An American Poet Has Died".March 10, 1939, The Newark Advocate, "American Poet Dies" Cole's works are still widely distributed and can be found in the libraries and classrooms of such colleges as Yale University, Harvard University, Brown University, the Lincoln Presidential Library, the University of Michigan, the New York Public Library, McGill, New York University, and Brandeis.
Publications Our Leader and Other Poems, Anglo American Authors Association, London, New York, 1907. Poems that Heal the Sick, Universal Good Publishing Society, New York, 1908. Poems, Manger, Hughes and Manger, New York, 1913. ASIN: B008WA63RE Our Leader: and the Complete Poetical Works, Cambridge Press, New York, 1920. Abelard and Heloise, Universal Good Publishing Company, New York, 1923. (Out of Print) ASIN: B00248WB9Y Cole's Complete Code for Metaphysicians, Universal Good Publishing Company, New York, 1923 (Library of Congress : lccn.loc.gov/23013471); extracts at religious/missions codes The Star of the Alamo, Writers Guild, New York, 1926. (Out of Print) ASIN: B000K0A91A The Princess: A Cycle of Tone Poems, Writers Guild, New York, 1927. ASIN: B000J0BBJ0 Constanza, Writers Guild, New York, 1927. Park Avenue, Writers Guild, New York, 1928. (Out of Print) ASIN: B004M38VX4
References