This mid-20th century non-fiction series offers books containing short biographies of famous people. Unlike other biography series, the books do not focus on only one person at a time but categories of people. Each book is a collection several short biographies of people in related fields, like authors or artists.

Some books in the series focus specifically on women or minorities. In particular, there are some books which focus on African Americans, called “Negroes” in the titles of the books. At the time these books were written, “Negro” was a commonly accepted and even polite term (the reason why the United Negro College Fund uses it is because it was originally formed when ), although it sounds a bit archaic now. The accepted and polite terms changed partly because, during the Civil Rights Movement in the mid-20th century, people were trying to distance themselves from the attitudes associated with older terms and reset society’s mindsets, a process that has continued even into the 21st century. This series of books was started before the Civil Rights Movement began and continued through it, which makes it interesting to study.

The books in the series were written by different authors, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover some famous names among the authors. The books about famous “Negroes” were actually written by Langston Hughes, one of the most famous African American poets of the Harlem Renaissance. I didn’t start with his books because I currently only own one book in this series, but I’m fascinated because I think that some of the people described in the books he wrote might have been people he knew personally because they traveled in the same circles.

This is not an easy series to find anymore, although I think some books were republished in the 2010s. I found very little information about the series online so the list of books in the series may not be complete, but there are some books available online through Internet Archive. I’m not completely sure of the start and end dates for the series because I couldn’t find publishing dates for all of the books. I’m planning on revisiting these books when I have more time to research them further, but for now, I’m providing links to the books I’ve found for those who would like to start reading them right away.

Books in the Series:

Famous Composers for Young People (1939)

by Gladys Burch and John Wolcott.

Famous Authors for Young People (1943)

By Ramon Peyton Coffman and Nathan G. Goodman.

Famous Pianists for Young People (1943)

By Gladys Burch.

Famous American Poets

Famous Pioneers for Young People (1945)

By Ramon Peyton Coffman and Nathan G. Goodman. Available online through Internet Archive.

Famous Violinists for Young People (1946)

By Gladys Burch. Available online through Internet Archive.

Modern Composers for Young People

Famous Men of Medicine

Famous Explorers for Young People

Famous Generals and Admirals for Young People

Famous Kings and Queens for Young People

Famous British Novelists

Famous British Poets

Famous Old Masters of Painting (1951)

By Roland J. McKinney. Available online through Internet Archive.

Famous Modern American Novelists (1952)

By John Cournos. Available online through Internet Archive.

Famous Inventors for Young People

Famous American Negroes (1954)

By Langston Hughes. Available online through Internet Archive.

Famous Naturalists

Famous American Statesmen

Famous Humanitarians

Famous Scientists

Famous Women of America

Famous Women Singers

Famous Engineers

Famous Signers of the Declaration

Famous Negro Music Makers (1955)

By Langston Hughes. Available online through Internet Archive.

Famous American Painters (1955)

By Roland J. McKinney. Available online through Internet Archive.

Famous American Men of Letters

Famous Dancers

Famous Negro Heroes of America (1958)

By Langston Hughes. Available online through Internet Archive.

Famous American Humorists (1959)

By Laura Benet. Available online through Internet Archive.

Famous Modern American Women Writers

Famous French Painters (1960)

Famous 19th and 20th century French painters. By Roland J. McKinney.

Famous American Pioneering Women (1961)

By Edna Yost. Available online through Internet Archive.

Famous American Negro Poets (1965)

By Charlemae Hill Rollins. Available online through Internet Archive.

Famous English and American Essayists (1966)

By Laura Benet. Available online through Internet Archive.

Famous Negro Entertainers of Stage, Screen, and TV (1967)

By Charlemae Hill Rollins. Available online through Internet Archive.

Famous British Women Novelists (1967)

By Norah Smaridge. Available online through Internet Archive (multiple copies).

Famous Justices of the Supreme Court (1968)

by James J. Flynn.

Famous Modern Storytellers for Young People (1969)

By Norah Smaridge. Available online through Internet Archive.

Famous New England Authors

Famous Pioneers in Space

Famous Presidents

Famous Pro Basketball Stars

Famous Pro Football Stars

Famous Puerto Ricans

Famous Scientists

Famous Twentieth-Century Leaders

Famous Underwater Adventurers

Famous Author-Illustrators for Young People (1973)

By Norah Smaridge.

Famous American Architects

Famous American Athletes

Famous American Humorous Poets

Famous American Indians

Famous Fighters of World War I

Famous American Military Leaders of World War II

Famous American Spies

Famous Historians

Famous Merchants

Famous Industrialists

Famous Labor Leaders

Famous Latin-American Leaders

Famous Mexican-Americans

Famous American Women Athletes

Famous Modern American Women Athletes

Famous Modern Newspaper Writers

Famous Naturalists

Famous Astronomers

Famous Baseball Stars

Famous Coaches

Famous Literary Teams for Young People (1977)

By Norah Smaridge. Available online through Internet Archive.