Fox in Socks Trivia
Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Dr. Seuss graduated from Dartmouth College in 1925. How does a university honor one of its greatest alumni? Put his name on a bench? Maybe name a building after him? Oh, no, they name their entire medical school after him and his wife. Audrey, Seuss's second wife, was a nurse, so the honor is just as much hers as his really. (Source.)
Dr. Seuss once held a Guinness World Record for the cutest blue socks ever illustrated. Hold on, that's not right… oh, yes, he actually held the record for the most difficult tongue twister in the English language. He received the honor for—you guessed it—Fox in Socks. Today, the most difficult tongue twister goes to: "The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick." Yeesh. (Source.)
While attending Dartmouth, Theodor Geisel was caught drinking gin. This was kind of a big deal because prohibition was in effect then and alcohol was illegal everywhere in the United States. He was suspended from all extracurricular activities, including writing on the college magazine. To keep writing, Geisel stopped using his real name and began using a new pen name, Seuss. We'll toast to that. (Source.)
A lot has been made about Dr. Seuss's propaganda work during World War II. But it wasn't all politically slanted; some of it was drawn to keep people safe. For example, here's a link to Dr. Seuss's pamphlet warning soldiers about malaria transmitting mosquitoes. The short and skimpy of it: you don't want malaria. Not even a little bit. Of course, Seuss gives the pamphlet a special touch of that Seussian pizzazz.