Joseph Nathan Kane

Joseph Nathan Kane (January 23, 1899 – September 22, 2002) was an American non-fiction writer and journalist, who wrote what the Chronicle of Higher Education calls "some of the most widely used reference works in publishing history."

Early life

Kane was the oldest of three children born to Jewish parents. His father was Albert Kane and his mother was Hulda Ascheim. He grew up on the Upper West Side in New York City. He had a brother called Albert and a sister called Ann. Kane's grandfather on his mother's side was a wholesaler of woollens while his paternal grandfather was a composer. He in turn followed his father's father's steps playing musical instruments. As a young boy he learned to play the mandolin as well as the violin and banjo.

Education

Kane attended Public School 10 in New York City where he was very interested in world geography. The school was conveniently located directly across the street from his home. Other alumni included Bennett Cerf (the publisher of Random House) and Richard Rodgers (the composer). It also educated many high court justices. Kane attended Townsend Harris High School, one of New York City's elite public secondary schools. Kane went up to Columbia University at age 18 in 1917. He dropped out without graduating. There he had taken courses in theatre and journalism. Off campus he studied foreign languages. He then went to Columbia School of Engineering and earned a certificate in electrical engineering. He became a Morse Code operator. He enlisted in the army expecting to use his engineering skills in the First World War, however he never saw active service, having contracted influenza in the 1918 epidemic, which nearly killed him.