About Sumner Blossom
Lived 1892 – 1977 (aged 84–85). Sumner Blossom was a journalist.
Sumner N. Blossom (June 25, 1892 – March 1977) was an American magazine editor. During the 1920s, Blossom worked as editor for Popular Science magazine. In 1929 he joined The American Magazine as its editor, a position he held until the magazine's closure in August 1956.
Blossom was a graduate of Westport High School in Kansas City, Missouri, where he played football.
While editor of The American Magazine, Sumner Blossom published short stories by many outstanding writers of the day but also adopted policies that provided opportunities for unknown writers to have their work published. Blossom arranged to hide the author's name on all works of fiction during the selection process. The magazine's staff only learned the author's identity once they accepted or rejected a manuscript. Hence, an unknown writer whose unsolicited work had been drawn from the slush pile, could be selected for publication based on literary merit, not just because of an established reputation.
Blossom was living in Babylon, New York, when he died in 1977.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Sumner Blossom's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Sumner Blossom?
American magazine editor
When was Sumner Blossom born?
Sumner Blossom was born on 25 June 1892.
When did Sumner Blossom die?
Sumner Blossom died in 1977.
What was Sumner Blossom's occupation?
Sumner Blossom was a journalist.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sumner Blossom. https://biography.guide/sumner-blossom/
MLA: "Sumner Blossom." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sumner-blossom/.
Chicago: "Sumner Blossom." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sumner-blossom/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-21 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:00 UTC