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William Morton Fullerton
William Morton Fullerton
William Morton Fullerton
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William Morton Fullerton (18 September 1865 – 26 August 1952) was an American print journalist, author and foreign correspondent for The Times. Today he is best known for having a mid-life affair with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edith Wharton.

Key Information

Career

[edit]

William Morton Fullerton was born in Norwich, Connecticut on 18 September 1865.[1] He was a graduate of Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts and studied at Harvard. He received his Bachelor of Arts in 1886. While studying at Harvard, he and classmates began The Harvard Monthly.[2]

After his graduation and first trip to Europe in 1888, he spent several years working as a journalist in the Boston Area. In 1890, four years after his graduation from Harvard, Fullerton moved to France to begin work for The Times office in Paris. He eventually became the chief foreign correspondent, and remained with The Times. He remained there until 1910, leaving to try his hand at freelance journalism. He authored several books and numerous articles and served as an officer during World War I. Later, Fullerton joined the staff of Le Figaro, where he remained until his death in 1952.

It was Fullerton's extensive knowledge of the world of publishing that led him to assist author Edith Wharton (with whom, at the time, he was involved) in publishing the French translation of her classic novel The House of Mirth, through a well-known magazine.

Personal life

[edit]

Morton has been described as "Singularly attaching… a dashing well-tailored man with large Victorian moustache and languid eyes, a bright flower in his button hole, and the style of a 'masher'."[3]

After graduating, he was intimate with George Santayana and close to Bernard Berenson. Upon moving to London he befriended Hamilton Aidé and became the lover of Lord Ronald Gower.[4]

From 1906 to 1909, he was famously involved in an affair with American Pulitzer Prize–winning author Edith Wharton. They met in the summer of that year after being introduced by mutual friend Henry James. She undoubtedly considered him the love of her life, describing him as her "ideal intellectual partner". However they were never "officially" together, as Wharton was already married and Fullerton's highly promiscuous personality prevented him from ever committing to a serious relationship.

After the affair ended, Wharton, who was fiercely guarded when it came to her private life, requested that Fullerton destroy every letter she had ever sent him in order to avoid any scandal. The affair itself, although suspected, was not confirmed until the 1980s. Fullerton had ignored Wharton's request and had kept all of her letters, which were eventually published as a book, The Letters of Edith Wharton, in 1988. The affair probably helped inspire an erotic fragment for Beatrice Palmato, a novel that Wharton outlined but did not pursue, given that the incestuous father-daughter relationship at its core would make it unpublishable.[5]

He was also engaged to his half cousin Katharine Fullerton Gerould, but the engagement was called off when Fullerton postponed the wedding. Katharine, sick of waiting, went on to marry another man and become a successful author in her own right. Around the same time he was engaged to Katharine and also involved with Wharton, Fullerton lived with an older woman named Mme Mirecourt, in Paris, but the affair ended disastrously and Fullerton was left owing her a great deal of money.

Morton also had a long affair with the Ranee of Sarawak, Margaret Brooke.[4]

A biography, Mysteries of Paris: The Quest for Morton Fullerton, was published in 2001 by Marion Mainwaring.

References

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William Morton Fullerton

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William Morton Fullerton (September 18, 1865 – August 26, 1952) was an American journalist, author, and foreign correspondent renowned for his long tenure as the Paris-based correspondent for of London, where he reported on major European events including the . Born in , to the family of a New England minister, Fullerton attended in , before graduating with a from in 1886, where he studied under . He moved to in 1891 to join , becoming a passionate Dreyfusard and covering the trial with notable fervor, which established his reputation as a keen observer of French politics and society. After leaving in 1910, he transitioned to freelance writing, editing the American news page for and contributing to Journal des débats until his death. Fullerton's personal life was marked by complexity and intrigue, including his bisexuality and relationships such as a brief marriage to French actress Camille Chabert (known as Ixo) in in 1903, which ended in divorce the following year. He maintained a long-term relationship with Hélène Pouget from 1912 until his death, while earlier entanglements included an involvement with Adèle Moutot and a close, quasi-incestuous bond with his adopted sister, Katharine Fullerton Gerould. His most famous romantic liaison was with American novelist , introduced through mutual friend in 1907; the affair, which lasted until around 1910, profoundly influenced Wharton's emotional and creative life during a period of marital dissatisfaction. As an author, Fullerton published works such as Problems of Power (1913), reflecting his interests in and urban life, though his legacy endures primarily through his journalistic contributions and connections to literary figures. He spent his final decades in , dying there at age 86 after a life that bridged American intellectual circles and European cosmopolitanism.

Early Life and Education

Family Background

William Morton Fullerton was born on September 18, 1865, in Norwich, Connecticut. He was the older son of Rev. Bradford Morton Fullerton, a Congregational minister who had graduated from Amherst College in 1861 and received his theological training at Andover Theological Seminary before earning a Doctor of Divinity degree in 1891, and Julia Maria Ball Fullerton. The family, rooted in solid New England stock, included two sons—Fullerton and his younger brother Robert—and an adopted daughter, Katharine Elizabeth Fullerton (later Gerould), who was their niece born in 1879. The Fullerton household was modest and intellectually oriented, marked by financial struggles due to the father's position as a poorly compensated and sickly minister, yet it placed a strong emphasis on and cultivation despite the . Fullerton's mother, Julia, was an intense and self-sacrificing figure with cultivated interests who doted on her eldest son, enveloping him in maternal adoration through affectionate letters that expressed longing, practical advice on health and finances, and emotional support—though he often neglected to reply, revealing early patterns of detachment. This environment, centered on moral and intellectual development amid economic hardship, profoundly shaped Fullerton's early worldview, fostering a blend of ambition and that propelled him toward formal at Andover.

Harvard Years

Prior to enrolling at Harvard University, Fullerton attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, a preparatory school that prepared him for higher education. Fullerton enrolled at Harvard in 1882 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1886. During his time there, he studied art history under the renowned professor Charles Eliot Norton, whose course also included notable figures like Bernard Berenson as classmates. Fullerton formed close friendships with fellow students, including the philosopher George Santayana, who later exchanged personal and occasionally bawdy letters with him after graduation, reflecting their enduring bond from Harvard days. In addition to his academic pursuits, Fullerton engaged in extracurricular literary activities, co-founding the Harvard Monthly magazine in 1885 alongside classmates such as Santayana, Thomas Parker Sanborn, and others. This student publication provided an early outlet for his writing interests and helped cultivate his skills in and . Following graduation, Fullerton applied unsuccessfully for a fellowship, a setback that lingered with him, but he soon embarked on his first trip to in 1888, which sparked his lifelong fascination with international affairs and European culture.

Journalistic Career

Early Work in the United States

Upon graduating from Harvard in 1886, William Morton Fullerton transitioned from his student involvement with the Harvard Monthly—where he honed his literary voice through essays and poetry—to professional journalism in . His early career centered on the Boston Advertiser, where he began as a reporter in 1887, contributing to the paper's daily operations from its offices. At the Advertiser, Fullerton focused on local news alongside national stories, covering urban developments, political events, and cultural matters in the late . As he advanced to the role of literary editor, his assignments emphasized book reviews and , allowing him to blend analytical writing with timely reporting. This period of intensive daily deadlines sharpened his concise prose style and journalistic precision, building on his academic foundations to establish a reputation for insightful commentary. By 1890, Fullerton sought broader horizons beyond domestic reporting, drawn to international affairs and European intellectual circles. This ambition led him to relocate abroad, initially to , where he secured a position with of , marking the end of his American phase and the start of his foreign correspondence.

Paris Correspondent for The Times

Around 1890, following several years of journalistic experience in Boston and initial work in , William Morton Fullerton relocated to in 1891 to join the Paris office of of . This move marked the beginning of his two-decade tenure as a key figure in British foreign reporting from the French capital, though he was never highly regarded within the organization. Fullerton served as a Paris correspondent from 1891 until his resignation in , providing consistent dispatches that informed British readers on pressing matters abroad; he was bitter about being passed over as successor to the long-serving chief correspondent Henri de Blowitz following the latter's death in 1903. Fullerton's reporting centered on French politics, , and evolving , offering nuanced insights into the Third Republic's turbulent landscape. His articles captured the intricacies of diplomatic maneuvers and cultural shifts in , blending analytical depth with on-the-ground observation to highlight Europe's interconnected tensions. He chronicled European and the vibrant intellectual and social life of , portraying its salons and artistic circles as vital hubs of influence. To fulfill his responsibilities, Fullerton cultivated extensive networks among communities and French intellectuals, frequenting elite gatherings that provided unparalleled access to key figures. His associations included poets like , writers such as and , and American Walter Berry, enabling him to weave personal connections into his journalistic output. This immersion in Parisian society not only enriched his reporting but also positioned him as a bridge between Anglo-American and French perspectives during a period of heightened geopolitical scrutiny.

Coverage of the Dreyfus Affair

As the Paris correspondent for The Times of , William Morton Fullerton provided on-the-ground reporting of the , the protracted scandal spanning 1894 to 1906 that exposed deep-seated and corruption in the French military. A passionate Dreyfusard, Fullerton advocated vigorously for the exoneration of Captain , the Jewish artillery officer falsely convicted of treason based on fabricated evidence and amid widespread prejudice. His dispatches detailed the miscarriages of justice, including the role of forged documents like the bordereau and the perjury of military witnesses during Dreyfus's trials, framing the case as a profound failure of the French Republic's ideals. Fullerton's articles emphasized the affair's roots in institutional antisemitism, portraying it as a clash between republican justice and reactionary forces within the army and Catholic Church. He interacted closely with Dreyfus supporters in Paris's intellectual circles, gaining insights from figures aligned with the cause who provided him access to trial proceedings and private discussions. While specific interviews, such as with Émile Zola—the author whose 1898 open letter J'accuse...! galvanized the Dreyfusard movement—are not documented in surviving records, Fullerton's immersion in these networks informed his nuanced coverage of the evolving legal battles, from Dreyfus's 1899 retrial at Rennes to his eventual full vindication in 1906. Fullerton's reporting had a notable impact on public opinion in Britain and the , where his vivid accounts fueled outrage over the racist dimensions of the and bolstered support for Dreyfus among Anglophone readers. His work contributed to an "explosion of public indignation" against the affair's perpetrators, amplifying calls for and influencing transatlantic perceptions of French politics. As an American journalist operating in a highly polarized environment rife with violence against Dreyfusards—including mob attacks and assassinations—Fullerton faced personal risks, navigating threats from anti-Dreyfus nationalists while maintaining his commitment to investigative truth.

Later Career and Writings

Freelance Journalism and Books

After leaving his position as Paris correspondent for The Times in 1910, William Morton Fullerton transitioned to freelance journalism, leveraging his established expertise in European affairs to pursue independent writing in . This shift allowed him greater flexibility to explore broader themes in international politics and diplomacy through books and periodical contributions. Fullerton's first major book, Problems of Power: A Study of International Politics from Sadowa to Kirk-Kilissé (1913), examined the evolving dynamics of European power structures since the mid-19th century, critiquing the decline of and the rise of in fostering conflict. Published by , the work highlighted themes of diplomatic failure and the ironic absurdities in , such as "Irony and absurdity seem to characterise most manifestations of the human mob." In 1916, he released Hesitations: The American Crisis and the War, a Doubleday, Page & Company publication that analyzed U.S. neutrality and foreign policy dilemmas amid , urging a reevaluation of America's role in global affairs. These books established Fullerton as a thoughtful commentator on power imbalances and cultural influences in , though his later writings increasingly adopted an anti-democratic and reactionary perspective. Throughout the and beyond, Fullerton contributed articles to various periodicals, addressing U.S. , international , and post-war reconstruction efforts, often drawing on his Parisian vantage point for . Later in his career, he joined the staff of , where he edited the American news page ("Le Figaro aux États-Unis") and provided ongoing insights into until his death.

World War I Service

Despite being in his late forties at the outbreak of , William Morton Fullerton volunteered to serve as an officer in the , enlisting in 1914 and remaining in active duty through 1918. After the , Fullerton's service experiences shaped his post-war , though no specific military honors are recorded in contemporary accounts.

Personal Life

Sexuality and Relationships

During his time at Harvard in the 1880s, Fullerton formed close personal connections with fellow students, including the philosopher , who addressed him in affectionate and occasionally bawdy letters that hinted at romantic undertones in their correspondence. These letters, such as one from September 1886 where Santayana expressed intimate concern for Fullerton's well-being while traveling, reflected the era's coded expressions of male intimacy within academic circles. Fullerton's studies under art historian further immersed him in an environment of intellectual and artistic exploration, where such bonds were common but discreetly maintained. Fullerton's bisexuality became more evident after his graduation in 1886, as he engaged in relationships with men in London's and Paris's expatriate and artistic communities following his move abroad in the early 1890s. He pursued affairs with figures such as the sculptor Ronald Sutherland Gower and theatre designer Percy Anderson, navigating the vibrant, often clandestine gay circles of Edwardian London and bohemian Paris. These connections were part of a broader pattern of flirtatious friendships, including with composer Hamilton Aïdé and writer Henry James, the latter describing Fullerton with a sense of tender ambiguity. His involvement extended to dining with prominent gay intellectuals and artists, blending professional journalism with personal indulgences in these insular networks. Fullerton's heterosexual relationships were equally complex. In 1903, he married French actress Camille Chabert (known as Ixo) in , but the marriage ended in the following year. From 1893, he maintained a long-term affair with Adèle Moutot, which involved in 1907 over letters from his homosexual past; he paid her off in 1909. He also shared an intense, quasi-incestuous bond with his adopted sister, Katharine Fullerton Gerould, proposing to her in October 1907, though she later married another in 1910 after his abandonment. From 1912 until his death, Fullerton lived with Hélène Pouget as his common-law wife and housekeeper. In , where Fullerton resided from 1891 until his death, he embodied the archetype of a "man-about-town" in bohemian social scenes, frequenting salons in the and associating with literati like , Walter Berry, and . This lifestyle balanced flamboyant public engagement—marked by his charismatic presence in artistic and expatriate circles—with profound discretion in private matters, driven by the era's strict social norms against and the need to safeguard his journalistic reputation. characterized him as "the most inscrutable of men," underscoring Fullerton's skill at compartmentalizing his "multiple lives and secrets" amid the conservative expectations of late 19th- and early 20th-century society.

Affair with Edith Wharton

William Morton Fullerton met in the fall of 1907 in , introduced by their mutual friend . This encounter marked the beginning of an intense intellectual and romantic connection between the two, with Fullerton, a charismatic , captivating the established during her time abroad. The affair blossomed into a passionate romance from 1908 to 1910, representing Wharton's sexual awakening after years in a loveless to Edward Wharton. Fullerton's known bisexual orientation added layers of complexity to their relationship, as he navigated multiple personal entanglements while engaging deeply with Wharton. Their liaison was marked by clandestine meetings and emotional intensity, transforming Wharton's understanding of desire and intimacy in her mid-forties. Over the course of their relationship and beyond, Wharton wrote extensively to Fullerton, with more than 300 letters preserved, spanning from 1907 to 1931 and concentrated during the affair's peak in 1908–1910. These letters, held in the at the , reveal the profound emotional depth of their bond, blending declarations of love, literary discussions, and vulnerabilities rarely expressed elsewhere in Wharton's correspondence. Despite Wharton's later request for Fullerton to destroy them, he retained the collection, which was discovered and sold after his death in 1952. The affair significantly influenced Wharton's creative output, particularly her 1912 novel The Reef, where characters and themes draw direct inspiration from her experiences with Fullerton, including explorations of forbidden passion and moral ambiguity. This period of personal turmoil and exhilaration infused her work with newfound psychological depth, reflecting the tensions between societal restraint and individual longing. By 1910, the romantic phase of their relationship had ended, though they maintained a lingering sustained through occasional correspondence until Wharton's in 1937. This enduring connection underscored the affair's lasting impact on Wharton's life, blending intellectual camaraderie with unresolved emotional echoes.

Death and Legacy

Final Years in Paris

After , William Morton Fullerton continued his residence in , where he had lived since 1890, serving as the editor of 's American news page, known as "Le Figaro aux États-Unis." In this role, he focused on U.S.-French relations and transatlantic affairs, contributing articles that reflected his deep knowledge of both nations' political landscapes. Later in the , his work became more sporadic, including contributions to publications such as the Journal des débats and pieces on European developments, such as his 1920 article in the Quarterly Review titled " after the War: Clemenceau and Deschanel," which analyzed post-war French leadership and its implications for international stability. Fullerton's daily life in Paris during this era centered around his long-term companion, Hélène Pouget, an artist's model from a Protestant family near , with whom he had lived since ; she served as his lover, cook, and housekeeper in a common-law arrangement that lasted until his death. As Paris underwent profound changes through the interwar years and the disruptions of , including the German occupation, Fullerton navigated the city's shifting social and political environment, though his precise activities during the occupation remain ambiguous, with suggestions of or . In his later years, Fullerton's health declined amid these wartime upheavals, culminating in his death on August 26, 1952, in at the age of 86. After his death, his ex-wife, Camille, seized his papers at gunpoint.

Posthumous Recognition

Fullerton's enduring fame in modern scholarship stems primarily from his romantic involvement with between 1907 and 1910, which has been portrayed as a pivotal emotional and creative influence on the author. This affair, marked by intense passion and eventual disillusionment, is detailed in Hermione Lee's comprehensive 2007 Edith Wharton, where Fullerton emerges as a charismatic yet elusive figure who catalyzed Wharton's literary exploration of desire and betrayal. Lee's analysis draws on newly accessible correspondence to highlight how Fullerton's charm and duplicity shaped Wharton's personal turmoil, positioning him as a key lens through which her midlife awakening is understood. Similarly, Marion Mainwaring's 2001 investigative Mysteries of Paris: The Quest for Morton Fullerton reconstructs his life through archival pursuits, emphasizing the affair's role in elevating his profile beyond contemporary . Scholarly attention has also focused on Fullerton's journalistic coverage of the as a passionate Dreyfusard for , though this aspect receives more contextual than standalone analysis in modern studies of fin-de-siècle France. Historians reference his on-the-ground reporting from 1897 to 1900 to illustrate Anglo-American perspectives on the scandal, but it is often subsumed under broader examinations of journalism rather than treated as a seminal contribution. His bisexual identity has garnered interest in queer literary history, where he is depicted as a fluid figure navigating same-sex and opposite-sex relationships in elite Parisian and American circles, including rumored involvements with and others. Academic theses and biographical critiques explore how Fullerton's sexuality intersected with the repressed dynamics of literary networks, contributing to discussions of non-normative identities in early 20th-century communities. Archival collections have further sustained interest in Fullerton's legacy, particularly the extensive correspondence with Wharton preserved at the at the . This collection, comprising more than 300 letters primarily from Wharton to Fullerton spanning 1907 to 1931 (with the bulk from 1908 to 1910), includes intimate exchanges, manuscript poems, and notes from mutual acquaintances like , offering primary evidence of their relationship's depth and Wharton's vulnerability. Acquired in 1980, these materials have enabled scholars to verify biographical claims and analyze the affair's psychological impact, as noted in R.W.B. Lewis's 1975 study Edith Wharton: A Biography. Additional papers at Yale University's Beinecke Library, acquired in 1970, provide insights into his multifaceted career and personal deceptions. While Fullerton's 1913 book Problems of Power: A Study of International Politics from Sadowa to Kirk-Kilissé receives occasional nods in for its analysis of power shifts post-1870, its recognition remains limited, appearing mainly in older surveys of European rather than contemporary frameworks. Citations in works like W.M. Fullerton's own text are repurposed for historical context on pre-World War I tensions, but it lacks the enduring influence of more canonical treatises. Culturally, Fullerton has inspired fictional portrayals in Wharton's novels, serving as the model for the enigmatic George Darrow in (1912) and elements of Merton Densher in Henry James's , reflecting his allure and unreliability. In queer history narratives, he appears as an exemplar of bisexual , referenced in studies of literary figures' hidden lives during the early modernist era.

References

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