Johnson Jones Hooper
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Brief Biography
Johnson Jones Hooper was a native of Wilmington, North Carolina. While growing up, Hooper worked with his father in the printing industry and showed promise as a humorist by the age of fifteen with the composition of his poem “Anthony Milan's Launch.” Hooper passed the bar in 1838 and pursued a legal career in Alabama, eventually joining his brother's practice in LaFayette. Hooper’s story, “Taking the Census in Alabama,” was published in Spirit of the Times in 1843, helping Hooper reach a national audience. He continued writing humorous stories, the most famous of which included his well-known character Simon Suggs, and many of them were compiled in a book in 1845. Hooper also worked as an editor for various newspapers and held political positions, including serving as Alabama State Prosecutor. He died of tuberculosis in 1862.
Publications
Some Adventures of Captain Simon Suggs, Late of the Tallapoosa Volunteers. Philadelphia; Carey and Hart, 1845.
A Ride with Old Kit Kuncker, and Other Sketches and Scenes of Alabama. Tuscaloosa; M.D. J. Slade, 1849.
The Widow Rugby's Husband, a Night at the Ugly Man's, and Other Tales of Alabama. Philadelphia; A. Hart, 1851.
Read and Circulate; Proceedings of the Democratic and Anti-Know-Nothing Party in Caucus, or the Guillotine at Work. Montgomery; Barret and Wimbish, 1855.
Dog and Gun; A Few Loose Chapters on Shooting. New York; C.M. Saxton & Co., 1856.
Simon Suggs' Adventures and Travels, Comprising All of the Scenes, Incidents, and Adventures of his Travels... with Widow Rugby's Husband and Twenty-six other Humorous Tales of Alabama. Philadelphia; T.B. Peterson, 1856.
A Ride with Old Kit Kuncker, and Other Sketches and Scenes of Alabama. Tuscaloosa; M.D. J. Slade, 1849.
The Widow Rugby's Husband, a Night at the Ugly Man's, and Other Tales of Alabama. Philadelphia; A. Hart, 1851.
Read and Circulate; Proceedings of the Democratic and Anti-Know-Nothing Party in Caucus, or the Guillotine at Work. Montgomery; Barret and Wimbish, 1855.
Dog and Gun; A Few Loose Chapters on Shooting. New York; C.M. Saxton & Co., 1856.
Simon Suggs' Adventures and Travels, Comprising All of the Scenes, Incidents, and Adventures of his Travels... with Widow Rugby's Husband and Twenty-six other Humorous Tales of Alabama. Philadelphia; T.B. Peterson, 1856.
Themes
Johnson Jones Hooper wrote in the genre of Old Southwestern Humor. His most famous stories were about the mischievous character Simon Suggs, who Hooper used to promote his own political beliefs.
Publisher
Alabama Authors of the 19th and 20th Centuries, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, http://AlabamaAuthors.org
Collection
Citation
Hooper, Johnson Jones, “Johnson Jones Hooper,” Alabama Authors of the 19th & 20th Centuries, accessed September 19, 2024, https://alabamaauthors.org/items/show/608.