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QUICK FACTS
NAME: Frank McCourt
OCCUPATION: Journalist
BIRTH DATE: August 19, 1930
DEATH DATE: July 19, 2009
EDUCATION: New York University, Brooklyn College
PLACE OF BIRTH: Brooklyn, New York
PLACE OF DEATH: New York, New York
FULL NAME: Francis McCourt
AKA: Frank McCourt
BEST KNOWN FOR
Pulitzer Prize winning author Frank McCourt wrote the biography Angela's Ashes after retiring from teaching for 30
years in New York City.
Frank McCourt biography
SYNOPSIS
Frank McCourt was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 19, 1930, into a family with seven children. His family returned to
Ireland due to the Depression, but they continued to struggle with poverty. His father abandoned them when McCourt was in his
early teens. At 19, he returned to the U.S., served in the Korean War and graduated from Brooklyn College. He taught high
school English for 30 years. He wrote the book Angela's Ashes, which won him many awards including a Pulitzer Prize.
EARLY LIFE
Writer and educator Francis "Frank" McCourt was born on August 19, 1930, in Brooklyn, New York, as the eldest of seven
children. McCourt's father, Malachy, worked odd jobs while his mother, Angela, worked to raise the children. The family
frequently struggled to make ends meet and, after a long stint of unemployment during the Depression, the McCourts returned to
their native Limerick, Ireland, in 1934. The family continued to flounder, however, sinking deeper into poverty.
When McCourt was 11, his father left for Liverpool, England, in order to find work to support the family. By the time Frank was
13, his father had stopped communicating with the family, essentially abandoning them. McCourt left school that same year in
order to earn money for his family. His odd jobs and petty thievery often helped keep his brothers and sisters alive. At 14,
McCourt was hired by the Limerick Post Office to deliver telegrams, and earned money delivering the Irish Times. While he used
much of the money to help his family, he also saved some for his own dream: To return to America.
CAREER IN EDUCATION
McCourt left Ireland at the age of 19, returning to the United States for work. During this time he was drafted into the U.S. Army
to serve during the Korean War. After completing his time in the service, he returned to New York City, using the GI Bill to
enroll in New York University. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in education. After receiving his master's degree from
Brooklyn College in 1967, he taught English at McKee High School and Stuyvesant High School in New York City. He retired
after 30 years in education.
PULLITZER PRIZE-WINNING WORK
After McCourt's retirement, he decided to write about his life in Ireland. The resulting book, Angela's Ashes was published in
1996, and became an instant success, selling more than 5 million copies. It also earned critical acclaim, winning McCourt the
National Book Critics Circle Award, the Los Angeles Times Book Award, the ABBY Award and the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for
Biography. In 1999, McCourt penned the memoir, 'Tis. In 2005, he wrote the book Teacher Man about his experience in the
education field.
DEATH
The Pulitzer Prize winning author died on July 19, 2009, in New York, New York. He was 78. In an interview two years ago, he
was quoted as saying, "I don't want funeral services or memorials. Let them scatter my ashes over the Shannon and pollute the
river." Frank McCourt is survived by his wife Ellen and his daughter Maggie from a previous marriage.
"Frank McCourt." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Oct 02 2013, 02:02
http://www.biography.com/people/frank-mccourt-9391286.