DONALD ROBERT PERRY MARQUIS (July 29, 1878 – December 29, 1937) was an American humorist, journalist, and author.
Marquis was born and grew up in Walnut, Illinois. His brother After graduating from Walnut High School in 1894, he attended Knox Academy. From 1902 to 1907 he served on the editorial board of the Atlanta Journal where he wrote many editorials during the heated gubernatorial election between his publisher Hoke Smith and future Pulitzer Prize winner, Clark Howell.
He was variously a novelist, poet, newspaper columnist, and playwright. He is remembered best for creating the characters Archy and Mehitabel, supposed authors of humorous verse. During his lifetime he was equally famous for creating another fictitious character, “the Old Soak,” who was the subject of two books, a hit Broadway play (1922–23), a silent movie (1926) and a talkie (1937).
Marquis died of a stroke in New York City, after suffering three other strokes that partly disabled him.
On August 23, 1943, the United States Navy christened a Liberty ship, the USS Don Marquis (IX-215), in his memory.
