Frank W. Leary ’36

Frank died in Paris June 21, 2003; he was 88.

He prepared at the Hun School. At Princeton he majored in history and was undergraduate treasurer of Court Club. In 1940 Yale awarded him a master's in history.

Through the years he became a leading historical novelist, essayist, and critic, especially of British and French history in the 15th century, and including subjects such as Richard III and Joan of Arc. His books received very good reviews in the NY Times and other publications. He wrote many essays for the International Reader's Digest, including ones on Metternich, Balzac, Voltaire, Rembrandt, Bismarck, and Rousseau. He also wrote articles for the Virginia Quarterly, Horizon, American Heritage, and the International History Magazine.

His first novel, followed by many more over the years, was This Dark Monarchy, published in 1949, about the Victorian age.

In WWII, Frank served almost two years in the Navy. He was honorably discharged in 1944. In 1953-54 he served as vice president of the Princeton Club of Paris.

Frank lived in Paris 53 years. He also spent time in England, Switzerland, and the US. He is survived by his wife, Simone.

The Class of 1936